Signatures
This is the list of people who have signed the pledge or petition to date.
Awilda Balbuena | Philadelphia, PA
There is enormous value in providing young people with the language, the history, and the framework to identify why their society looks the way it does. Understanding that all of this was done not by accident but by design. How different might our country look if all of us fully understood what has happened here
Ritu Radhakrishnan | Oswego, NY
Knowing the whole truth is the first step toward equity and justice.
Terresa Jones | San Diego, CA
Our children need to be told and have a full understanding and context of the truth of our history. We do them a tragic disservice by omitting or glossing over reality. They want the truth and they do know when they are being lied to. Our failure to acknowledge truth creates cognitive dissonance and erosion of human integrity and kindness that without which, we cannot heal ourselves, each other, and our world.
Amanda Clark | Columbus, OH
This country cannot move forward until it acknowledges its past. My students deserve to know the imperfections and flaws that exist in the republic so that they are able to embrace the imperfections and flaws that exist in themselves.
Gretchen Neisler | Knoxville, TN
We must be better than our history and maintain equality in our lives. Education is a gift of personal growth that will contribute to our role as global citizens. If it becomes narrow minded in its approach we will weaken our national constitutionality.
Jillian Miesen | St. Louis, MO
Teaching history means teaching all of it.
Hailey Pietz | San Jose, CA
My students deserve to understand and reflect on the historical context and contemporary realities of the topics we cover.
Ruth Marris-Macaulay | Providence, RI
History is a discipline that uses multiple lenses to reconstruct the past from both its documentary ( written and oral) and material remains. To deny any of these lenses corrupts the discipline. The past must also be understood in the context of the value systems its different eras and not be judged by contemporary criteria. It is a collection of as much information as possible not a collection of selective facts.
Tina Camus | Ventura, CA
The truth is important. We can only make decisions and come to conclusions based on factual information. The truth is a cornerstone of education and being good citizens.
Jill Howdyshell | Portland, OR
We are at a critical moment in history. Educators must step up to the plate to the truth, to teach in a way to acknowledge past transgressions—otherwise how can we move forward??
Alex Mojdehi | Portland, OR
Censoring our collective history as a nation continues to injure and divide us as humans beings. Openly addressing the tragedies on which our nation was founded is a way to heal and grow, be good neighbors to each other, and prepare students for future commitments to ethical and just actions.
Rebecca Yahm | Plainfield, VT
Christina Tschida | Pfafftown, NC
I have always taught the truth about our history and do not plan to stop. I hear arguments that we want students to think critically about things; however, if students don't get an opportunity to hear all perspectives about historical events, people, and ideas then how will they be able to think critically about them? I ask my own students to examine the dominant narratives in our countries history and contemporary times and then consider revised or counter narratives from the voices of marginalized groups. I am always happy to see my students develop critical thinking skills and content knowledge they never had the opportunity to learn earlier in their school career. I remain committed to this teaching. Truth is never something to be hidden - even when the truth is a little ugly or hard to hear/see. Truth will ultimately set us free.
Mary Metcalf | Austin, TX
I will not lie to my students. I believe we have a moral and ethical responsibility to teach children the truth about our nation's racist history
victoria bodanyi | Tucson, AZ
our students deserve the truth.
Gabby Rodriguez | Tracy, CA
Our students and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color deserve to be acknowledged for their suffering and contributions to this country. This country’s leadership has not told the truth and needs to correct so many wrongs, starting with telling the truth about our history.
Amy Garvoille | Madison, WI
I teach truth, I teach non-fiction, I teach our future citizens.
Tasha O'Malley | Sun Prairie, WI
our futures dependant on it. We must dismantle the systems of white supremacy that exist in our country and critically look at our past to stop repeating it for future generations.
Troy Holley | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Stop the nonsense
Denise Gaumer Hutchison | New Franken, WI
it is critical that all children have a complete, thorough and accurate education. It is important to teach the truth.
Jordan Allen | Port Chester, NY
Black Lives Matter in schools, and those of us privileged enough to to think this stuff does not matter, (and everyone else while we are at it) all need to learn how to see systemic racism.
Megan Lombardo | Salida, CO
we cannot do better unless we teach the truth.
Joan Grangenois-Thomas | Port Chester, NY
Because we have a right to truth
Michelle Umanzor | Houston, TX
I am worried that all the struggles that people of colored have been put through solely based on their color/Culture be forgotten. That history be forgotten, the government is becoming very open about how they are controlling us. Stay woke
Ruth Obernbreit-Glass | larchmont, ny, NY
history's lessons should not succumb to a racist 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.