"Last month, the College Board released a revised “curriculum framework” to help high school teachers prepare students for the Advanced Placement test in United States history. Like the college courses the test is supposed to mirror, the A.P. course calls for a dialogue with the past — learning how to ask historical questions, interpret documents and reflect both appreciatively and critically on history."
Navigating the tension between patriotic inspiration and historical thinking, between respectful veneration and critical engagement, is an especially difficult task, made even more complicated by a marked shift in the very composition of “we the people.” This fall, whites will constitute a minority of public-school students in the United States. “Our” past is now more diverse than we once thought, whether we like it or not.
It turns out that some Americans don’t like it. A member of the Texas State Board of Education has accused the College Board of “promoting among our students a disdain for American principles and a lack of knowledge of major American achievements,” like those of the founding fathers and of the generals who fought in the Civil War and World War II. The Republican National Committee says the framework offers “a radically revisionist view” that “emphasizes negative aspects of our nation’s history.” Stanley Kurtz, in National Review, called it “an attempt to hijack the teaching of U.S. history on behalf of a leftist political and ideological perspective.”
19 comments:
“an attempt to hijack the teaching of U.S. history on behalf of a leftist political and ideological perspective.”
The communists never give up.
America is bad and must be re-made in the image of Che, Castro, Mao, Stalin, Marx and all the various re-named progressive ideologies that accompany engineered 19th century failure.
And one hundred million dead. Funny how that won't be mentioned.
In my talks with the young, it has long been clear that they have been taught that the Judeo-Christian ethical system that formed Western society is no better, or worse, than any other choice.
That you might be obliged to choose from among less than ideal choices (because perfection is impossible in human affairs), and that the superiority of the Judeo-Christian ethical system is unarguable in this light, is not something they have heard. They've been told that believing any system works better in the real world is a form of bigotry.
The Judeo-Christian is not perfect, but it's the best around.
Why do so many wealthy leftists hang images of Mao on the walls of their expensive homes?
Did you know the Nature Conservancy is run by ultra-wealthy NPR-type leftists? They take millions of dollars in contributions from other wealthy leftists and buy up some of the most beautiful land in the country, and then they close it off to the public. Then - THEN - They only allow their wealthy donors on the land for glamorous parties. All to fund-raise so they can repeat the process.
I understand the left think they are all about sharing and caring, but the truth is, they are not. They are truly totalitarian, and they are out to take everything and build their glorious Potemkin village - with the glorious leftwing dictator installed
on top, handing out fairness. -- As the nation becomes more divided, and we sink into poverty, by design.
I met a hard core leftists once. He was a landscaper and he told me that Mao's purging was something we needed. Really. Don't underestimate the power hungry greed on the left. Do not under-estimate their sociopathic desire to create a utopia for themselves, and, as it all turns to shit - live in total denial that their hideous policies are to blame.
And don't misunderestimate our accuracy when huntin' season begins in earnest.
Mao spoke truly when he declaimed that power comes from the barrel of a gun.
Or rifle.
I taught high school history. I was an outlier w/ my colleagues but loved by students and parents. There was no PC History in Mr. Spinelli's classroom.
What Common Core did for math is about to be done to history.
Instilling a little patriotism in the young is something any nation must do to survive in a competitive world.
I don't understand the mindset of people who reject that fact.
The editorial slyly attempts to disguise the politicization of history texts as an effort to promote "critical" (there's the giveaway) engagement and then, for no stated reason, finds the racial composition of the student population to be a significant factor for "some" who oppose "critical engagement."
I do hope the correct the test to reflect the fact that Lincoln was a Democrat and the Harriet Tubman freed the slaves. Also that all of the money in the United States was stolen from black people who were kings and queens in Africa before the white man ever got out of the caves.
Also that the Jews were behind all of our wars and that a secret cabal of old white men called the Tri-lateral commission controls the world.
Oh and don't forget that Barack Obama is the bestest President ever.
"Those who forget history, [or cause others to] are doomed to repeat it."
Although they often live very well in the meantime.
Fortunately, the vast majority of people don't care about history, Literature, the Arts, or basically anything except music, money, beer, and sports.
Plus, if you have a "diverse" nation full of 50% Americans, must of whom are only here to make some $$, its rather silly to stuff them full of respect for the Dead white Men who made America 1.0
As someone who actually like USA history, its rather amusing to listen to my daughter recite her lessons. Evidently, American History now consists of White people treating people of color badly, along with some noble women fighting for Suffrage and the labor movement.
For example, Pearl Harbor is mentioned in passing the real focus is on the Japanese internment and Hiroshima.
@April Apple/
You are mining the main vein. You should read some of the works of the Philosopher Eric Voegelin on this subject. Shorter Voegelin: (paraphrasing) "The end result of all 'progressive' politics is invariable totalitarianism."
Eh, whatever, because: Squirrel!
Who doesn't know that high school AP classes are designed as prep for AP tests and/or credits designated as AP?--in other words: as tools for getting into college, as opposed to college-level classes offered in high school. It's a truly entitled-minded conceit to think otherwise, and even more-so to pretend so.
Think of those AP courses as the equivalent of taxpayer-subsidized SAT & etc. preps for which people used to have to pay in order for their kids to get that edge. Now we've got charters and choices and all that jazz--but in co-opted form.
For the most part, those AP courses aren't actually college-level classes, folks. They're badges, symbols, things to be ticked-off in order for the bearers of them to be deemed college-entry worthy. They don't mean what we're all supposed to be pretending they mean.
It's the cheapening of even charter/choice public education.
It's the hijacking of what was originally meant to be (or, was it? I now wonder) better public education for everyone instead directed to benefit those who'd prefer public-subsidized private-school-like credentials, only without having to pay for it.
Yuck. What a shame.
Not for the first time, I have been--um, highly amused?--well, unsurprised that someone who got into college partly due to all those AP credits who ended up taking a summer school course or so even before starting first semester at college yet after getting all those AP credits in the very class or classes in which AP credits were awarded.
Honestly, WTF?
These are middle- to upper-middle class and+ (in the aggregate) students I'm talking about here, folks.
This--this-is supposed to be the improvement for which we've all been working?
This?
And both the oblivious and the savvier kids know it (this would be the "tell" and the "reveal").
Ask how's school going so far this year and what subjects are you studying and almost always what you'll get in response is some sort of rattling-off involving the level-labels and, if later in high school, specific note of APs (as well as honors, btw).
Man, I don't know about you all, but for me it's like "reliving all over again" that stellar time period at the end of which 4-year-olds ended up having to do tryouts even for frickin' T-ball, for one freakin' example.
Perhaps I am crazy alone. But, you know what? I'm good with that. Better crazy alone than stark, raving nuts (and willfully blind).
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