No new teachers in Charlottesville sign pledge on Oct. 25 to teach Critical Race Theory

By Central Virginia Times

Oct 27, 2021

There were no new teachers in Charlottesville who signed the pledge on Oct. 25, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

The pledge was signed by no teachers on Oct. 24, the day before. It now has four pledges from Charlottesville 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 Charlottesville teachers included, "Among the most important educational institutions in the United States today are the 1619 Project initiative of the New York Times, the Learning for Justice Curriculum of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Zinn Education Project, American children deserve first-rate educations, not obfuscations and lies" and "To not teach the complete truth is a lie and leads to ignorance. As we've seen, ignorance leads to hate. Education leads to understanding.The United States will only move forward as a country if we accept our full history. Without this knowledge, and acceptance, our democracy will continue to crumble".

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 in Charlottesville who’ve pledged to teach Critical Race Theory

Teachers	Thoughts on Critical Race Theory
Anne Schwartz	I teach my Kindergarten students how important it is for them to tell the truth. And in that vein, it is important that they are taught the truth of history. Maybe one day they will grow up to fight for social justice and create a world where truth matters.
Cindy Cartwright	To not teach the complete truth is a lie and leads to ignorance. As we've seen, ignorance leads to hate. Education leads to understanding.The United States will only move forward as a country if we accept our full history. Without this knowledge, and acceptance, our democracy will continue to crumble.
Valerie Bass	A full instruction on American history that includes imperfect and unjust decisions can help to address today's racial disparities.
Victor Luftig	Among the most important educational institutions in the United States today are the 1619 Project initiative of the New York Times, the Learning for Justice Curriculum of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Zinn Education Project, American children deserve first-rate educations, not obfuscations and lies.