The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 25, the day before. It now has two pledges from Joliet 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 Joliet teachers included, "I’m supporting my school district’s commitment to educating our teachers and staff on the topics of white privilege, implicit bias and the systemic historical racism we have seen in the United States for centuries. We want our brothers and sisters of color to know that we seek to understand and that we believe knowledge is power. It is my belief this will open up honest conversations in the classroom as we acknowledge the hateful injustices that have occurred for centuries. (Which were glossed over in textbooks for as long as I can remember.)" and "When we link the truth about the past to the reality of the world we continue to live in at the present we have the best possible chance to educate in a way that will create the best possible democracy for the future".
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 |
|---|---|
| Brigette Bloomfield | I’m supporting my school district’s commitment to educating our teachers and staff on the topics of white privilege, implicit bias and the systemic historical racism we have seen in the United States for centuries. We want our brothers and sisters of color to know that we seek to understand and that we believe knowledge is power. It is my belief this will open up honest conversations in the classroom as we acknowledge the hateful injustices that have occurred for centuries. (Which were glossed over in textbooks for as long as I can remember.) |
| David Zucker | When we link the truth about the past to the reality of the world we continue to live in at the present we have the best possible chance to educate in a way that will create the best possible democracy for the future. |
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