Signatures
This is the list of people who have signed the pledge or petition to date.
ariella greenberg | Chicago, IL
Lasana Kazembe | Indianapolis, IN
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Jerry Tillotson | Montpelier, VT
Regina Morantz-Sanchez | Ann Arbor, MI
I am a newly retired (I am 79 yrs) professor and believe in absolute necessity of individuals living in their country knowing its history--from kindergarten up to Ph,d !
irina lames , NY
Shlana Sims | Brooklyn, OH
If we, as a nation, do not teach the hard history, getting to the "good, the bad, and the ugly", we will not be able to move forward. The generational hurt that oppression has caused in this nation cannot be swept under a rug or ignored when it still affects the majority of people in this nation.
Taylor Vivanco | Santa Ana, CA
I believe in my students.
Duane Swacker , MO
Stephen Scherer | Marysville, OH
I am ally
Connie Ables-Rigsbee | Carmel, IN
I must teach the new research and findings to my students much as it would be completely unreasonable and negligent for my medical doctor to use only findings up to the 1980s to practice in his/her profession. There is no such thing as traditional history; only "antiquated information about history" and no serious professional person stops learning and applying knowledge. I feel confident that I frame newer information and research to my upper level high school students in such a way that they actually value knowing more points of views. Our diverse population requires attention and all students benefit from more understandings of our past.
Kennel Etienne | Boston, MA
Truth matters
Heather Nonaca | Modesto, CA
the attack on US History education is counter to the ideas expressed in the founding documents of our nation. In order to "create a more perfect union" we have to be honest about the history of our union. While we encourage students to use their critical thinking skills and while we understand that historical events can be interpreted differently, factual truths should not be ignored or hidden from our students.
Katie Shimer | Indianapolis, IN
More than 90% of my students are African-American and LatinX. I will never present a sanitized version of history that makes legislators and their rural / suburban constituents more comfortable hiding the truth for their own (white) children. The lawmakers banging podiums and weeping into the flag while pledging their actions are for the good of everyone haven't spared a passing thought for my students of color who already know how the system works against and without them. We need to lay the hypocrisy bare.
Pamela Castro | Payson, AZ
Jonathan McClintock | Philadelphia, PA
My students aren't dumb and know when someone is lying to them.
Sarah Buchholz | Littleton, MA
Marian Killian | Petaluma, CA
My K-12 education was a lie re: slavery. I was never taught about the dismantling of reconstruction via terror and segregationist institutions and policy. I was hoodwinked. I'm insulted and dehumanized by this patronizing sham.
Jessica Finch-Reid | Taunton, MA
It's important to learn about the true history even if it's difficult or uncomfortable because if we don't examine our past we are doomed to repeat it. There can be no progress without change and I want better for my children than the whitewashed version of history I was spoon fed.
Patrick McEvoy | Eatontown, NJ
if we do not face and address racism, bias, and mistakes of our past, we are creating a generation of students who will not know the reality. I cannot ignore facts from the past as a history teacher, and if our politicians can look in the mirror, and think ignoring the past is beneficial in respect to our country and citizens, then I encourage them to have a sit-down conversation with every teacher they represent in their state. History is not moving backwards; it is moving forward.
James Rogers | Walnut Creek, CA
Students know when teachers are not telling them the truth. If I shade parts of US history, I lose the learning community to all remaining lessons. Our students are smart and mature enough to learn history...actual history.
Sarah Emmett | Alexandria, VA
the truth is critical to understanding the past, present and the future!
Kristen Rose | Chula Vista, CA
All kids deserve the truth. Black/Mixed children are taught about race from an early age. Why are we keeping the truth from white children?
Catherine Szenasi | Albuquerque, NM
students need to know the ugly truth about History, not the glossy version in text books.
Dennis Quinn | St. Joseph, MO
I’m signing this because there’s confusion on God given rights vs man given rights. Self governance is being infringed upon and rule by law instead of run by man must be restored.
Jeannette Whitus | Burnet, TX
I am a teacher and I want to teach the correct information not someone's political agenda.
Selected Pledges
Click on pledge below to read many more.
As an educator who is serious about teaching the truth I will not be bullied into silence. I will do my part in the fight for equity and equality by making sure my students are most equipped to fight this ugliness in the real world.
Yes, the truth of American history needs to be taught, but also its impact on the rest of the world, such as its role in WWII. I just finished teaching a college-level course on the Holocaust, and could not believe how little the students knew about the rest of the world’s participation in the war! They seemed to believe that WWII was ended by the US alone!
“When you begin to do things that raise the achievement of the poorest and disenfranchised students, you may not always get applause. You need to be ready for that.” Dr. Asa Hilliard
“Resistance is a powerful motivator precisely because it enables us to fulfill our longing to achieve our goals while letting us boldly recognize and name the obstacles to those achievements.”
Dr. Derrick Bell
Our young people deserve the truth and it is our kuleana (responsibility) to give space and opportunity for the truth and the difficult conversations.
If we don’t teach it all, we teach nothing…
Social justice is a major theme of my Humanities 7 course, and my school uses Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s HILL framework (development of identity, skills, knowledge, Criticality) to frame our entire curriculum. Student agency through research work and essay writing, and action-oriented civic engagement work, define what we “cover” in my course.