The pledge was signed by two teachers on Feb. 4, the day before. It now has three pledges from Laurel teachers.
They’re one of the thousands of US teachers pledging to continue educating students about the controversial Critical Race Theory, which explains racism is embedded in US culture and politics.
Comments from Laurel teachers included, "It is time to empower our young people with the truth. We have inherited this and it is time to break generational ignorance. ~ Claritza Ortiz" and "It is important to have a truthful conversation and knowledge that systematic racism and oppression have caused continual inequity in our country".
Though the concept was first suggested in the late 70’s, it has recently exploded as a contentious issue between the American right and left in the last two years.
Many who signed the pledge are defying state bans on the teachings. Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and South Dakota, have denounced the teachings without passing specific legislation.
In an interview with The Washington Free Beacon', Ashley Varner of the Freedom Foundation accused the Zinn Education Project of providing “left-leaning propaganda to teachers.”
| Teachers | Thoughts on Critical Race Theory |
|---|---|
| Amber Taylor | No comment |
| Amy Smith | It is important to have a truthful conversation and knowledge that systematic racism and oppression have caused continual inequity in our country. |
| Claritza Ortiz | It is time to empower our young people with the truth. We have inherited this and it is time to break generational ignorance. ~ Claritza Ortiz |
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