The pledge was signed by no teachers on Oct. 9, the day before. It now has five pledges from Fort Myers 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 Fort Myers teachers included, "I live in a democracy not in the former Soviet Union. What does it mean to teach history “objectively”? To sugar coat it? Should we teach the Holocaust “objectively”? Genocide? Slavery? Nazism? There are “good people on both sides”?" and "Two wrongs don't make a right. Banning the teaching of the truth about the wrongs of our nation's history is wrong. Our nation has a complex history and our children deserve to know the truth, the parts that make us proud and the parts that are shameful. Truth is an important in healing the wrongs of the 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 |
|---|---|
| Heather Williams | Teaching the truth is paramount to preserving democracy. The way to a more just society is through education. Ignorance ultimately leads to corruption in government and violence in it's people. |
| Myra Mendible | I live in a democracy not in the former Soviet Union. What does it mean to teach history “objectively”? To sugar coat it? Should we teach the Holocaust “objectively”? Genocide? Slavery? Nazism? There are “good people on both sides”? |
| Russell Sabella | Facing adversity and getting better is how we get stronger. |
| Sarah Price | No comment |
| Susanna Wingenroth | Two wrongs don't make a right. Banning the teaching of the truth about the wrongs of our nation's history is wrong. Our nation has a complex history and our children deserve to know the truth, the parts that make us proud and the parts that are shameful. Truth is an important in healing the wrongs of the past. |
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