An Oklahoma bill banning Advanced Placement U.S. History would also require schools to instruct students in a long list of “foundational documents,” including the Ten Commandments, two sermons and three speeches by Ronald Reagan. The bill, authored by Oklahoma Rep. Dan Fisher, designates a total of 58 documents that “shall form the base level of academic content for all United States History courses offered in the schools in the state.” Many of the texts are uncontroversial and undoubtedly covered by the Advanced Placement U.S. History course, such as the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and Gettysburg address. But the bill also has an ideological and religious bent. In addition to 3 speeches by Reagan, the curriculum as includes a speech by George W. Bush but nothing from any Democratic president since Lyndon Johnson. Fisher’s bill was approved by the Education committee on an 11-4 vote.
There’s always been a tug of war in this country over the purpose and philosophy of education- particularly when it comes to American history. Should it teach obedience or the ability to think independently about our past? Is it about indoctrination or understanding the world around us? Or is it about what I call the conflict between “edumication” and education? Do educators have a responsibility to teach students to think for themselves and evaluate the information they’re given? Or is the sole responsibility of educators teaching an approved version of history that paints America in the best possible light?
Teaching any subject- especially history- can never be done without bias, seeing as it’s taught by human beings. Of course, one person’s bias is another unquestioned objectivity, and in Oklahoma, some are so concerned about the “bias” they see in the AP History curriculum that they way to eliminate it altogether.
After all, if we teach our children to think for themselves…well, they might become America-hating Liberal Atheists, knowhutimean? Should our tax dollars really be going to support teaching “a consistently negative view of American history that highlights oppressors and exploiters?” Or should we turn it into an extension of our Christian churches and teach children to unquestioningly believe that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Light?
Is our children learning? Or should we be teaching them to obey authority without question?
[Larry S.] Krieger, [Jane] Robbins and others were successful in convincing the Republican National Committee to pass a resolution blasting the Advanced Placement U.S. History course, saying it “reflected a radically revisionist view of American history that emphasizes negative aspects of our nation’s history while omitting or minimizing positive aspects.”
In response, the College Board — a non-profit which creates the AP tests — said that the opposition was based on “significant misunderstandings.” Dan Coleman, the President of The College Board emphasized that the tests are actually written “by college professors and K-12 teachers throughout this country.” He also, in an effort to allay concerns, released a sample test.
The problem with allowing Republicans to dictate curricula is the likelihood that education crosses the line and becomes Right-wing propaganda. If you’re going to teach history, what’s the point if you’re not teaching the truth? If you can’t teach the good, the bad, AND the ugly, what you have isn’t history. It’s propaganda, and you’re no longer teaching; you’re indoctrinating. That works if your objective is to create obedient Christian soldiers…but not so much if you want to teach how to think and evaluate how to make the world a better place.
The absurdity of eliminating AP History because it’s too “negative” about how America got to be what it is today is patently absurd. Politicians shouldn’t dictate education policy and curricula for the same reason educators shouldn’t be involved in politics and religion. There’s little either side has to offer the other, and of the things that can happen, most are bad.
If your solution to what you perceive as the “errors” of the AP History curriculum is skew the information students are to be indoctrinated with, YOU are the problem. How will our children know the truth if politicians demand they only be taught a version of history favorable to a decidedly Right-wing narrative?
IS our children learning? As if I even need to answer that.
