Bad news from Jefferson County.. but at least there's push back.

[mountain grammy]

Teachers in Jefferson County, Colorado called in sick Friday to protest disputes over questionable curriculum. They are being forced to use Advanced Placement (AP) history curriculum that whitewashes history in a way that erases evidence of historical strife. The are being called instead to teach only about patriotism, the free market, respect for individual rights, and get this: obedience to authority.

The school district is proposing a nine-person panel to oversee the schools. Naturally, parents and teachers fear that the panel will be a first step towards censorship. The superintendent resigned in February, citing that she “can’t lead” and “can’t move the district forward.” So who will appoint this questionable panel? The district’s uber-conservative school board.

From the official Board Committee for Curriculum Review document (highlights mine):

Board Committee for Curriculum Review.
The committee shall be seated by the Board. Each director may nominated up to three candidates for the committee and the entire board then will vote to select the nine (9) members of the committee. The charge to the committee is to review curricular choices for conformity to JeffCo academic standards, accuracy and omissions, and to inform the board of any objectionable materials. The committee shall regularly review texts and curriculum according to priorities that it establishes, however, at any time, the Board may add items to the list for review. The committee shall report all comments (majority and minority) to the board in writing on a weekly basis as items are reviewed. Board members may move for discussion or action on items reported when matters warrant public discussion or action. The committee’s initial projects will be a review of the AP US History curriculum and elementary health curriculum.

Review criteria shall include the following: instructional materials should present the most current factual information accurately and objectively. Theories should be distinguished from fact. Materials should promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free enterprise system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights. Materials should not encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law. Instructional materials should present positive aspects of the United States and its heritage. Content pertaining to political and social movements in history should present balanced and factual treatment of the positions.


http://www.liberalamerica.org/2014/09/21/colorado-teachers-history/

[upaloopa]

1. When I was growing up my dad taught me to

question what I was taught in school. I doubt conservative parents would question a conservative curriculum but I hope liberal parents are more like my dad.

[valerief]

2. Is this bullshit happening so that parents homeschool their kids, thereby

setting the stage to eliminate education funding AND to facilitate the dumbing down of America?

[truedelphi]

3. Well it all started with "No Child Left Behind" --

a program that was highly encouraged by the George W Bush, and that Ted Kennedy supported.

The governmental bureaucrats are privatizing and institutionalizing schools, left and right.

Even arithmetic questions are geared for imprinting the "free market" concept into kids' brains. "If George works fourteen hours in a factory, and makes $ 6 an hour, while his cousin who is in a Union can't find work, how much does George make each work day?"

[Eleanors38]

4. The far right is merely consolidating power.

[tk2kewl]

5. sounds like the school board needs to take a trip into Denver or Boulder

To pick up som brownies

[locks]

6. We are seeing the awful results of

electing the tea party RWs onto school boards as happened in Douglas County and our children are paying the price.

[mountain grammy]

7. Where I live that's all we get, but they haven't messed with the curriculum.

I think the teachers would push back. I no longer have children in school but try to keep current on local school issues.