Oklahoma: Comment on Proposed PASS Skills
Support academic standards for high school history courses that are objective and coherent.
Oklahoma's State Board of Education is seeking comments on a proposed new PASS Skills standard for history courses (World History, U.S. History) taught in high school.
The proposed standard is incoherent and uninspiring. It describes the invasion of Iraq as a response to terrorism, ignoring other motives. Moreover, it fails to identify any themes by which the events of modern history can be understood. It fails to inspire.
Oklahoma high school students are capable of forming their own conclusions about the causes and consequences of any particular world event. What they need is critical thinking skills, so that they will be well-equipped to assimilate facts and analyze them independently.
Howard Zinn reminded us that "Human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness."
"What we choose to emphasize," he said, "will determine our lives."
Please tell the State Board to send the proposed new standard to the recycling bin.
Dear Members of the State Board of Education,
Thank you for seeking comments from the public on the proposed new PASS Standard for World History and U.S. History.
We support good standards of instruction for the teaching of history -- so that teachers are properly supported and students have the benefit of a solid curriculum. But, we're concerned about this new standard because it seems to have a political bias. That is, it leads students to a pre-determined analysis of the cause of the Iraq War. Moreover, the proposed new standard is incoherent. It stitches together several unrelated events of modern history, but it doesn't really describe a consistent theme.
Our students deserve the best. So, we are encouraging you to send the proposed standard to the recycling bin. Instead, please consider alternative standards such as the ones proposed by the National Center for History in the Schools.
Students should learn that history is more than a litany of wars, violent conflict, and terrorism.
Se flere underskriftsindsamlinger: 