These pieces of legislation could freeze a school’s ability to teach factual, historically accurate, well developed curricula that builds understanding and critical thinking. Extremely concerning is HB103, which seeks to form a nine member task force made up of political appointees rather than the elected State Board of Education to study and adopt K-12 social studies curriculum.
Specifically, the proposed task force members would be (Republican) appointees: Three appointed by the Governor, three appointed by the Ohio Senate President, and three appointed by the Ohio House of Representatives Speaker. Thus, the task force responsible for developing K-12 social studies standards and curriculum will be Republican appointees with no requirement for educational credentials or teaching experience.
Further, HB 103 sponsor Ohio Republican Don Jones recommends that the new task force use “American Birthright: The Civics Alliance Model K-12 Social Studies Standards.“ Dictating conservative ideology, the “American Birthright” standards developed by the National Association of Scholars (a conservative education advocacy group that argues against multiculturalism, diversity policies, race, and gender issues) in conjunction with The Civics Alliance, formed to promote the 1776 Project (a reform of K-12 education authored by Christian Evangelical Hillsdale College).
Neither the authors of the “American Birthright” standards or The Civics Alliance are versed public school educators. Additionally, these “American Birthright” standards are not backed by The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).
Instead, Ohio should consider adopting the “Educating for American Democracy Roadmap,” which was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the US Department of Education. This extensively researched curriculum (developed by diverse and cross-ideological groups of scholars and educators) should serve as a model guide because of a right and left consensus aimed for excellence in history and civic education for all K-12 learners. Six diverse former education secretaries advocate on its behalf and it is currently being implemented in nine (both liberal and conservative) states. The National Council For The Social Studies calls “Educating for American Democracy Roadmap” a bold vision to re-imagine and re-prioritize civics and history education.
Ohioans should pay particular attention to the efforts of Ohio Legislators to include neoconservative, Christian ideology, and to limit historical content in public education.
Margret Mead said, ”Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” Ohio legislators are focusing on “what to think.” Are we going to allow them to indoctrinate our children? Demand curriculum content be determined by the elected Ohio State Board of Education, not partisan appointees.
Andrea Bauer is the mother of three successful children educated in public schools, a retired public school educator, a former member of an Ohio State Education Committee, and the current Greene County League of Women Voters Representative.
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