Signatures
This is the list of people who have signed the pledge or petition to date.
Lora Winger | Parma, OH
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Do we mean this or are these just words?
Lisa Stone | Houston, TX
Michelle Schardt | Portland, OR
when the opportunity for a teachable moment arises, I will tell the other side of the common, usually white centered, story citing evidence and sources. I will allow for and teach for artful, skillful conversations between my students. These conversations will include what we can do better as humans, not blame or shame.
Mary Hollowell | Peachtree City, GA, GA
author Ashley Bryan once advised us, "Teach children the truth; teach them the truth so they're not afraid when bad things happen." For more on this children's author, please visit ashleybryancenter dot org
Susan Lewis | Concord, MA
We have an obligation to teach our students truthful history so that they can make sense of the world around them and work toward "a more perfect union" in the future.
Sarah Kohrs | Mt Jackson, VA
when leaders no longer lead with integrity and responsibility, that's when others must use their voices against the injustice of the times.
Monika Robinson | Dallas, TX
I believe in racial equity.
Kristen Verhey | Ann Arbor, MI
education is a basic human right and only by learning about our history and our world can we move forward to make this a better place for all people
Ethan Callender | Ramsey, NJ
Teaching without objective truth is propaganda.
Isabel Arter | Saugerties, NY
Elizabeth Papa
Charles Pinderhughes | Newark, NJ
As the inheritors of our country and our world, our youth deserve to know the real details of our past so that they can better understand how to fight to change our future.
Ben Maracek | Beaver, PA
"The truth prevails, but it's a chore." -Jan Masaryk
Michael Copper | Wilmington Twp, PA
True educators have a responsibility deal in honest facts with students even when those facts make people feel uncomfortable. If we are to know justice in the present and future, we must understand how injustice was able to take root in the past.
Zoe kim | New York, NY
We cannot heal from our wounds if we don't acknowledge the systemic nature of the issues
Jessica Kratz | Staten Island, NY
the truth needs to be taught/told
Maritza Cuevas | New York, NY
I believe in teaching what is truthful and I believe in inclusion and equity.
Joy Jamir | Corona, CA
Truth is the greatest weapon against willful ignorance.
Hayley Harris | Richardson, TX
I want to protect public education
Lisa DiIorio | Kents Hill, ME
The backlash against teaching about race and racism is driven by white adults who want to weaponize this issue. My students are not afraid of talking about race, in fact, they want to hold difficult conversations. It's the parents and elected politicians who are not listening to their kids.
David Hind | Waterloo, IA
I believe in teaching the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Our students deserve to know where we come from and what has been endured to get to this point, so they can forge a better future for themselves and their country.
APRIL DUNOVANT | Winston-Salem, NC
Teaching History is a gift and I will be giving the gift of true knowledge.
John Clark | Woodbury Town of, CT
Our children and children of future generations deserve learning fully and truthfully.
Mike Butler | SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL
Teaching historical truth is the highest obligation in a democratic republic.
Elisa RICHARD | Munster, IN
Our students deserve to see the struggles and contributions of their forefathers and how those have shaped this country and the world.
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.