This Boston Herald story
This Boston Herald story laments the state of U.S. history instruction. I have never understood the way our public schools teach history. On this year’s NAEP, 4th graders were expected to have covered everything from the colonial period to Martin Luther King, Jr. If they spent more than one day on the Bill of Rights, I’d be astonished. How are kids expected to learn what it means to be an American when we spend so little time and effort on the most important documents and thoughts in our history? The “I have a dream” speech is great; the history of the AIM (American Indian Movement) is somewhat important; Teapot Dome is a sad commentary about the state of politics at the time. All of these pale in comparison to an understanding of the rights and responsibilities that come with being an American.