Number of teachers pledging to teach Critical Race Theory in Salt Lake City stagnates at 11 in week ending April 9

By SLC Times

Apr 21, 2022

There were no new teachers in Salt Lake City who signed the pledge in week ending April 9, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has 11 pledges from Salt Lake City teachers by the end of the week ending April 9.

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. 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 in Salt Lake City who’ve pledged to teach Critical Race Theory

Teachers	Thoughts on Critical Race Theory
Julia Waldroup	Everyone deserves to know the truth about our country and what we have been through. My family is multicultural and we take pride in all aspects of our heritage! We will not lie about or tell half truths about our past!
Peter Haslam	Hiding America's true history from students is doing more harm than good. It's important to learn from our mistakes instead of run away from them.
Sherri Horton	We cannot become better if we do not acknowledge our past mistakes.
Bonnie Owens	I care about the youth I work with, their families, and their futures. I care about and support my colleagues of Color and others who have been oppressed. Hiding our history will not protect us from the consequences of marginalization and systemic oppression.
Chelsey James	The truth matters. There are so many unheard stories and voices that make up the real, full history of America. It is important to know the truth, even when it's uncomfortable.
Sarah Walsh	“no comment”
David Carrier	Adopting laws that actively promote denial and ignorance is a strategy that will not move society forward. My best guess is that very few teachers will actually conform to these new mandates. Many of us will respond by increasing class time spent on critical race theory, structural sexism, and LGBT oppression.
Paige Rausch	“no comment”
Holly Rawlings	If we want to achieve the goals of founding fathers, we need to talk about the truth.
April Johnson	The truth matters!
Liz Paige	We are not a country with "one story" but many. Our country's strengths are based on the contributions and struggles of all people. For our country to progress, our young people need to understand the inequalities and inequities of the past and today so that they can work to establish "a more perfect Union" for themselves and future generations.