<p><a href=“http://news.yahoo.com/colorado-school-board-keeps-eye-history-changes-082408443.html”>http://news.yahoo.com/colorado-school-board-keeps-eye-history-changes-082408443.html</a></p>
<p>A conservative school board vs. students/parents, according to the story. </p>
<p>Good story on this matter on NPR on Friday. The group in Colorado listed famous persons and events that were not specifically listed as being required to be taught in AP history classes (such as Ben Franklin). A person who worked on the standards said they are a “framework” and are not intended to list every fact, event or person that should be taught. </p>
<p>Did I hear or read that, for example, the Black Panthers were listed in the framework, but MLK was not? A source stated that the framework was meant to expand from the established basics, such as MLK lessons, so that’s why the AP lists the Black Panthers. </p>
<p>"A conservative school board vs. students/parents, according to the story. "
-Well there is another take on this event with has nothing to do with students/parents but rather with students / teachers and a well known fact that teachers were against implementing a new policy on Merit based review. Do not underestimate a power of teacher who in many cases can grade in a very subjective manner…</p>
<p>Lines from an old Spike Jones song:
Woman: “Adieu, adios, sayonara, shalom, auf wiedersehn.”
Man: “How do you like that? She didn’t even say goodbye.”</p>
<p>"… why the AP lists the Black Panthers. "
<p>^miamiDAP, what a strange way to describe the Black Panthers.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why a local school board wants to change the curriculum of an AP test. This is a national curriculum, with a national exam, and national training for the teachers. Affecting the curriculum means affecting the students’ change at scoring a 4 or 5 (or even passing). You bet students are against it! I would imagine most parents with kids involved in AP classes (or whose kids plan on being on the AP track) are protesting too. If I were a teacher I’d protest at being curtailed that for which I was certified to teach and which could mean seeing that certification rescinded.</p>
<p>BTW, OF COURSE you’d teach about the Black Panthers in US History. They’re key to understand the way 67-73 bridged two very different political periods, in the same way you need to understand Chicago’68, Columbia, the Wounded Knee standoff, etc.
(Note that MLK is included, as are most important leaders of the 20th century. Those have been part of regular US history for a long time. As anyone who’s had a kid in AP knows, the AP class goes further and deeper than the regular and the honors class. The added content isn’t random bits or fiction, it’s designed to bring nuances and issues to the fore.)</p>
<p>People attacking the framework apparently don’t understand the concept of “examples.” Here’s the document: <a href=“AP Us History Course and Exam Description | PDF | Advanced Placement | Curriculum”>AP Us History Course and Exam Description | PDF | Advanced Placement | Curriculum;
It does mention the Black Panthers, but it also mentions Thurgood Marshall–both in very short lists of potential examples.</p>
<p>My kids first “studied” MLK, Jr., in pre-school. They had units on Civil Rights and Black History Month in elementary and middle school. APUSH is an opportunity to move beyond the general scope of lower-level classes, and exercise critical thinking and in-depth research. </p>
<p>"I don’t understand why a local school board wants to change the curriculum of an AP test. This is a national curriculum, with a national exam, and national training for the teachers. " - Ditto. </p>
<p>I WISH I had had deep history in HS. Had to wait, and get that in college! Am trying to impart it to DD16 while she’s still in HS now. We’ll see if it takes. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Seems that many people oppose ceding any amount of local control over curriculum issues, or improving the curriculum to meet standards from the “outside”. Consider the opposition to Common Core, for example.</p>
<p>I don’t think that’s the issue here, though. The AP curriculum has been long established and kids have been taking AP exams for 30 years. In addition, it looks like it’s a rather well-off community so they ought to have college goals for their kids, and not taking AP history - or taking the exam and scoring a 2 because they got a truncated version of the course - is not likely to fly with parents.</p>
<p>@MYOS1634 The issue is being raised because folks think the AP curriculum has been CHANGED. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is part of a long running battle about how US history should be taught.</p>
<p>Hunt, Thurgood Marshall was a liberal. I doubt the conservatives on this school board are any more reassured to see his name on the list than they are by Black Panthers.</p>
<p>But they’re pretending to be upset that Martin Luther King, Jr.'s name isn’t specifically mentioned. But these are just sound bites designed to rile up the inattentive; their real complaint is that the AP curriculum doesn’t buy into American exceptionalism.</p>
<p>Good article about Colorado here: <a href=“School board defies protest of hundreds to pass review of US history curriculum | US education | The Guardian”>http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/oct/03/colorado-school-board-protest-review-history-curriculum-passes</a></p>
<p>The Texas State Board of Education passed a resolution to ask the College Board to rewrite history: <a href=“Texas State Education Board Passes Resolution to Stop Redesigned AP US History”>http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/09/20/Texas-State-Education-Board-Passes-Resolution-to-Stop-Redesigned-AP-US-History-APUSH</a> (Of course, they don’t want to teach evolution or climate change either.)</p>
<p>This is not just a local thing in Jefferson County, CO. This is a national campaign being conducted wherever a strongly conservative majority can get elected to a school board or state board of education.</p>
<p>This article goes into more detail about the framework: <a href=“Is The New AP U.S. History Really Anti-American? | HuffPost Latest News”>HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost;
<p>Oh, you’re right. Not consistent. </p>
<p>Well next thing will be insisting that AP Bio teach that evolution is ‘just a theory.’ Or are they already trying for that somewhere? I can’t keep up.</p>
<p>They do seem to be doing a good job of teaching the students about their right to petition for a governmental redress of grievances.</p>
<p>It seems that way… but I fear the conservatives will try to blame that on “bad curriculum”… </p>