The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 17, the day before. It now has three pledges from Hamilton 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 Hamilton teachers included, "We should teach the truth" and "To honor my parents who were Holocaust survivors. I teach to increase understanding between people, but must teach truth to do it. Virginia wants me to whitewash issues of race in my curriculum".
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 |
|---|---|
| George Cassutto Cassutto | To honor my parents who were Holocaust survivors. I teach to increase understanding between people, but must teach truth to do it. Virginia wants me to whitewash issues of race in my curriculum. |
| Kathryn Lafever | We should teach the truth. |
| Laura Jaffee | No comment |
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