The pledge was signed by no teachers on Nov. 28, the day before. It now has six pledges from Exeter 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 Exeter teachers included, "I find it outrageous that politicians could have a say in what we teach. Leave it to the NH department of Education to figure out what is best for NH students. They have the right to be given tools to determine truth and critically think for themselves without teachers being muzzled over facts" and "Students need to have a full picture of the history of the United States in order to learn from the nation's mistakes and celebrate its successes. Students also need to develop critical thinking and media analysis skills that come from the Social Studies".
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 |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Scott | I find it outrageous that politicians could have a say in what we teach. Leave it to the NH department of Education to figure out what is best for NH students. They have the right to be given tools to determine truth and critically think for themselves without teachers being muzzled over facts. |
| Daniel Stowell | This result of this legislation is to scare educators into self-censorship on topics that have been too long ignored. |
| Jay Reiter | We learn from history, not by hiding from it. This is the greatest country, but we are by no means perfect. |
| Kathleen Holmes | Because there are people like MMc who say things like this, "...from promoting the principles that unite our nation toward promoting radical ideologies meant to divide us." Yup, OK, let's keep funding those principles of hate and xenophobia instead of something radical like the truth. I think Marx could have focused on a different institution; it's not religious beliefs that work as opiates, it's the beliefs of the politicians that keep everyone dulled. Kool-aid, anyone? I cannot comprehend how MMc makes sense to anyone. |
| Wendy Bergeron | No comment |
| Wendy Bergeron | Students need to have a full picture of the history of the United States in order to learn from the nation's mistakes and celebrate its successes. Students also need to develop critical thinking and media analysis skills that come from the Social Studies. |
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