The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 25, the day before. It now has four pledges from Brookline 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 Brookline teachers included, "Confronting the impact of systemic racism on our society is essential in order to move forward together. As a recently retired teacher, I support the efforts of active educators to teach the truth and help our students understand themselves and their world more fully" and "Because it is important that all voices are heard to know the whole 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 |
|---|---|
| Dennis Rudnick | No comment |
| Elaine Choate | Students deserve better than lies. |
| Hadassah Chavivah Zeltzer | Because it is important that all voices are heard to know the whole truth. |
| Victoria Moskowitz | Confronting the impact of systemic racism on our society is essential in order to move forward together. As a recently retired teacher, I support the efforts of active educators to teach the truth and help our students understand themselves and their world more fully. |
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