No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has 11 pledges from Youngstown 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 Youngstown teachers included “I refuse to "school" children and tell them what to learn. The indoctrination of our youth needs to end! I will help educate my students by teaching them how to learn and how to think critically about the world around them using Key Questions and Media Literacy Skills.” and “Our scholars deserve to receive an education that includes ACCURATE depictions/descriptions of historical events, with no bias.”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Katherine Birtalan | You cannot run from the truth. |
| John Sarkissian | “no comment” |
| Janice Vitullo | “no comment” |
| Mary Ramhoff | “no comment” |
| Phil Thomas | My students deserve to see themselves in history and contemporary artworks. I have always wanted to promote inclusivity and diversity in my class and create a safe space for my students. |
| Aadrian Thomas | Our scholars deserve to receive an education that includes ACCURATE depictions/descriptions of historical events, with no bias. |
| Mary Hall | “no comment” |
| Stacey Snyder | “no comment” |
| Cieleste Tauro | as a minority myself, I understand how harmful it can be to be a student learning about history that does not represent my story and my place in the world. When I became a social studies teacher and chose to teach in the city, I promised myself to promote diversity and inclusivity so that no one feels like their culture, race, religion, etc. did not contribute to the world that we live in or are not "worthy" of celebration. |
| Heather Smith | I refuse to "school" children and tell them what to learn. The indoctrination of our youth needs to end! I will help educate my students by teaching them how to learn and how to think critically about the world around them using Key Questions and Media Literacy Skills. |
| Heather Smith | People have been lied to long enough. Media literacy needs promoted. |
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