There were no new teachers in Annapolis who signed the pledge on Jan. 10, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.
The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 9, the day before. It now has 12 pledges from Annapolis 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 Annapolis teachers included, “We cannot heal as a nation until we tell the truth of our history and acknowledge the trauma and resistance therein” and “I believe the truth should be taught no matter what so that we can heal, recreate and co-create a future”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Alice Drayton | No comment |
| Amy Cline | I believe the truth should be taught no matter what so that we can heal, recreate and co-create a future. |
| Catherine Hudson | I believe equity and justice cannot be achieved without knowing and acknowledging the hard truths about ourselves and our history. |
| Crystal Wyatt | No comment |
| Ellie Young | No comment |
| Heather Montague | No comment |
| Jane Zanger | We cannot heal as a nation until we tell the truth of our history and acknowledge the trauma and resistance therein. |
| Jeanette Beigel | I pledge to teach the entire truth of our nation’s history to my students. |
| Laurel Lennon | No comment |
| Lee Zanger | We an only address issues of inequality and injustice if we understand the history of how they developed. |
| Mary Barbera | Children need pure truth in order to understand the past, live in the present and dream for the future. |
| Nancy Conroy | All children deserve to be taught the truth! |



