I’ve been scratching my head over the controvery about teaching critical race theory in schools. Whatever the hell critical race theory is, it’s clear that politicians want to either mandate it or ban it. I see this as an opportunity to get the schools to do something they haven’t done in at least a generation: actually teach history.
We know schools in the United States are not as good at teaching reading, math and science as schools in your average country such as Slovenia, Portugal and Vietnam. They really suck at teaching history, in which only 15% of eighth-graders are proficient.
This is not a new problem. I learned the basic history stuff in school but was not particularly interested in it. Many years later I became a late-blooming history buff by reading history and historical fiction: sound research and good writing that made up for the uninspired teaching I had received.
Understanding history — and watching it evolve as new research adds perspective to old events — has clarified my sense of identity and informs my perspective on current events. As I watch students tear down statues of founding fathers they know nothing about, I wonder if they are aware that the French Revolution ended in dictatorship, or that Marxism killed 80 million Chinese and 30 million Russians.
Critical race theory will not correct this appalling lack of knowledge. The definition of critical race theory appears to be as slippery as the definition of gain-of-function Covid research. Regardless of what you call it, some of the things that actually are being taught in schools are concerning.
Third-graders are being forced to deconstruct their racial identities and separate themselves into oppressors and oppressed. One school system accused white teachers of “spirit murder” against black children. Another teaches students that all white people perpetuate systemic racism. A private school asks parents to “decenter” whiteness at home and in their families. Students are taught that the police are racist and encouraged to join in protests.
Even though the Black Lives Matter movement has lost the support of the majority of Americans, the counterfactual claims of BLM and the 1619 Project are being taught as established fact in a growing number of schools. One teacher complains that political tracts have replaced history textbooks, and she is no longer permitted to teach students about the Holocaust.
Critical race theory is being debated in my adopted home state of New Mexico. It’s an unusual challenge in a state that was practicing diversity and inclusion for centuries before it became trendy. The Conquistadores who colonized the place were a racially mixed bunch, and New Mexico’s population now is 49% Hispanic, 37% Non-Hispanic white, 8% Native American, 2% Asian and 2% African-American. Imagine the hapless teacher who must decide whether a child of Anglo-Hispanic parentage who’s part Native American is an oppressor or a victim.
Instead of replacing a partly biased version of history with an overtly racist one, I’d like to see states take a fresh look at what history needs to be taught in the schools and how to teach it. Educators and politicians are the least-qualified people to do this. Start with a panel of historians, including some who are not subject to university censorship. Make it an open process with ample opportunity for citizen input and public discussion. Review the curriculum every few years to keep pace with the continual evolution of history.
There is no excuse for boring history lessons in schools when so many interesting resources are available. I’ll bet high school students can learn more about the Civil War from Ken Burns’ documentary than anything their teachers can present. What if middle school kids could take an Ancestry.com DNA test and trace their family histories as a class project?
If political factions are demanding that we fundamentally transform America, our citizens need to understand what, exactly, needs transforming and why. And if we are better aware of history, perhaps we can dissuade our politicians from repeating history’s mistakes yet again.
Don’t know much about history
I’ve been scratching my head over the controvery about teaching critical race theory in schools. Whatever the hell critical race theory is, it’s clear that politicians want to either mandate it or ban it. I see this as an opportunity to get the schools to do something they haven’t done in at least a generation: actually teach history.
We know schools in the United States are not as good at teaching reading, math and science as schools in your average country such as Slovenia, Portugal and Vietnam. They really suck at teaching history, in which only 15% of eighth-graders are proficient.
This is not a new problem. I learned the basic history stuff in school but was not particularly interested in it. Many years later I became a late-blooming history buff by reading history and historical fiction: sound research and good writing that made up for the uninspired teaching I had received.
Understanding history — and watching it evolve as new research adds perspective to old events — has clarified my sense of identity and informs my perspective on current events. As I watch students tear down statues of founding fathers they know nothing about, I wonder if they are aware that the French Revolution ended in dictatorship, or that Marxism killed 80 million Chinese and 30 million Russians.
Critical race theory will not correct this appalling lack of knowledge. The definition of critical race theory appears to be as slippery as the definition of gain-of-function Covid research. Regardless of what you call it, some of the things that actually are being taught in schools are concerning.
Third-graders are being forced to deconstruct their racial identities and separate themselves into oppressors and oppressed. One school system accused white teachers of “spirit murder” against black children. Another teaches students that all white people perpetuate systemic racism. A private school asks parents to “decenter” whiteness at home and in their families. Students are taught that the police are racist and encouraged to join in protests.
Even though the Black Lives Matter movement has lost the support of the majority of Americans, the counterfactual claims of BLM and the 1619 Project are being taught as established fact in a growing number of schools. One teacher complains that political tracts have replaced history textbooks, and she is no longer permitted to teach students about the Holocaust.
Critical race theory is being debated in my adopted home state of New Mexico. It’s an unusual challenge in a state that was practicing diversity and inclusion for centuries before it became trendy. The Conquistadores who colonized the place were a racially mixed bunch, and New Mexico’s population now is 49% Hispanic, 37% Non-Hispanic white, 8% Native American, 2% Asian and 2% African-American. Imagine the hapless teacher who must decide whether a child of Anglo-Hispanic parentage who’s part Native American is an oppressor or a victim.
Instead of replacing a partly biased version of history with an overtly racist one, I’d like to see states take a fresh look at what history needs to be taught in the schools and how to teach it. Educators and politicians are the least-qualified people to do this. Start with a panel of historians, including some who are not subject to university censorship. Make it an open process with ample opportunity for citizen input and public discussion. Review the curriculum every few years to keep pace with the continual evolution of history.
There is no excuse for boring history lessons in schools when so many interesting resources are available. I’ll bet high school students can learn more about the Civil War from Ken Burns’ documentary than anything their teachers can present. What if middle school kids could take an Ancestry.com DNA test and trace their family histories as a class project?
If political factions are demanding that we fundamentally transform America, our citizens need to understand what, exactly, needs transforming and why. And if we are better aware of history, perhaps we can dissuade our politicians from repeating history’s mistakes yet again.
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