Last edited Sat Dec 28, 2024, 10:56 PM - Edit history (1)
And you clearly don't get the point, nor have you acknowledged the facts.
I work in the field, too, and have done so for 40 years. I've seen the deterioration of civics and social studies education, the reduction of objectives. I've served on two state committees where state objectives in social studies were removed, and where requirements were lessened to make room for more technical objectives, and to shorten the school days. I was one of just two votes against doing that both times. When I started, a standard school day was 7.5 hours, all but 45 minutes of it being instructional time. Now the average is 6 hours, 5.25 instructional time with courses like band and art counting as instructional time.
Social studies teachers can only do the job with the materials and time they are given. It's not enough. My proposal, which has been sent to the state DOE several times, includes grade level social studies objectives starting in Kindergarten, with basic American history objectives taught in the early grades, world history with racial equity and inclusion in 4th and 5th, and going back to American History with Civics and constitution, along with geography, in 6th 7th and 8th. In high school, 9th grade is a year of American History from Columbus to the Civil War, 10th is Economics and World Civilization, 11th is American History from the Civil War to the Present, and 12th grade is American Goverrnment/Constitution.Political Science. And that's only four high school credits.
I taught in two states, and that's how it was until common core knocked the social studies requirement back. In the former state where I taught, it was down to 2 required credits, in the current one, its just 3. And they are basic, introductory courses, nothing requiring a level of analysis or critical thinking. But I encourage my teachers to supplement heavily.
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