No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has 59 pledges from Tucson teachers by the end of the week ending March 12.
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 Tucson teachers included “I refuse to lie to my students.” and “Demonstrates the fragility of all societies and of the institutions that are supposed to protect the security and rights of all. It shows how these institutions can be turned against a segment of society. This emphasizes the need for all, especially those in leadership positions, to reinforce humanistic values that protect and preserve free and just societies. Highlights aspects of human behaviour that affect all societies, such as the susceptibility to scapegoating and the desire for simple answers to complex problems; the potential for extreme violence and the abuse of power; and the roles that fear, peer pressure, indifference, greed and resentment can play in social and political relations. Demonstrates the dangers of prejudice, discrimination and dehumanization, be it the antisemitism that fueled the Holocaust or other forms of racism and intolerance. Teaching history is not about teaching one narrow set of experiences. It is about exploring the experiences of those who lived in the past, as well as larger societal and economic factors to help students develop the critical thinking skills they need in our 21st century economy. Teaching about the dark parts of our history helps students deepen reflection about contemporary issues that affect societies around the world, such as the power of extremist ideologies, propaganda, the abuse of official power, and group-targeted hate and violence. This is essential to helping students make sense of current events and their lives. It is essential to the development of our future world leaders. Teaches about human possibilities in extreme and desperate situations, by considering the actions of perpetrators and victims as well as other people who, due to various motivations, may tolerate, ignore or act against hatred and violence. This can develop an awareness not only of how hate and violence take hold but also of the power of resistance, resilience and solidarity in local, national, and global contexts.”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Susan Whorley | I will not lie to my students. |
| Katie Vera | hiding or changing history allows its crimes to be perpetually committed. |
| Arthur Almquist | My students are smart. They can handle the truth, and can see through the agenda of these laws and those who push them. |
| Megan Carney | “no comment” |
| Isabella Porchas | “no comment” |
| Margaret Chaney | As a parent and a teacher of history and government I continually seek to answer questions from students that demonstrate an understanding about WHY things have happened, keep occurring or should never happen again. They deserve nothing less than the truth! |
| Amber Leeson-Curtis | Unless we teach the truth we can never overcome the challenges our country is facing. Lying to our students undermines our credibility and places us in a position that requires us to be unethical. |
| Lee Foulkes | I have taught History for 17 years, and I don't like to suppress the truth about what has happened historically. |
| Peter Blankfield | “no comment” |
| Julie Elvick | The only way we will save our democracy is to teach American History - all of it✊? |
| Peter Blankfield | I refuse to "...bear false witness." I believe the United States is a really good country, but it is not nor has it been perfect. To fully and honestly prepare K-12 students to be informed and engaged citizens, they must be allowed to analyze the good and the BAD in order to make proper decisions about the future that avoid the pitfalls of past generations, including the most recent experience this nation has had with a GOP president. All the laws being passed across the nation violate teachers' free speech and I refuse to GO SILENTLY INTO THE NIGHT! |
| Victoria Bodanyi | our students deserve the truth. |
| Meghan Hipple | “no comment” |
| Alyssa Cossey | “no comment” |
| Ryan Knst | Media and the Truth of America NEED to be revealed. |
| Kari Warner | “no comment” |
| Rita Verdín | History has been taught from only one perspective. |
| Jessica Williams | I refuse to ignore our history and the contributions of traditionally marginalized groups in that history traditionally credited to the majority group of white, wealthy males. I refuse to teach my students an alternate history rewritten by the suppressors in power. They have the right to learn about the contributions and impact that Black Americans, women, LGBTQ+, Latin/a/ex, Native Tribes, Asian & Pacific Islander, all religions other than Christianity, and all other non-white Europeans have had to America. I will not regurgitate one version of history or one type of literature. I will be a student to my students and a teacher of the truth. |
| Kati G. Gilson | “no comment” |
| Elizabeth Valenzuela | I became an educator to provide a safe space in which all of my students feel heard, seen, loved and are reflected in my teaching. I will not abandon BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrant, and disabled children because of white supremacist legislature. |
| Andrea Espinoza | I refuse to lie to my students. |
| Jenna Brito | I will not let the white establishment silence me. I will continue to teach an accurate account of history. This includes teaching about how racism, sexism, xenophobia, etc is deeply embedded into our society and how it continues to shape out experiences. |
| Caryl Crowell | even though I am no longer a classroom teacher, I still volunteer in classrooms and work with teachers through professional development. I pledge that the books I share with children, and the learning experiences I promote and use to engage teachers and students will be representative of the histories of ALL the people in the room. |
| Steven Ernsky | “no comment” |
| Farid Matuk | “no comment” |
| Mario Garcia | The cat is out of the bag. Things hidden can't be out back or ignored. We have a racist past and present. All we can do is try to make the future a better place, like the truth- tellers before us. |
| Nataly Reed | -Writing is situated in social, cultural, economic, and academic contexts.-Writers scrutinize power structures and critically interrogate societal inequities such as but not limited to racism, sex and gender discrimination, ableism, and xenophobia.-I believe in the power of language to compose the future in which students want to live. |
| Avis Judd | "Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues."We cannot do justice to our students by omitting the reality of the world in which they live. Our students are not ignorant of the racism, sexism, and homophobia which impact their lives. In many cases they are more knowledgeable about these injustices then their teachers. When we fail to acknowledge or address these issues we lose the trust of our students. Without that trust they won't hear anything else we teach them. We cannot segregate curriculum from reality. Truthfulness! |
| Jennifer Mullet | Everyone deserves the truth so they can make their own choices for the future. |
| Wes Oswald | We can learn from the past and become a better society. |
| Alexandra Mazur | White supremacy needs to be squashed and the people it's hurt need to be credited for what they have been through. |
| Nataly Reed | writing is situated in social, cultural, economic, and academic contexts. I believe in the power of language to compose the future in which students want to live. |
| Jennifer Quigley | Our students deserve the truth. |
| Sheila Wilensky | Telling the truth about history is what I learned from Howard Zinn! |
| Corina Ontiveros | We must speak of, study, analyze, and never forget the whole truth of our country! Only then can we recognize that in our shared humanity and real respect for each other, can we truly strive and work to make the United States live up to its promise. |
| Kevan Kiser-Chuc | Truthful history needs to be taught so that we learn from past mistakes so as we move forward to understand them and not to repeat them. |
| Rachael Eggebeen | “no comment” |
| Tom McElhaney | “no comment” |
| Rebecca Kristensen | I refuse to lie to my students. |
| Corey Knox | Truth matters. Justice depends on truth. Real educators are truth—tellers. |
| Barbara Wayne | One of my roles as a high school principal was to evaluate my teachers and their lesson plans. A professional knows how to present all sides of an argument and provide access to reputable resources for their students. In my career, I had a few occasions where the teacher, the lesson plan, or the resources demonstrated bias. They were few in nature, but I was able to deal with them. That was my job. Don’t give it to government. |
| Manuel R. Palacios-Fest | We cannot let the corrupt change history! |
| Kristel Ann Foster | Knowledge is Power and as educators, we dedicate our lives to empowering young people. As the demographics shift across the US, these laws are being introduced to keep people of color powerless. We must fight back against this legislation and empower our students with different perspectives and experiences and the critical thinking skills they need to determine the next steps our society must take. |
| Ann Marie Palmer | The truth matters. |
| Erin Donaghy | This recent law that has come into place in Arizona is unacceptable. |
| Jim Byrne | Gotta embrace reality |
| Carole Edelsky | “no comment” |
| Devon Holden | the truth matters. |
| Jessica Bernalmejia | I refuse to lie to my students. |
| Chris Parisoff | I believe the Zinn Education Project offers an important perspective on history, just as the Mexican American Studies program in Tucson did before it was banned. Let us seek to learn more, not limit the boundaries of what can be taught. |
| Alison Climes | “no comment” |
| Brieanne Buttner | My community deserves quality education. |
| Edvina Velagic | “no comment” |
| Linda Archuleta | I'm an educator in Arizona. |
| Chelsea Forer | for too long, students have been denied an education that fully represents U.S. history. It is my role as an adult in the position of educator to be honest and realistic with my students. This is the only way to encourage in-depth critical thinking and analysis of our society. |
| Kate Van Roekel | Demonstrates the fragility of all societies and of the institutions that are supposed to protect the security and rights of all. It shows how these institutions can be turned against a segment of society. This emphasizes the need for all, especially those in leadership positions, to reinforce humanistic values that protect and preserve free and just societies. Highlights aspects of human behaviour that affect all societies, such as the susceptibility to scapegoating and the desire for simple answers to complex problems; the potential for extreme violence and the abuse of power; and the roles that fear, peer pressure, indifference, greed and resentment can play in social and political relations. Demonstrates the dangers of prejudice, discrimination and dehumanization, be it the antisemitism that fueled the Holocaust or other forms of racism and intolerance. Teaching history is not about teaching one narrow set of experiences. It is about exploring the experiences of those who lived in the past, as well as larger societal and economic factors to help students develop the critical thinking skills they need in our 21st century economy. Teaching about the dark parts of our history helps students deepen reflection about contemporary issues that affect societies around the world, such as the power of extremist ideologies, propaganda, the abuse of official power, and group-targeted hate and violence. This is essential to helping students make sense of current events and their lives. It is essential to the development of our future world leaders. Teaches about human possibilities in extreme and desperate situations, by considering the actions of perpetrators and victims as well as other people who, due to various motivations, may tolerate, ignore or act against hatred and violence. This can develop an awareness not only of how hate and violence take hold but also of the power of resistance, resilience and solidarity in local, national, and global contexts. |
| Natalie Taylor | “no comment” |
| Peter Blankfield | lying through omission is still lying. I too refuse to lie to students. We must look at the good and the bad if we are to analyze events of the past. |
| Adrian Provenzano | “no comment” |
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