Not AP History
Updates from Ms. Grant (via her own blog:)
A few clarifications and one correction, based on questions I’ve seen in my Twitter mentions.
Pretty jaw-dropping story from one of the islands of Puget Sound; an AP History teacher is writing his own version of U.S. History and handing it out to students.
Author and archaeologist (and parent) Rachel Grant tweeted out portions today. (Her bio says she lives on an island in our region.)
Here's the sections she tweeted that the teacher labeled, U.S. History Special Victims Unit and it includes Women in History, where he attacks Bill Clinton for affairs as well as Hillary (for staying with him.)
Then there is 1968-present: Tremendous Gains in Race Relations, but Trouble in Paradise.
Racist, sexist - this guy covers all the bases.
A few clarifications and one correction, based on questions I’ve seen in my Twitter mentions.
- The text I posted was copied from a 55-page packet called US History Special Victims Unit, not a textbook.
- Students were given the packet at the beginning of the school year and told it was meant to supplement the textbook and was information that could be on the AP exam.
- The students hadn’t yet been given any assignments based on the material presented in the packet.
- There are no citations anywhere in the 55-page packet.
- I do not know who the author of the packet is.
- The information isn’t presented as discussion points for consideration. It is presented as a summary of US History.
- The note at the end of 3rd excerpt I posted on Twitter appears to have been written by the teacher.
- In one of my Tweets I stated he taught my daughter’s AP World History class last year. I was incorrect, he taught her AP European History class. My apologies to her 9th grade AP World History teacher.
- My daughter attends a public school in Washington state.
- Much of the information in the packet is basic historic facts (without any citations). The biased parts tend to be in the recent history sections.
- I will not release the entire document.
- The packet was never submitted for approval to be distributed to students as supplemental material.
- Today the packet was recalled. It is likely that most of the students hadn’t read any portion of it yet (as mentioned above, no assignments had been given).
- The teacher has apologized to the students and acknowledged the material was unacceptably biased.
- The principal will be monitoring all materials distributed by the teacher.
- The principal sent a notice to all teachers last week with a reminder to keep politics out of classroom discussion and materials, except when being used as a lesson in critical thinking/presenting multiple sides.
- The school district is aware of the contents of the packet. They will be monitoring the situation and the teacher.
Pretty jaw-dropping story from one of the islands of Puget Sound; an AP History teacher is writing his own version of U.S. History and handing it out to students.
Author and archaeologist (and parent) Rachel Grant tweeted out portions today. (Her bio says she lives on an island in our region.)
Here's the sections she tweeted that the teacher labeled, U.S. History Special Victims Unit and it includes Women in History, where he attacks Bill Clinton for affairs as well as Hillary (for staying with him.)
Then there is 1968-present: Tremendous Gains in Race Relations, but Trouble in Paradise.
Racist, sexist - this guy covers all the bases.
Comments
Oh I see what her real problem is.
I will translate,
"As an unemployed archaeologist and hack writer, I know how important it is to erase embarrassing facts from our history especially when those facts harm my teams agenda."
Progressive wingnut
It's not clear from her tweets what Ms. Grant has an objection with. Is it the facts about Clinton's infidelities or those facts being included in the section about women?
What's most important is the fact Clinton was the second President to be impeached and he did embarrass the office along with setting up his wife to look like a fool.
The fact that she didn't leave him is a huge character flaw on her part.
As for the other stuff, I think the teacher is mostly guilty of trying to oversimplify a very complicated and emotional subject that is worthy of many books, not just a single chapter.
You calling the teacher a racist when it's unsubstantiated is poor form and would as so require for you to call the many black people having very similar views as racist too, are you prepared to call out the numerous black professors?
Progressive wingnut
You think what he wrote about African-Americans was just an "oversimplication?" No.
I certainly will call out anyone who writes drivel like this.
West
"The fact that she didn't leave him is a huge character flaw on her part."- opinion
"You calling the teacher a racist when it's unsubstantiated is poor form and would as so require for you to call the many black people having very similar views as racist too, are you prepared to call out the numerous black professors?"- racist
"Progressive wingnut"- not actually a progressive; conservative
-Seattle parent
- reject whitewashing
Irene
You are correct about students not having to take the test if they're enrolled in the class, and I think they can take an AP test even if they're not in a class (although I've never heard of that)
I've never heard of CB people showing up in a classroom, but have heard of programs and teachers at specific schools coming under some scrutiny for lack of coherent, focused curriculum. Or teacher training and lack of expertise.
However, that's a slow process. I hope local school admin & parents are already having words.
Sounds like this guy is busy burning bridges.
Let's not be all sexist, wingnut! Success in some industries - romance writing being one of them - is actually controlled by and defined by women. Pretty f-ing progressive.
- proud hack
My oldest child passed the AP U.S. History test without having taken a corresponding class. He's a history nerd though; he was getting all excited about John Jay and the Treaty of Paris when he was a first grader.
I've heard of kids passing AP Env Sci and AP Human Geo without taking a class. Those tests cover about a semester of material that some schools stretch into a year long class.
LisaG
Helen Schinske
My personal goal here is to ensure that all students enrolled in AP US History – or ANY history class – get a solid, unbiased education...To other parents, I ask that you take the time to review supplemental material teachers send home.
The irony. Some SPS classrooms deliver a biased education, it's just biased toward a far left ideology and unlikely to be challenged here in Seattle. K-12 students are considered a "captive audience" and public school teachers are supposed to avoid overt political bias, be it far left or far right.
-observer
Good Point
I am almost ready to write my thread on "equity" and this will be part of it.