The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 2, the day before. It now has seven pledges from Omaha 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 Omaha teachers included, "My students deserve an engaging, vivid, and intellectually honest discussion of history. To give them anything else is disempowering and patronizing" and "We must teach student the facts of history, History is not pretty, the victors for centuries have written it, leaving out the voices of the "losers". Only in recent times have the status quo in history been challenged. I believe in raising generations of citizens with critical thinking skills who can discern fact from historical fiction and myth such as "Slaves were happy to live on plantations", A quote from a history book or " the Civil war was fought for "states rights", yeah the right to own slaves".
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 |
|---|---|
| Amy Schmidtke | No comment |
| Anne Guldemond | We must teach student the facts of history, History is not pretty, the victors for centuries have written it, leaving out the voices of the "losers". Only in recent times have the status quo in history been challenged. I believe in raising generations of citizens with critical thinking skills who can discern fact from historical fiction and myth such as "Slaves were happy to live on plantations", A quote from a history book or " the Civil war was fought for "states rights", yeah the right to own slaves. |
| Ben Boeckman | No comment |
| Deborah McCollister | I am a grandmother who "studied" the Zinn History for Young People with my grandsons during Covid in 2020. What a privilege to engage in critical thinking with my precious grandsons. I truly believe they will be more patriotic citizens, alert to facts and nuance in their participation in the fabric of our governance. |
| Frank Edler | I believe that education demands the free, open, and responsible inquiry into any and all subjects. The attempt to muzzle inquiry into the history of any minority is reprehensible. Uncovering the truth, no matter how difficult it may be, is the only basis for reconciling a people to move together toward a common future. |
| Lora Irvine | We owe our students a clear and unbiased opportunity to learn. |
| Michael Bristol | My students deserve an engaging, vivid, and intellectually honest discussion of history. To give them anything else is disempowering and patronizing. |
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