The pledge was signed by three teachers the month before. It now has three pledges from Forest Lake teachers by June.
They are 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.
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. Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and Georgia, have denounced the teachings and are discussing a ban on critical race theory teachings.
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 |
|---|---|
| Matt Gockowski | As difficult as it may be to both acknowledge as educators and to hear as students, the only way to move forward as a society is to teach the hard truths about our country and find ways to do better for our future. |
| Marina Konold | Our students have the right to know the truth about their past in hopes of making a better future. |
| Reid Fore | I make this pledge because only the truth will allow us to make progress as a nation, as a community, and as individuals. As the saying goes, "Those who do not understand history are condemned to repeat it." |
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