Oklahoma GOP legislators seek to ban AP course and require students to read Reagan speeches instead
This is what happens
when you let partisan legislators dictate public school curriculums.
“The bill, authored by Oklahoma Rep. Dan Fisher, designates a total of 58 documents that “shall form the base level of academic content for all United States History courses offered in the schools in the state.” Many of the texts are uncontroversial and undoubtedly covered by the Advanced Placement U.S. History course, such as the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and Gettysburg address. But … [i]n addition to 3 speeches by Reagan, the curriculum … includes a speech by George W. Bush but nothing from any Democratic president since Lyndon Johnson.”
Conservatives all over the country have been making a concerted push to take over public schools. In Colorado, a rogue school board’s attempt to politically manipulate the curriculum sparked walkouts and protests by hundreds of students and teachers, and conservatives loudly objected to another school district allowing students to watch a speech by President Obama. Why??? He’s the nation’s elected leader, for God’s sake!
This is dark, ugly, and menacing. It’s bad enough that America’s adult population is bitterly polarized along partisan lines. Now, rightwing extremists want to drag America’s schoolchildren into their schoolyard political fights. That’s beyond the pale.
