National leaders decry history standards
Senate cites lack of traditional history figures in
guidelines
By Betty Song
History became politics when national leaders disagreed with new
curriculum guidelines developed by the UCLA-based National History
Standards Project.
On Jan. 18, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution that advised
government review panels to refuse certification of the new history
standards.
These standards include guidelines accompanied with teaching
examples for elementary and high school levels of U.S. and world
history. Project members strove to recognize more minorities and
women in history when they created the standards.
Currently, critics find most fault with the lack of references
to traditional historical figures like George Washington, project
director and UCLA history professor Gary Nash said. But the attacks
focus on the teaching examples, and not the guidelines themselves,
he explained.
Senator Slade Gorton, R-Wash., originally introduced an
amendment that would legally force review panels to reject the
standards. When several senators argued against the action, Gorton
withdrew the amendment and accepted a compromise for a
resolution.
Although the resolution does not carry any legal weight, the
Senate’s decision is bad publicity for the standards, said
Charlotte Crabtree, co-director for the project based at UCLA’s
National Center for History of the Schools.
"I was surprised that … they would propose to take action when
the standards are still undergoing review and are still in the
process of revision," Crabtree said.
Although the Senate advised rejection of the standards in a 99-1
vote, Nash believes that many people just do not understand what
the three-volume set is.
"Ninety five percent (of the criticisms) are from deliberate
misrepresentations of the books," Nash said. "They are voluntary
curriculum guidelines, and not textbooks," he stressed.
In spite of the Senate resolution, teachers are the final
decision makers, Nash said.
"We’re just sending books to all the teachers and libraries that
want (them), and they use them as they see fit," he said.
So far, numerous teachers from around the country have ordered
the three-volume set of standards. Teacher Kent Lewis from UCLA’s
University Elementary School, endorses the book and said that he
disagreed with the Senate’s criticisms.
"I think they are excellent, and very balanced," Lewis said.
"(Critics say) to include more about George Washington or Benjamin
Franklin, but no document can include everything or it would be 9
feet deep."
Writing the standards began two and a half years ago as part of
Goals 2000, a national legislation package which strives to improve
U.S. education.
At the root of the controversy is the project’s attempt to be
more inclusive of women and minorities, said Joyce Appleby, a UCLA
history professor.
"(Critics) fear that this will change the way we’ve understood
history," said Appleby, a member for the council that oversees the
project. "That it won’t be like how (the critics) had it when they
went to school."
The history project will continue to review the standards and
make appropriate changes, Nash said, adding that the changes will
be minor.
Currently, the revisions are an open process and coordinators
are attempting to publish the standards without teaching examples
in one volume.