The pledge was signed by no teachers on Dec. 27, the day before. It now has eight pledges from Littleton 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 Littleton teachers included, "I am not only a teacher, but a student and a product of history. To love my country and myself and my community is to want to understand it fully, and embrace it completely, when it is easy and when it is hard, because we can keep making it a strong and truer version of what we have always aspired to be; our shortcomings do not eclipse our strengths, but taken together they motivate us to continue to grow. And I hope future generations will examine our mistakes and learn from them to do even better and reach higher. Finally, most of the richness of our community and history is not so much in the names and dates that mark our shared map, but from the collective voices, experiences and contributions of all the individuals who have formed our community. I want to keep learning, and my students to keep learning, that like learning from many teachers, hearing from those different voices and perspectives can only deepen and broaden my understanding of who we really are, where we are as a country/community, and think about how I can make a better human contribution to the country/community, as well as support others' capacity to do the same" and "Teaching the truth is critical to understanding history so we can grow beyond the social constructs that continue to impact equity and access in the United States".
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 |
|---|---|
| Ang Anderson | My students deserve to know the truth. |
| Barbara Penning | We must teach comprehensive not selective history so our children can begin to understand systemic racism |
| Brian White | Teaching the truth is critical to understanding history so we can grow beyond the social constructs that continue to impact equity and access in the United States. |
| Cexochitl Delatorre | All children need to know why and how our country came to be where it's at today. To fully understand how to navigate all systems and institutions, and find work to find solutions to issues. |
| Hannah McClain | No comment |
| Lindsey Widstrom | No comment |
| Sara Monterroso | I am not only a teacher, but a student and a product of history. To love my country and myself and my community is to want to understand it fully, and embrace it completely, when it is easy and when it is hard, because we can keep making it a strong and truer version of what we have always aspired to be; our shortcomings do not eclipse our strengths, but taken together they motivate us to continue to grow. And I hope future generations will examine our mistakes and learn from them to do even better and reach higher. Finally, most of the richness of our community and history is not so much in the names and dates that mark our shared map, but from the collective voices, experiences and contributions of all the individuals who have formed our community. I want to keep learning, and my students to keep learning, that like learning from many teachers, hearing from those different voices and perspectives can only deepen and broaden my understanding of who we really are, where we are as a country/community, and think about how I can make a better human contribution to the country/community, as well as support others' capacity to do the same. |
| Susan Cox | No comment |
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