North Carolina Seeks to Eliminate Pre-1877 History from High Schools
Under the proposed plans the teaching of such events and issues as the American Revolution, the Constitution, and the Civil War would be replaced in high school by a focus on environmental issues, human rights, and organizations that uphold ideals of peace.
The North Carolina Chief Academic Officer Rebecca Garland told members of the state Education Legislative Joint Committee this week that the first draft of the plan is "dead on arrival" due to all of the negative comments.
According to the Raleigh News and Observer those comments included more than 7,000 negative emails from the public.
There is also a Facebook group against the plan which has over 400 members.
The efforts to curb the curriculum are not ended, however, as the state still intends to revise the history curriculum to reduce the teaching of pre-1877 events statewide.
In the initial draft the NC Department of Public instruction proposed splitting US history into two courses, with the early years of the country to be covered only in middle schools and the focus of 11th-grade history to be only 1877 to the present.
Currently 11th grade history is a comprehensive US history course that deals with America from its roots to the present.
According to Garland the move to eliminate the focus on older history will not stop but will now take a different form. One possibility is to require US history from 1877 to the present to be taught while allowing school locally individual schools and districts to decide if they want to offer a course on pre-1877 history.
The second draft of the plan including the new options is expected to be made public sometime in April and available for public comment then.
The current proposal calls for a drastic reduction in teaching pre-1877 history for all high school students in civics and US history courses, instead focusing on more modern issues dealing with current events. Specific areas that would be enlarged include human rights, quality of life, environmental modifications, and organizations dedicated to peace and security.
Areas to be de-emphasized in high school would include aspects such as the Founding Fathers, the American Revolution, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and the Civil War.
Sources:
Raleigh News and Observer, Curriculum change defeated by negative feedback
NC DPI, HS History Curriculum Changes Proposals (public draft)
Published by Jeffrey Weeks
Jeffrey Weeks is an award-winning NC newspaper columnist who writes about saltwater and freshwater fishing, southern seafood and cooking, hunting, popular entertainment, and sports. View profile
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21 Comments
Post a CommentHe who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it.
Speaking of hidden history which truly shapes our country, has any one here read the book "After The Fact" by James West Davidson volumes one and two? I suggest this book you find out some interesting facts about history that definitely isn't taught in high school that pre dates 1877. You might learn about it in college, though.
Not that I am against teaching "environmental issues, human rights, and organizations that uphold ideals of peace" but history can't be hidden from poeple. Islike lying and saying there wasn't history before that. And what would this mean for students who were in wanting to go to college and say where asked to perfom an example using information that was pre-dated to 1877 in a debate? Or say, even in debate, what if a student had to do the same thing during a high school debate and is was part of the subject matter? Are they wanting to deny the student the right to know history and use it for any future abilities. And would they even understand a subject that even was brouhgt up concerning history that was on the news? There's a lot to be considered here. It's like hding the truth in some historical events in black African American History that other pople are ashamed of. I wonder is shame has anything to do with it for this southern state.
Not teaching history isn't going to change it.
Good article, strange decision to make or want to make this cut.
I agree w/ Dena.
Give me a break! How are kids suppose to understand anything if they don't understand history?! I could go on a very long rant right about now. Just remember: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it -- George Satayana.
This is insane.
Wow, I hadn't heard about this! Scary!!
Oh, God! If they can't rewrite our country's religious foundation, they'll have us forget it! Oh, God!