Do I have any English teacher friends who could redline this press release for me? Im serious... I would really like someone who is a trained English teacher to mark up this document as if it were from a student. PM me if you are willing to help. I will keep your anonymity if you are a teacher in JeffCo! BELOW IS JULIE WILLIAMS’ PRESS RELEASE Sept 22, 2014 “For Immediate Release” I was truly surprised by the reaction of so many people regarding the AP U.S. History curriculum (APUSH). I must not have explained myself clearly. I thought everyone, or at least everyone involved in education understood the huge debate and controversy surrounding the new APUSH. To be accused of censorship? “Seriously?” That is just ridiculous. I am advocating for just the opposite. So, please let me start at the beginning. APUSH is new. This is important to state because some may not know it is NEW. It came into existence quite recently under dubious and secretive circumstances (just like the Common Core). If fully implemented, APUSH would greatly modify and standardize the teaching of US History in every high school in America. I presented a resolution to Opt-Out of Common Core and PARCC Testing and to my dismay it was tabled in favor of a deeper look. APUSH fits right into Common Core and a one size fits all curriculum. One of the main characters behind the Common Core, David Coleman, is the president and chief executive of the College Board. APUSH rejects the history that has been taught in the country for generations. It has an emphasis on race, gender, class, ethnicity, grievance and American-bashing while simultaneously omitting the most basic structural and philosophical elements considered essential to the understanding of American History for generations. Let me give you some examples of who is omitted: Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Franklin with not even a mention of Martin Luther King, Jr. who was on the forefront of the civil rights movement. It ignores lessons on the Boston Tea Party, Lexington, Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and the list continues… APUSH is untested and unresearched! It has been left up to the school districts to do the research and that is merely what I am suggesting. There needs to be a debate on the merits of rejecting current history curriculum before an examination on the new curriculum begins. Many community members have brought to my attentions their concerns, as a Board Member, it is my duty to bring the following concerns to the forefront: Parents who have reviewed APUSH have been very unhappy with what their children will be taught and have lost trust in the “experts”. Please note: This is NOT a committee to review teachers, this is NOT about teachers, it is about curriculum review, which is a board’s responsibility. Balance and respect for traditional scholarship is NOT censorship. Again we (who is we?) believe that exposure to the curriculum itself, not inflammatory rhetoric; will convince most parents that a review committee is a very good idea. I humbly ask our Jeffco history teachers to review their philosophical position on the APUSH. I think the majority will be surprised to find they agree. I invite them to join us while we investigate this curriculum, together. Here is some perspective: The Texas State Board of Education has voted to set aside the new AP U.S. History Framework in favor of its own state-mandated U.S. history curriculum. If there is no concern with the curriculum then I would ask why so much resistance? No one is talking about getting rid of AP U.S. History. I am just asking for us to take a deeper look. Let’s weigh this curriculum against the best interests of our students and see where we land. Last, when it comes to history I believe all children graduating from an American school should know 3 things: American Exceptionalism, an understanding of US History, and know the Constitution. Regards, Julie Williams Jeffco Board of Education
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 02:01:46 +0000
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