RMT Sunday: History Repeating?

For this “Riddle Me This” Sunday post, I’m wondering how APUSH, The Bill of Right Institute, and Common Core all fit together.

First up, the article that has me pondering:

This past Thursday, a News and Observer article (Raleigh, NC) revealed that the State Superintendent has made a proposed choice to use the “Bill of Rights Institute” curricula. Now, some truly interesting points were made in the article that I, frankly, find suspect. Here’s the first one:

‘June Atkinson, state school superintendent said the state looked for groups that could help write the founding principles curriculum but found only the Bill of Rights Institute.’

You mean to tell me out of ALL the history resources available to the state of NC, one of the ORIGINAL 13 Colonies and which has a stellar NC History Museum, Dept. of Cultural Affairs, NC Historic Sites (one of which includes the Halifax Resolves birthplace {the U.S. Declaration of Independence was modeled after the Resolve}, Revolutionary War Trails, Civil War Trails, and even more that the ONLY resource you could locate was in another state? What about asking retired NC teachers? What about asking for the parent’s help? Why not consult with the current teachers? After all, later in the article it’s stated they thought the resources they currently use were not only sufficient but not tied to controversial people!

‘It is unusual for the Department of Public Instruction to tell school districts how to teach a course. Typically, the state sets out goals for grades or courses and lets the districts and teachers decide how to meet them. The state does point teachers to a variety of available resources.’

I cannot tell you the number of teachers and school board members of the state of NC who have stated without hesitation that “Raleigh sets out what we are to do and we must do it, we don’t get to choose”. Add to this the NC Operational Testing Calendar (see: 1415optestcal) with all those mandated assessments to take, what a teacher gets to teach isn’t really up for much choice at all. Counter that with this one teacher’s viewpoint, however,

“You’re setting up students for failure when you limit their world view.”

Uh, excuse me?! Common Core has been limiting all kinds of views, especially the global ones! I would be remiss if I didn’t share with you that this teacher is referring to AP U.S. History as she now teaches it. With the extreme leftist, anti American view, I’m not sure she even should be quoted in the article.  (to see the entire article: (http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/12/03/4374397_state-education-department-used.html?sp=/99/102/110/&rh=1)

Why all the fuss?

The stir, it appears is centered around one of NC educational laws that states we must teach the Founding Principles of the U.S. That’s great, but in these current times, between the Common Core Standards abysmal attempt at covering U.S. History and the out-and-out assaulting of our country’s history courtesy of APUSH, I really think the legislators need to go back and review which set of Founding Principles they’d like. The REAL ones that we know to be true OR the globalized version that suits someone else’s agenda.

Also, throughout this battle in NC for educational prowess, it has been repeated that only NC standards for NC students; NC History for NC Students. Sorry, DPI, but Common Core and APUSH don’t fit those needs at all!

Here’s the introductory paragraph for our NC Founding Principals Act (2011)

“Whereas, the survival of the republic requires that our nation’s children, the future
guardians of its heritage and participants in its governance, have a clear understanding of the
Founding Philosophy and the Founding Principles of government for a free people, which are
found in the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Federalist Papers,
and the writings of the Founders, and an understanding of their preservation; Now, therefore…”

Did you happen to notice the rub about the Bill of Rights Institute and NC’s Founding Principles Law as it was being interpreted by the Superintendent Atkinson? She wanted to combine civics and economics. Well, what if I told you that the Koch Brothers have that not only funded, but have one up and running already? It’s called YE (Youth Enterprises), it’s a non profit group serving 2 states at the moment. Founded in 1991 by the Koch Brothers. It’s an officially licensed program with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). NFTE has ties to Microsoft, Inc., the Knight Foundation, Coleman Foundation, Verizon, and a few other known CCSS supporters. Locations include a few of the States here in America and several international locations. The NFTE has a CCSS Math program called “Start Up Math”. (see: http://www.nfte.com/startupmath) Here’s a look at a free lesson for a Level 1 student from Bank of America (a proud supporter of not only CCSS, but the NFTE)