No new teachers in Schenectady sign pledge in week ending Nov. 20 to teach Critical Race Theory

By Capital District Times

Nov 22, 2021

There were no new teachers in Schenectady who signed the pledge in week ending Nov. 20, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has five pledges from Schenectady teachers by the end of the week ending Nov. 20.

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 in Schenectady who’ve pledged to teach Critical Race Theory

Teachers	Thoughts on Critical Race Theory
Jessica Marley	The truth matters if we are to achieve liberation.
Carissa Smith	I believe that teaching students how to think critically about information is paramount to helping them develop as responsible adults. By limiting what teachers can and can't discuss with students in regards to racism, classicism, sexism, etc., only cripples their education and by extension leads to an ill-informed public.
Deirdre E. Delaney	“no comment”
Cesaera Pirrone	The truth of our past mistakes must be spoken and taught so that we can heal as a nation - as a people - and we can become stronger and not divided - out of respect for those who have been wronged over the centuries and respect for our children
Shari Smith	As a teacher of color, it is my responsibility to teach the truth even if this may entail a sense of discomfort. It is in the best interest of students to learn about their history and the perseverance needed to fight through the inequalities that still exist today.