PTA President: It's Not Just About History

[cali]

For the third day in a row, hundreds of Denver-area students walked out of school to protest proposed changes to a new history curriculum in an advanced-placement class, alterations which they say are a form of censorship.

But the protests aren't just about history, the president of the Jefferson County Parent Teacher Association argues: allowing an outside committee to make curriculum changes could open the door to a wave of censorship in other subjects.

After the College Board released a new framework for Advanced Placement U.S. History courses earlier this summer, conservative activists nationwide were outraged, arguing the framework encouraged the skewing of history. The Republican National Committee passed a resolution during its summer meeting condemning the framework, which it said "reflects a radically revisionist view" of history that emphasizes negative events and figures over positive ones. Activists also fumed that the altered framework is linked to the Common Core State Standards, which they see as heavy-handed government intervention in the classroom.

<snip>

Any materials used in the course, the school board continued in its proposal, should not "encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law."

But the committee's oversight would extend to any text and curriculum – not just history. It would be permitted to bring "any objectionable materials" to the school board, which would have the power to take action.

"If you have a committee of citizens who are not educators, not historians - who look at, say, an English literature curriculum and decide they don't like Huckleberry Finn - they can recommend to the board of education that Huckleberry Finn be removed from English literature curriculum," says Michele Patterson, president of the Jefferson County PTA. "This committee really opens the door to all kinds of potential censorship."

<snip>

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/09/24/hundreds-of-colorado-students-skipped-school-to-protest-history-changes

[calimary]

1. Gee, does that mean we can turn around and ban ayn rand screeds?