The pledge was signed by no teachers on Dec. 26, the day before. It now has four pledges from Glenview 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 Glenview teachers included, "I commit to teaching history that tells the truth and educates and uplifts our young historians. We need to develop critical thinking and use our country, it’s history, as a way to understand problems and come to a collaborative solution to today’s problems" and "honest history is important. If students don’t know the bad parts of our history, they are at risk of repeating them. It is our responsibility as educators and responsible citizens to work to make our future more just, humane and equitable than our past".
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 |
|---|---|
| Aimee Neumann | honest history is important. If students don’t know the bad parts of our history, they are at risk of repeating them. It is our responsibility as educators and responsible citizens to work to make our future more just, humane and equitable than our past. |
| Amy Moore | No comment |
| Colin Bailey | I commit to teaching history that tells the truth and educates and uplifts our young historians. We need to develop critical thinking and use our country, it’s history, as a way to understand problems and come to a collaborative solution to today’s problems. |
| Olivia Perlow | No comment |
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