Madison Reporter

There were no new teachers in Madison who signed the pledge in week ending Jan. 22, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

The pledge was signed by 31 teachers the week before. It now has 35 pledges from Madison teachers by the end of the week ending Jan. 22.

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.

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
Jonathan Biatch	We need to offer the truth about our past, so that we can prepare for a future of reconciliation and justice.
Sharyl Kato	Children need to develop critical thinking skills, compassion for all in how we are the same and different and understand the essential need for understanding and loving ourselves and others from a humankind and social justice perspective will benefit not harm them.
Brenda Morris	My students deserve to understand all the complexities of US history so they can work to build a better democracy and promote human rights for all.
Kristi Sprague	Students deserve the truth and teachers should not be censored about teaching the truth.
Dawn Liska-Tollefson	“no comment”
Anthony Jennaro	I believe education is the best path towards creating a more just, equitable society and teaching the truth is an essential tenet of education.
Maxine McKinney De Royston	Our youth and our communities are watching and deserve an education that values and explores the diverse perspectives and experiences that constitute U.S. history, and other disciplinary areas. We must learn about our past, including that which is difficult and violent, in order to understand contemporary issues and tensions and build towards more just futures.
Amy Garvoille	I teach truth, I teach non-fiction, I teach our future citizens.
Weslie Cymerman	“no comment”
Jacob Rodgers	“no comment”
Shawn Matson	“no comment”
Michael Jones	when I became an educator, I made a promise to help our children understand our complicated world and its history, not obscure it because it makes certain people feel uncomfortable. Our children do not demand perfection from us and our ancestors, but they do demand and deserve honesty. And it is our duty to be honest with the knowledge we have accumulated, not whitewash it.
Cindy Muralles	We need to teach the real history of this country in order not to repeat the past…
Lissa McLaughlin	We destroy our children’s opportunities to think, dream and hope by denying them the truth, and by lying about our responsibilities to the past.
Jennifer Greenwald	History matters. The truth matters. Children can handle complexity. It’s better for our collective future if we acknowledge the full truth of our past.
Steve Somerson	We will not truly heal as a nation and make progress on understanding each other until we... * discontinue the sugar-coated history in our classrooms, * use an equitable lens to teach our youth about oppression as well as the resilience of peoples, * honestly reflect on our past and how these events affect current events
Johanna Coenen	“no comment”
Jeremy Buehl	teaching about the history of country has to include the parts that we would rather ignore including the explicit pattern of white supremacy that has and continues to exist.
Phillip Edmonds	This is proposed legislation is fear based and promotes deception to gain political strength.
Allen Cross	If we want to meet the promises of our democracy, we need a well-informed and critical thinking citizenry.
Edie Mileham	Truth is truth; it may be ugly, but facing it is how we change. If we cannot be honest with our young people about our history and how it has led us to an unfair social system, how can they ever build the beautiful world we want them to live in: a world of kindness, justice, and love of the truth?
Brian Ward	“no comment”
Stephanie Biese Patton	“no comment”
Terri Felton	Our students deserve the truth about our history. We can't make our world a better place if we don't acknowledge and learn from mistakes in our past.
Olivia Benvenuti	Our children need to be educated about equity and the white supremacist systems that may hold them back.
Elizabeth Donnelly	We need to continue teaching about social justice, and anti-racism. It is one of the best ways for me to be an ally and a co-conspirator with BIPOC colleagues, friends, and community. And it's the only way to create change for the future generations so they don't make the same mistakes and that they continue the great actions of bravery in the name of justice we have seen this year and throughout history.
Alyssa Paolocci	“no comment”
Kevin Attaway	I was raised to stand up to bullies. These pieces of legislation are attempts to bully teachers into inculcating a whitewashed view of our country and its past. There is a lot that is right with the United States, and there is a lot that is not. It is our responsibility to share all of that with our students, and to inspire them to embrace the good and change the bad, and the wisdom to tell the difference.
Jessica Hotz	No one should be taught lies.
Marti Anderson	It is essential that educators provide students with accurate information about our country's history, which includes systemic racism, in part so they are aware of the past, and in part so they can use critical thinking skills to understand how the past has influenced the present. This knowledge of both past and present events and mindsets can then lead to students using their problem solving skills to design and implement strategies they (and we) can use to create a kinder, more just society. The past doesn't need to dominate their thoughts about our country, but if students are ignorant about the full story of our past, their ability to affect the future is significantly diminished.
Matt Aumann	“no comment”
Heather Weber	I proudly and unabashedly teach my student's history! <3
Kathryn Blankenship	we need to teach the truth and come to terms with our history, or history is bound to repeat itself.
Kate Schultz	Students should be taught to view history and current events through a critical lens.
Mary Klehr	“no comment”