The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 24, the day before. It now has three pledges from Beaver 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 Beaver teachers included, "“You can't be neutral on a moving train.”― Howard Zinn" and "Lesson 5: Remember Professional Ethics "When politicians demand obedience, professionals must insist on acting ethically. Hitler convinced German lawyers that the law was a political tool that he could use however he wanted, including in the service of war and genocide. He had lawyers running concentration camps where physicians experimented on prisoners and businessmen profited from forced labor. All these people abandoned the normal ethical rules underpinning their professions, which must be enforced and strengthened in precisely the circumstances when governments say they should be abandoned. Otherwise, by “just following orders,” professionals end up committing and participating in horrific acts of violence."- "On Tyranny" (Timothy Snyder)".
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 |
|---|---|
| Ben Maracek | “You can't be neutral on a moving train.”― Howard Zinn |
| Ben Maracek | Lesson 5: Remember Professional Ethics "When politicians demand obedience, professionals must insist on acting ethically. Hitler convinced German lawyers that the law was a political tool that he could use however he wanted, including in the service of war and genocide. He had lawyers running concentration camps where physicians experimented on prisoners and businessmen profited from forced labor. All these people abandoned the normal ethical rules underpinning their professions, which must be enforced and strengthened in precisely the circumstances when governments say they should be abandoned. Otherwise, by “just following orders,” professionals end up committing and participating in horrific acts of violence."- "On Tyranny" (Timothy Snyder) |
| Ben Maracek | The truth prevails, but it's a chore -Jan Masaryk |
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