If ever there was a time to show up in Austin-
Now is that time.
Show up ~ SPEAK UP ~ and Protect the next Generation!
From the creators of Common Core, David Coleman and the College Board, the new AP US History course is an assault on our country’s heritage.
The new AP US History (APUSH) framework presents a relentlessly negative view of American history, emphasizing every problem and failing of our ancestors while ignoring or minimizing their achievements.
The College Board’s reinterpretation of US history, as presented in the new APUSH course, is a biased and inaccurate view of many important facets of American history, including the motivations and actions of 17th -19th-century settlers, American involvement in World War II, and the conduct of, and victory in, the Cold War.
The period of the American Revolution up to the 1787 Constitutional Convention
Almost every Founding Father is omitted – no Jefferson, Adams, Madison, or Franklin. The AP US History Framework excludes Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill, Valley Forge, Saratoga, and Yorktown. The commanders and heroes of these pivotal battles are all omitted.
Civil War
Omits the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the Gettysburg Address, and the assassination of President Lincoln. Once again omits crucial battles, key commanders, and the valor of common soldiers.
World War II
Omits “The Greatest Generation,” Truman, Hitler, D-Day, Midway, the Battle of the Bulge, and every military commander including Dwight Eisenhower. Inexplicably, Nazi atrocities against Jews and other groups are not required. APUSH concludes its treatment of WWII with this blunt statement: “The decision to drop the atomic bomb raised questions about American values.”
Civil Rights Movement
Does not mention America’s first African-American President. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Rosa Parks, the Navajo Code Talkers, Tuskegee Airmen, 442nd Infantry Regiment, and Barbara Jordan’s famous speech on the Constitution are all omitted.
United States Military
A word search of the entire 98-page document will not find one military commander or one Medal of Honor recipient. Our best and brightest students will thus learn nothing of the heroism and sacrifices of Americans in uniform.
Usurping Local Education Control
“The redesigned Framework is best described as a curricular coup that sets a number of dangerous precedents. By providing a detailed course of study that defines, discusses, and interprets ‘the required knowledge of each period,’ the College Board has in effect supplanted local and state curriculum by unilaterally assuming the authority to prioritize historic topics.” – Jane Robbins, American Principles Project
“Combat New AP U. S. History Course by Taking Action”
by Donna Garner 9.7.14
ACTION STEP – Sign this Petition to stand with SBOE Ken Mercer!
[gravityform id=”9″ name=”Petition to #STANDwithMercer to REJECT the new AP Anti- U.S. Framework and Exam”]
Members of the public (e.g., moms, pops, grandparents, concerned citizens, AP U. S. History teachers) who object to the redesigned AP U. S. History course (APUSH) are needed to testify before the Texas State Board of Education either on Wednesday, Sept. 17, or on Friday, Sept.19.
IMPORTANCE OF ALL TEXAS STUDENTS BEING TAUGHT THE SOCIAL STUDIES TEKS
Nothing in the Texas Education Code (TEC) gives AP U. S. History teachers permission to ignore the teaching of the fact-based, patriotic, state-mandated Social Studies TEKS (Texas’ curriculum standards) adopted by the elected members of the Texas State Board of Education.
Nothing in the TEC states that the AP U. S. History (APUSH) Framework should displace the teaching of the Social Studies TEKS.
The public testimony on the importance of all Texas public school students being taught the K-12 Social Studies TEKS will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Here is the link to the SBOE agenda for that day: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=25769815951
SBOE MEMBER KEN MERCER’S RESOLUTION
September 2014 Meeting
Texas State Board of Education
Regarding: College Board’s new 2014 Framework –
Advanced Placement United States History
WHEREAS, the purpose of College and Career Readiness Standards(CCRS) and advanced high school courses is to prepare students to understand a variety of views and opinions from across the political spectrum, and to be able to discuss and debate those ideas free from bias and outside influence; and
WHEREAS, the systematic or deliberate discouragement of certain points of view within the scope of any curriculum framework undermines the basic tenets of our society and education system; and,
WHEREAS, the Texas Education Code (TEC) Section 28.002(h) states:
The State Board of Education and each school district shall foster the continuation of the tradition of teaching United States and Texas history and the free enterprise system in regular subject matter and in reading courses and in the adoption of textbooks.
A primary purpose of the public school curriculum is to prepare thoughtful, active citizens who understand the importance of patriotism and can function productively in a free enterprise society with appreciation for the basic democratic values of our state and national heritage;and,
WHEREAS, almost 500,000 U. S. students, approximately 46,000 of whom are from Texas, take the College Board’s Advanced Placement U. S. History (APUSH) course each year; and
WHEREAS, the APUSH course may be the final U.S. History class for what many believe are the brightest and best of our high school students; and,
WHEREAS, the APUSH course has traditionally been designed to present a balanced view of American history and to prepare students for college-level history courses; and
WHEREAS, the College Board, a private, non-elected organization unaccountable to the public has recently released a new 98-page Framework that mandates a highly politicized approach to teaching the APUSH course; and
WHEREAS, the new APUSH Framework reflects a radically revisionist view of American history that is critical of American exceptionalism and emphasizes negative aspects of our nation’s history while omitting or minimizing positive aspects; and
WHEREAS, the anti-American, revisionist history of Howard Zinn and his textbook “The People’s Guide to U.S. History” is a recommended textbook in each of the four syllabi originally presented at the Summer 2014 training of APUSH educators; and
WHEREAS, the APUSH Framework includes little or no discussion of the Founding Fathers, the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the religious influences on our nation’s history, and many other critical topics that have always been part of the APUSH course; and
WHEREAS, the Framework excludes discussion of the U. S. military (no battles, commanders, or heroes) and omits many significant individuals and events that greatly shaped our nation’s history (for example, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, Jonas Salk, George Washington Carver, Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Dr. Martin Luther King, Tuskegee Airmen, Navajo Code Talkers, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Holocaust, D-Day, liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, and the election of our first African-American President); and
WHEREAS, the Framework presents a clearly biased and inaccurate view of many important events in American history, including the motivations and actions of 17th- through 19th-century settlers, American involvement in World War II, the free-enterprise economic explosion in the 1940s through 1960s, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the development of Cold War tensions and ultimate fall of the Iron Curtain, and the successful landing of a man on the moon; and
WHEREAS, the Framework describes its detailed outline as the “required knowledge” for APUSH students, and admits that the APUSH examination will not test information outside this “required knowledge”; and
WHEREAS, because the Framework differs radically from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) so that APUSH teachers will have to ignore the TEKS standards to prepare students for the AP examination; and
WHEREAS, the released APUSH sample examination questions continue, via behavioral testing techniques, to promote a negative, anti-American bias toward U.S. History; therefore be it
RESOLVED, the elected Texas State Board of Education strongly admonishes the College Board for failing to listen to the numerous complaints of parents, educators and concerned citizens; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, the Texas State Board of Education recommends that a committee be convened to draft an APUSH Framework that is consistent both with the APUSH course’s traditional mission and with the shared purpose of the CCRS, the TEKS and the Texas Education Code, and with the desires of Texas parents and other citizens for students to learn the true history of their country; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, the Texas State Board of Education requests that Members of the Texas Legislature and the U. S. Congress investigate this matter; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Texas State Board of Education requests that the College Board rewrite the APUSH course and examination in a transparent manner to accurately reflect U. S. history without a political bias and to respect the sovereignty of Texas over its education curriculum; and be it
FINALLY RESOLVED, that upon approval of this resolution the Texas State Board of Education shall promptly deliver a copy of this resolution to every Member of the Texas State Legislature and to every Texas Member of the United States Congress.
Respectfully submitted by:
Ken Mercer Member: Texas State Board of Education, District 5
On Friday, Sept. 19, SBOE Member Ken Mercer will present his Resolution against the redesigned AP U. S. History course (APUSH). A vote on the Resolution by all the SBOE members will be taken.
Registration to testify for either the Wednesday, Sept. 17 session or the Friday, Sept. 19 session starts at8:00 A. M. on Friday, Sept. 12 until 5:00 P. M. on Sept. 15. Those who call the Texas Education Agency early get to testify earlier – it’s first come first served.
CONTACTING SBOE MEMBERS
It is not necessary for you to be a Texan to submit your support for the Resolution since the new and objectionable APUSH course is being driven by the College Board into schools throughout this nation.
Calls, letters, and e-mails are effective and should encourage the SBOE members to vote for SBOE Member Ken Mercer’s Resolution.
If you support this Resolution, please send an e-mail to each of the elected members of the SBOE by using this common SBOE e-mail address: sboesupport@tea.state.tx.us
Here is a link to each of the SBOE members, their bios, and contact information: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=2147506719
INFORMATION FOR TESTIFIERS
It is important for testifiers to give specific examples from the APUSH Framework that indicate bias and that do not follow the Texas Education Code (Chapter 28) —
Link to Texas Education Code – Chapter 28: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/?link=ED
Link to Public Testimony Registrations and Procedures as posted on the Texas Education Agency website — http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=25769804082
For those who testify, it is important for them to give specific examples from the new APUSH Framework that contradict what is in the Social Studies TEKS –
Link to Social Studies TEKS: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/index.html
DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEW APUSH
9.6.14 – “SBOE’s Mercer Resolution Seeks To Stop Radical APUSH Redesign in Texas”
by Merrill Hope – Breitbart Texas — http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/09/6/SBOE-s-Mercer-Resolution-Seeks-To-Stop-Radical-APUSH-Redesign-in-Texas
Here is what USED to be in the 5-page APUSH – Course Description – Effective Fall 2010 — Please go to pp. 7 – 12 to see the Themes in AP U. S. History.
http://womenonthewall.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ap-us-history-course-description.pdf
Here is the link to the new 98-page, anti-American, 2014 APUSH – Course and Exam Description Including Curriculum Framework – Effective Fall 2014: http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-course-exam-descriptions/ap-us-history-course-and-exam-description.pdf
9.3.14 — RESOURCE LIST – ANTI-REDESIGNED ADVANCED PLACEMENT U. S. HISTORY COURSE (APUSH)
8.22.14 – Short Video Clip – College Board Under Fire for New AP U. S. History Framework – by James Rosen — FoxNews.com — http://video.foxnews.com/v/3744498137001/college-board-under-fire-for-new-ap-history-framework/#sp=show-clips
9.3.14 – “Why Does the College Board Hate George Washington and MLK?” – by Larry Krieger — Heartland–
9.2.14 – “Imperiling the Republic: The Fate of U. S. History Instruction Under Common Core” – by — Ketcham, Stotsky, Lewis – Pioneer Institute — http://pioneerinstitute.org/download/imperiling-the-republic-the-fate-of-u-s-history-instruction-under-common-core/
9.2.14 – “U. S. History Instruction Damaged by Common Core Literacy Standards” — Truth in American Education –
9.2.14 – “Madison Scholar Condemns AP U. S. History Redesign” – by Stanley Kurtz — National Review —
8.30.14 – “The Left’s Attempt To Institutionalize the Rewriting of U. S. History” – by Ron Radosh – PJ Media—
8.25.14 – “Common Core Architect’s History ‘Deeply Biased’ Against U. S. – by Leo Hohmann — Mobile World Net Daily
http://mobile.wnd.com/2014/08/common-core-history-deeply-biased-against-u-s/
8.25.14 – “How the College Board Politicized U.S. History” – by Stanley Kurtz – National Review —
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/386202/how-college-board-politicized-us-history-stanley-kurtz
8.22.14 – “Pushing American History As a Long Tale of Oppression” – by Peter Wood – Nat. Asso. of Scholars — http://www.nas.org/articles/pushing_american_history_as_a_long_tale_of_oppression
8.19.14 – “29 Biased Statements in the AP U. S. History Redesign” – by Larry Krieger — Heartland.org –http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2014/08/19/29-biased-statements-ap-us-history-redesign
8.15.14 — “Why Won’t the College Board Reveal its AP U.S. History Authors?” — by Larry Krieger and Jane Robbins — http://www.educationviews.org/wont-college-board-reveal-ap-u-s-history-authors/
8.13.14 — PODCAST – Alice Linahan Conference Call – Discussion of the new AP U. S. History Course (including the Framework and the new AP U. S. History test itself) and dual credit courses —https://soundcloud.com/alice-linahan/women-on-the-wall-conference-call-ap-advanced-placement-and-dual-credit-is-it-a-good-thing
8.9.14 – “Ken Mercer: The Texas Voice in the Uphill Battle To Push APUSH Back” – by Merrill Hope —Breitbart Texas — http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/08/09/Ken-Mercer-The-Texas-Voice-In-The-Uphill-Battle-To-Push-APUSH-Back/
8.9.14 — “Child Abuse – Destroying Children’s Love for America” – Donna Garner –
http://www.educationviews.org/child-abuse-destroying-childrens-love-america/
8.7.14 – “New AP U. S. History: Greatest Americans missing from proposed curriculum” – by Rhett Miller — FoxNews.com — http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/07/historic-fail-greatest-americans-missing-from-proposed-curriculum/
8.6.14 — “Anti-American AP U. S. History Course & Links to APUSH Documents” –by Donna Garner —http://www.educationviews.org/anti-american-ap-u-s-history-links-apush-documents/
8.1.14 — “Chock-Full of Info – Saving America’s Youth” — by Donna Garner –
http://www.educationviews.org/chock-full-info-saving-americas-youth/
7.13.14 – “The New AP U. S. History Exam – Deal or No Deal?” – by Jane Robbins, Larry Krieger – Breitbart— http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/07/13/The-New-AP-US-History-Exam-Deal-or-No-Deal
7.10.14 – “Update on AP U. S. History” – by Peter Wood – Nat. Asso. Of Scholarshttp://www.nas.org/articles/update_on_ap_us_history
7.7.14 – “Look What the College Board Has Done to U. S. History” – by Peter Wood – Nat. Asso of Scholars — http://www.nas.org/articles/look_what_the_college_board_has_done_to_u.s._history
7.1.14 – “The New AP History: A Preliminary Report” – by Peter Wood – Nat. Asso. of Scholars —http://www.nas.org/articles/the_new_ap_history_a_preliminary_report
Here is what USED to be in the 5-page APUSH – Course Description – Effective Fall 2010 — Please go to pp. 7 – 12 to see the Themes in AP U. S. History.
http://womenonthewall.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ap-us-history-course-description.pdf
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Here is the link to the new 98-page, anti-American, 2014 APUSH – Course and Exam Description Including Curriculum Framework – Effective Fall 2014: http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-course-exam-descriptions/ap-us-history-course-and-exam-description.pdf
Please view The Concept Outline in the new 2014 APUSH on pp. 28 – 37:http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-course-exam-descriptions/ap-us-history-course-and-exam-description.pdf
Here are the Related Articles in the 2014 APUSH Course Content:
- Race and Citizenship
- C. Vann Woodward’s The Strange Career of Jim Crow
- The Origins of American Slavery
- Why Tea? The Global Story of the American Revolution
- Crossing National Borders: Locating the United States in Migration History
- America, the Atlantic, and Global Consumer Demand, 1500-1800
- Teaching the Introductory Survey: Insights from the College Board’s AP Survey
- What Is Gender History?
- Cold War and Global Hegemony, 1945-1991
- Rethinking American History in a Global Context
- From Rosie the Riveter to the Global Assembly Line
- The Declaration of Independence in World Context
- OAH-AP Collaboration: America on the World Stage
- State of the Field in U.S. History: The Progressive Era
- State of the Field in U.S. History: Teaching the 1917-1945 Period
- A College Professor Reflects on the AP U.S. History Reading
- Madam C. J. Walker and the Rise of the African American Entrepreneur
- A Forum for Student Historians: Interview with Will Fitzhugh
- Women Scientists of the Manhattan Project
- North Korea and the Legacies of the Cold War