Really, you learned that in school?

 Really, you learned that in school?

 

Depending on where you live that early nineteenth century war was either the War Between the States or the Civil War.  Jeff Davis was either a great patriot for a great mission or a traitor for a lost cause.  The Jews brought the Holocaust on themselves for their bad behavior or were the victims of one of the most vicious villains of history.   

While educators argue over the virtues and importance of geometry and algebra II, our children are among the least educated when it comes to how our government, a democracy, is run.  A fact which is scary because how will they be able to recognize when it is in jeopardy.

Ron DeSantis is certainly not the first to attempt to re-write history. And in all likelihood, won’t be the last.   Although some of the additions to the African American history courses do seem incredulous.  “Slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit” These and other such comments have led the AP course to be decertified by the College Board.   He has ordered math text books and social studies textbooks to be scrubbed for prohibited topics.  Not sure what in math is WOKE?

If your political leanings tend conservative, these changes might be appealing as a rescue from the WOKE culture.   If your leanings tend more to the left, you are either appalled or find these changes to be so egregious as to be humorous.

Sadly neither is the case.   The second draft of history is written by the winners.  (The first draft is written by journalists.)  

Education should be a process where our minds are stretched; our belief systems challenged.   Perhaps Florida history students will find the new versions so beyond any belief system that they will be challenged to seek the truth.  Or others might buy into this idea and perhaps not feel so guilty about their history.  African-American students will most certainly feel marginalized beyond belief. 

Recently a tour guide along the Mississippi River in the deep south, was proud to share that his grandparents, farmers in the 1930’s did not have slaves.  He was proud of that fact even though slavery had been abolished 67 years before.  Was he a product of his Mississippi education? 

History matters deeply.  As educators we have a responsibility to teach it as close to reality as possible given our point in time and our culture.  We do NOT have license to outright lie.  Teaching the truth is critical to our present and our future.  Really, you learned that in school!