Culture Wars
MAY 28, 2010
At the beginning of each school year, I ask my students a pretty standard question, “Why do you think we should study history and government?” I am fortunate to work at a 6-12 public charter school that values Social Studies as an important part of a well-rounded curriculum. As a result, each student takes a Social Studies class all seven years he or she is on campus. By the time students reach my 11th grade U.S. History or 12th grade U.S. Government class, they have most likely been asked various versions of my question by previous teachers. However, I still ask the question because the ensuing discussion helps establish what students can expect from me over the course of the year, and what I will expect from them. Inevitably, one student will answer, “To memorize a bunch of dates,” and another will offer the slightly more profound response, “To learn about the mistakes of our past.” While both comments hold some truth, the study of Social Studies is much more than simply remembering dates and events. That fact seems to be at the heart of the current debate taking place in Texas about significant changes to the state’s Social Studies curriculum.
On May 21, 2010, the Texas Board of Education, whose members are elected in partisan races, amended the state’s Social Studies curriculum. The ramifications of this decision may be far-reaching, given that Texas serves 4.7 million students and is one of the largest buyers o
