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| Most people agree that a well-rounded high school education should include the study of World History, including a review of events since the end of World War Two. Furthermore, most people agree that there should be standards of instruction for the teaching of World History -- so that teachers are properly supported and students have the benefit of a solid curriculum. A major challenge for the State Board of Education is to establish meaningful, coherent standards for the teaching of modern events. On one hand, there is the temptation to slant the standards toward a favored political point of view. On the other hand, there is the danger of watering down the teaching objectives so much that they lose all meaning. This month, as part of a process that occurs each 6 years, the members of Oklahoma's Board of Education will struggle with a proposed new standard for World History. If approved, the proposed standard would be added to the state's list of PASS skills for Oklahoma high school students. The "Priority Academic Student Skills" provide an outline of content standards for educators in grades K through 12. The proposed new standard has three obvious flaws. For one thing, it is overly ambitious. It is a rambling statement that attempts to stitch several unrelated threads into a single garment. The proposed standard conflates the war in Iraq with the rise of terrorism and the development of the internet. Economic globalization is covered. So is the PATRIOT Act. Here is the complete text of the proposed new "content standard" for World History students: "(5) Describe and evaluate the ongoing globalization of the world's economic and communication systems (e.g., the Internet), including the rise of terrorism in the United States and around the world; the role and effects of the A. P. Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995; the first attack on the World Trade Center Towers in New York City in 1993; and the attacks on the World Trade Center Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC on September 11, 2001; the subway bombings in London; the train attacks in Madrid; the attack in Mumbai, India; airplane and ship hijackings; and the policies and actions of the US Government to respond to and combat terrorism (e.g., PATRIOT Act, creation of the Department of Homeland Security, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq)." Many Oklahomans will have difficulty swallowing the notion that the war in Iraq should be described as a response to terrorism. President Bush touted the idea that the invasion of Iraq was part of a "Global War on Terror." But, many of us remember other stated reasons for the war -- including the dire warnings about weapons of mass destruction (which were never found). The proposed new PASS standard fails to mention the other reasons that were used to justify the invasion of Iraq, and that's the second flaw in the proposal. Because the standard focuses on terrorism as a stimulus for the Iraq War, there is an appearance that the proposal is politically biased. Is the clumsy construction of the standard a subtle attempt to steer classroom instruction toward a pre-determined analysis of the causes of the war? If too many Oklahomans believe it is, then public confidence in our schools will be undermined. That's an outcome that the State Board of Education should seek to avoid. A third criticism of the proposed standard is more basic: It fails to inspire. That is, it lacks a framework for tying together the seemingly disparate events of modern history. As a result, there is no logical outline for presenting factual content in the classroom. Students, teachers, and parents are left with little more than a dreary recitation of dismal facts about war and terrorism. Howard Zinn, whose books on American history have been read by millions, 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." As the State Board of Education considers whether to adopt the proposed standard, the members of the board should reflect on the perspective offered by Professor Zinn. They should seek to approve a standard that describes the broad themes of World History. Then, they should focus on cultivating critical thinking skills in our students, so that our graduates will be well-equipped to assimilate facts and analyze them independently. Given the right tools, our students have the ability to draw their own conclusions about the causes and consequences of any particular world event. The proposed new standard should be sent to the recycling bin. That would be a good step forward. |
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| Teach Human Rights in Oklahoma Schools |
| "I salute the flag of the State of Oklahoma. Its symbols of peace unite all people." |
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| Photos from UNICEF |
| March, 2010: Support Inspiring, Coherent Standards for High School History |
"...Human history is a history
not only of cruelty, but also of
compassion, sacrifice, courage,
kindness.
"What we choose to emphasize
in this complex history will
determine our lives. If we see
only the worst, it destroys our
capacity to do something.
If we remember those times
and places -- and there are so
many -- where people have
behaved magnificently, it
energizes us to act, and raises
at least the possibility of
sending this spinning top of a
world in a different direction...."
--Howard Zinn
not only of cruelty, but also of
compassion, sacrifice, courage,
kindness.
"What we choose to emphasize
in this complex history will
determine our lives. If we see
only the worst, it destroys our
capacity to do something.
If we remember those times
and places -- and there are so
many -- where people have
behaved magnificently, it
energizes us to act, and raises
at least the possibility of
sending this spinning top of a
world in a different direction...."
--Howard Zinn
Proposed History
Standard Fails to
Inspire Confidence
Standard Fails to
Inspire Confidence
| # # # Webmaster: wildbill73107@cox.net |
By Professor Fernando Reimers
Harvard Graduate School of
Education
Sixty years ago the United Nations
General Assembly adopted the
Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. Framed by the Human
Rights Commission chaired by First
Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the
declaration upheld that lasting
global peace and security depended
on the recognition of the basic
equality of all persons.
The 30 articles in this declaration
constitute the first global compact
that recognizes the interdepen-
dence of individuals and nations
across the globe in their work to
achieve these rights as a corner-
stone of global civility and peace.
As a result of the power of this
visionary concept, and of the
leadership of the global institutions
that were created to work on behalf
of those rights, the world changed
dramatically in the subsequent 60
years. For example, because of
article 23, which defines the
universal right to education, most
children around the world who did
not have the opportunity to enroll in
a school prior to 1948 gained such
access as UNESCO mobilized
governments and international
institutions to support the most
dramatic educational expansion in
the history of humanity....
Continued at ...
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/blog/ne
ws_features_releases/2009/01/its-ti
me-to-teach-human-rights.html
Harvard Graduate School of
Education
Sixty years ago the United Nations
General Assembly adopted the
Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. Framed by the Human
Rights Commission chaired by First
Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the
declaration upheld that lasting
global peace and security depended
on the recognition of the basic
equality of all persons.
The 30 articles in this declaration
constitute the first global compact
that recognizes the interdepen-
dence of individuals and nations
across the globe in their work to
achieve these rights as a corner-
stone of global civility and peace.
As a result of the power of this
visionary concept, and of the
leadership of the global institutions
that were created to work on behalf
of those rights, the world changed
dramatically in the subsequent 60
years. For example, because of
article 23, which defines the
universal right to education, most
children around the world who did
not have the opportunity to enroll in
a school prior to 1948 gained such
access as UNESCO mobilized
governments and international
institutions to support the most
dramatic educational expansion in
the history of humanity....
Continued at ...
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/blog/ne
ws_features_releases/2009/01/its-ti
me-to-teach-human-rights.html
It's Time to Teach
Human Rights
Human Rights
| Take Action |
The State Board of Education is
proposing to add a new element
to Oklahoma's history standards
for high schoolers.
Before approving the new
element, the Board would like to
receive comments from the
public. Here is the text of the
public notice which appeared in
the Oklahoma Register on
February 15, 2010:
CLICK HERE (pdf).
Please consider taking one or
more of the following actions:
(1) Sign the Online Petition.
Click HERE to be directed to the
Care2 Petition Site....
... It's Quick, It's Easy!
(2) If you're up to writing a letter,
please consider submitting your
written comments on the
proposed new standard. You
can send your comments to:
Office of the State Board of
Education
Room 1-18, Hodge Education
Building
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599
The deadline for the receipt of
comments is 4:30pm on
Wednesday, March 24th.
(3) Finally, for extra credit, you're
invited to attend a public hearing
on this new standard. The
hearing is scheduled for 1pm on
Thursday, March 25th. The
hearing will be held in the State
Board of Education's meeting
room in the State Capitol
Complex:
Hodge Education Building
State Board Room, Room 1-20
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599.
Arrive early to sign up for a
chance to speak. The
decision-makers will be there.
You're encouraged to offer a
respectful message, but don't
hesitate to let your voice be
heard.
If you care about the education
that our younger generation is
receiving, please resolve to
take action now.
proposing to add a new element
to Oklahoma's history standards
for high schoolers.
Before approving the new
element, the Board would like to
receive comments from the
public. Here is the text of the
public notice which appeared in
the Oklahoma Register on
February 15, 2010:
CLICK HERE (pdf).
Please consider taking one or
more of the following actions:
(1) Sign the Online Petition.
Click HERE to be directed to the
Care2 Petition Site....
... It's Quick, It's Easy!
(2) If you're up to writing a letter,
please consider submitting your
written comments on the
proposed new standard. You
can send your comments to:
Office of the State Board of
Education
Room 1-18, Hodge Education
Building
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599
The deadline for the receipt of
comments is 4:30pm on
Wednesday, March 24th.
(3) Finally, for extra credit, you're
invited to attend a public hearing
on this new standard. The
hearing is scheduled for 1pm on
Thursday, March 25th. The
hearing will be held in the State
Board of Education's meeting
room in the State Capitol
Complex:
Hodge Education Building
State Board Room, Room 1-20
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599.
Arrive early to sign up for a
chance to speak. The
decision-makers will be there.
You're encouraged to offer a
respectful message, but don't
hesitate to let your voice be
heard.
If you care about the education
that our younger generation is
receiving, please resolve to
take action now.
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To put this proposal in context,
the State Department of
Education has defined a set of
"PASS" skills for a variety of
subject areas, from Kindergarten
to 12th grade. There are 17
standards for World History
taught in Oklahoma high
schools.
Each standard has a
corresponding set of academic
objectives. In all, there are about
69 PASS elements for World
History. There are about the
same number for U.S. History
since 1850. (Source:
http://www.sde.state.ok.
us/Curriculum/PASS/Subject/so
cstud.pdf).
The proposed new standard
would serve to solidify a set of
academic objectives that are
heavily skewed toward the notion
that our modern world is a
frightening place to live -- in
which military action is a natural
response.
For contrast, please review the
national standards that have
been published by the National
Center for History in the Schools.
the State Department of
Education has defined a set of
"PASS" skills for a variety of
subject areas, from Kindergarten
to 12th grade. There are 17
standards for World History
taught in Oklahoma high
schools.
Each standard has a
corresponding set of academic
objectives. In all, there are about
69 PASS elements for World
History. There are about the
same number for U.S. History
since 1850. (Source:
http://www.sde.state.ok.
us/Curriculum/PASS/Subject/so
cstud.pdf).
The proposed new standard
would serve to solidify a set of
academic objectives that are
heavily skewed toward the notion
that our modern world is a
frightening place to live -- in
which military action is a natural
response.
For contrast, please review the
national standards that have
been published by the National
Center for History in the Schools.
More Background
