No new teachers in Indianapolis sign pledge on Feb. 4 to teach Critical Race Theory

By Indy Standard

Feb 6, 2022

There were no new teachers in Indianapolis who signed the pledge on Feb. 4, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 3, the day before. It now has three pledges from Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis teachers included, "Trust teachers!" and "1. We can only grow as a society if we face our collective sins and challenges head-on.2. I respect my students enough to give them the full truth (good, bad, & ugly) and allow them to think critically about it, drawing their own conclusions. 3. One of the core values of the United States is Free Speech. We can't have it both ways, saying that speech can only be "free" when we agree with it. No one respects a hypocrite".

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 Indianapolis who’ve pledged to teach Critical Race Theory

Teachers	Thoughts on Critical Race Theory
Emily Rutter	No comment
James Iddins	1. We can only grow as a society if we face our collective sins and challenges head-on.2. I respect my students enough to give them the full truth (good, bad, & ugly) and allow them to think critically about it, drawing their own conclusions. 3. One of the core values of the United States is Free Speech. We can't have it both ways, saying that speech can only be "free" when we agree with it. No one respects a hypocrite.
Kate Branson	Trust teachers!