The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 14, the day before. It now has one pledge from Southwest Harbor teacher.
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.
The Southwest Harbor teacher wrote "I believe that we must expose young people to the histories of all people. We must also center our teaching on these marginalized perspectives because through acknowledgement we can begin the healing process." when pledging to teach Critical Race Theory.
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 |
|---|---|
| Michael Fournier | I believe that we must expose young people to the histories of all people. We must also center our teaching on these marginalized perspectives because through acknowledgement we can begin the healing process. |
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