No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has four pledges from Torrance teachers by the end of the week ending Jan. 15.
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 new Torrance teachers included “Truth matters.” and “We need to teach the truth.”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Sarah Robinson | Our students deserve to be presented with the full scope of American history in order to become productive members of our society. Only when they know where we have come from can they picture where we are going. |
| Amy King | “no comment” |
| Paulette Fistikoglu | Truth matters. |
| Elizabeth MacMinn | We need to teach the truth. |
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