Columbia News

There were no new teachers in Columbia who signed the pledge in June, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

The pledge was signed by 33 teachers the month before. It now has 33 pledges from Columbia teachers by June.

They are 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.

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
Ellen Wilson	My job is to teach the truth.
Alexis Miller	“no comment”
Susan Hunter	History should be taught so we can learn from it.
Katie Sipho	Students deserve to be taught accurate history, including the ugliness of racism, sexism, etc., so that we can do better in the future.
Hannah Nandor	“no comment”
Ashley McCrady	Censoring the past hinders compassion and critical thinking.
Lindsey Mueller	As a parent and an educator, I want my children to be taught and learn the good, bad, and ugly truths of our history to continues e to help our country grown and evolve into a stronger more united country. We cannot learn for the past if we ignore it.
Tricia Price	If we don't take an honest look at our history, the good and the bad, we will only repeat the mistakes our ancestors made. Students need to hear multiple perspectives and learn to think critically about information in order to make better decisions as adults.
Katie Dunne	Our students deserve a full, unbiased account of our nation’s history in order to become critical thinkers and well-educated members of society.
Shakealia Finley	“no comment”
Lauren Hermann	I will ensure my students are prepared to be highly effective educators, meaning they are well versed in accurate understandings of history and will utilize quality pedagogical practices to ensure all identities are welcomed and accepted and taught within their classrooms.
Al Terrill	Stop being afraid of the truth, parents. Our children must be taught the truth, verses being lied to for the past 500 years.
MacKenzie Everett-Kennedy	Teaching history based in truth matters.
Sidney Dace	“no comment”
Bill Cupp	“no comment”
Linda Vandepopuliere	It is critical that accurate and truthful history be taught. Students need to understand the past in order to understand our present situation and to make a better future.
Leia Brooks	the truth matters; no matter what legislators or ill-informed people think. As an educator, it is my job to provide the truth and encourage students to think critically.
Kerri Stith	We must teach everyone the true history
Sarah Henley	“no comment”
Jessica Saltat	I made a vow to teach ALL students. I cannot adequately do my job for the ALL without teaching the truth of the struggles that so many of our citizens have withstood. It is our job as educators to teach the whole truth. Even when it may be uncomfortable. Our students deserve the right to knowledge as a whole to form their own opinions.
Claire Majerus	Racism is systemic. The only chance we have at eradicating it is to teach children the truth.
Casey Schoenborn	“no comment”
Jessica Cummings	The truth is important.
Jacqueline Arnold	Teachers are getting doxxed online for trying to support our students' rights to their own history. I am tired of the truth being buried.
Shanna Barkume	“no comment”
Susanne Sawyer	“no comment”
Janice Morris	There is ONE truth about the history of the USA whether or not the white Republican establishment wants to acknowledge it!
Amber Gonzalez	I grew up being told to lie about my family's history and I won't continue to allow this system to continue.
Samuel Cohen	“no comment”
Jill Walters	Our children should be learning the entirety of our country’s history, so that future generations can learn from our past.
Kathleen Burns	I care about my students.
Katie Sipho	“no comment”
Kristina Detmer	Our democracy and freedom, as envisioned by our country's founders, depend on an educated population making informed decisions. Censorship benefits only those who want to destroy democracy.