ERASE Racism's Teach the Truth Pledge
Over the past year, some adults and elected officials have launched campaigns and enacted new laws that seek to limit what teachers can teach and what students will learn about racism, sexism, ableism, LGBTQ discrimination, and “-isms” that continue to impact marginalized groups in America. These campaigns instill fear in educators who are committed to providing students with the education they deserve – accurate, honest, and high quality.
Today, we say no to fear. We know that students have a right to learn the whole truth, and that providing them with full and accurate histories, opportunities to explore these histories and how they impact us today, and spaces to have their whole identities affirmed is our responsibility to these students.
This is why today, we are collectively raising our voices in support of teachers who bravely commit to #teachtruth.
We pledge support for New York State Education Department’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework, which provides a framework for teaching that centers and honors the diversity of experience and perspective students bring to the table. We pledge to advocate for our school administration to incorporate it into their districts, in order to protect student freedom to learn and educator freedom to teach.
We pledge to use our collective voices and our collective actions to bravely pursue and protect truth -- in public school education and elsewhere.
