Photo by Jim. CC BY-SA 2.0
Schools across the United States are once again at the center of a debate over how history and civics are taught. A recent article in our Education Reporter highlights concerns about a set of classroom materials promoted by the Zinn Education Project — materials that present an incomplete and distorted view of American history and current events.
The Zinn Education Project, supported by groups including the National Education Association, draws on the work of infamous historian Howard Zinn. His book A People’s History of the United States describes its goal as teaching history “accurately,” but the materials go well beyond standard classroom content, focusing on social conflict and inequality, portraying mainstream political institutions and leaders in a critical light.
One set of lessons invites students to consider questions like why the U.S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee rights to housing, education, or health care — rights that some other countries’ constitutions address. Yet these so-called guarantees in other constitutions typically don’t translate into real access in practice. Other examples from Zinn-supported materials include praise for historical confrontations such as the Stonewall riots and classroom activities that ask students to role-play as activists from various movements. Other lessons raise controversial topics, including comparisons between government actions in the United States and terrorist attacks, or materials that frame violent protest actions as legitimate forms of resistance.
Supporters of these materials argue they encourage critical thinking and broaden the range of voices students encounter. But this content goes far beyond “academic inquiry.” It ends up promoting radical viewpoints and creates new anti-American activists. These groups have discarded core academic skills in favor of lessons that teach left wing political ideology.
In response, several parents’ rights organizations have urged state education officials top review their education policies. We need audits of curricula and hiring practices, and to ensure that school systems are compliant with federal civil rights laws.
As these trends continue in our public schools, controversial classroom materials will continue to be a flashpoint in conversations about education, parental rights, and the role of schools in shaping students’ understanding of their country and the world.
Stay informed about what’s being taught in our schools through the online Education Reporter, available at EdReporterOnline.org! And sign up today to be a part of our local grassroots action networks at PhyllisSchlafly.com, again that’s EdReporterOnline.org and PhyllisSchlafly.com. Thanks and join us tomorrow for the Phyllis Schlafly Report.
