From: charlie
Date: 10/20/03
Time: 10:16:05 AM
Remote Name: 209.240.198.61
We have discussed repeated in recent days about teaching HIstory--US, World and Black History in schools.
Let me tell you that public schools for years and years have been falling down on the job in this area. To the point of not really teaching it at all. They make a big show of Black History for one month. Something I disagreed with, btw, I favored incorporating it into the regular history-by mandate. Not taught in isolation.
When KERA passed in early 91, the first thing we were ORDERED to do was pack up every single textbook in the school (including the math and reading books) and ship them out.
We spent several years of "teacher generated" materials. The teachers spent the majority of their lives "gathering" material from library books, etc. There was NOT a text for the children to read. Spelling tests were thrown out. Spelling Bees were cancelled from the state down--it was competitive and everybody can't win so we don't want to challenge anybody or make anybody "feel bad".
Math facts weren't taught but First graders were given calculators.
Spelling and grammar rules were no longer important. Write it like it "sounds" and forget about the periods, commas, capital letters, etc.
Lessons were taught in "themes". We had a LOT of rainforest stuff. Or themes on "families" or on "Reptiles" or "Butterflies" but you can Forget much history or social studies going on.
Because of the themes on no sequence to the lessons--it was a hit and miss situation.
NOw they have textbooks BACK! The parents and teachers threw a fit after a while. Of course, the whole state had to REBUY textbooks the ones which got thrown away or burned.
You think I am joking or exaggerating? Wrong! It is also written into the LAW that teachers who Spoke Against KERA in public could be fired.
I read recently where there is a HUGE problem with the History textbooks. A study of the ones available to the schools shows that there are Hundreds and hundreds of ERRORS in them.
Things like the DATE of wars, the DATE of discoveries and even WHO was involved.
WW2 might get 2 paragraphs and the dates, places and people involved may be wrong.
In some cases, the name of the person who invented something is wrong.
Jasper, you said without a sense of history--and where we come from --we are doomed.
Well, there seems to be a Deliberate effort to MAKE that the case.
There have been at least 2 generations (if not more in some places) who have had no sequential or even accurate portrayal of the history of the US or anything else for that matter.
And there is a DEemphasis on it. It is treated as not important--so many of the kids are not getting the facts much less the importance of their history.
Any wonder that the "people of the street" surveys show people who don't know who our current leaders are? They don't know who is VP or other famous people are. They don't know who is running for President. And they don't vote.
What I saw in the last years that I taught disturbed me so badly, I couldn't stand it anymore. It was a total DISSERVICE to ALL children.
ONe of the biggest lessons I think we are ignoring today is that EVERY single time that a country let HUGE numbers of people into their country who are not citizens and have loyalty to their home country and work from within to overthrow the country....those countries FAILED or were overthrown.
And believe me --those foreigners know OUR history better than we do....and are using it against us.
charlie