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social studies

Oklahoma announces a “complete overhaul” of its social studies curriculum. The state is relying on an “A-List Executive Review Committee” of conservative activists

John Fea   |  July 11, 2024

Here is the Washington Examiner: Oklahoma’s top education official is overhauling the state’s social studies curriculum to emphasize American exceptionalism to combat what he says is left-wing messaging that teaches children to “hate America.” In a document obtained by the Washington Examiner, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction […]

More questions about Cornerstone University’s decision to fire humanities professors

John Fea   |  June 23, 2024

Not familiar with this story? Get up to speed here and here and here. Cornerstone University is trying to refute our claims that it has eliminated all arts and humanities programs. In an interview with MinistryWatch blogger Warren Cole Smith, Cornerstone spokesperson Heide […]

American Historical Association: “Media accounts of a politically charged war for the soul of social studies are overblown”

John Fea   |  May 22, 2024

I missed this piece when it was first published in Time back in March. It is written by Jim Grossman of the American Historical Association and three AHA researchers. A taste: For the past half-decade, amid overheated rhetoric contesting the […]

Sam Wineburg’s Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) is leaving Stanford and becoming a non-profit

John Fea   |  November 9, 2023

Big news for K-12 history teachers! The Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) is “spinning out of Stanford University” to become the Digital Inquiry Group (DIG), an independent nonprofit organization. Here’s more: Here are some frequently asked questions that I took […]

Episode 116: “Historical Thinking for a Democracy”

John Fea   |  August 22, 2023

If you’ve listened to this podcast over the years you know that we champion “historical thinking” as one of our best hopes for sustaining and preserving American democratic life. In this episode we talk with Zachary Cote, the Executive Director […]

8th grade U.S. history scores continue to decline

John Fea   |  May 6, 2023

Here is Sarah Mervosh at The New York Times: National test scores released on Wednesday showed a marked drop in students’ knowledge of U.S. history and a modest decline in civics, a sign of the pandemic’s alarming reach, damaging student […]

Does Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States” make students hate America?

John Fea   |  September 25, 2021

As longtime readers of this blog know, I have my issues with Howard Zinn‘s A People’s History of the United States. I stand by what I have written about this book over the last decade or so. We’ve covered him […]

Department of Education proposes “priorities” for American History and Civics programs

John Fea   |  April 20, 2021

You can read the document here. These priorities may influence who gets federal money for American history and civics programs and who does not. The Department is soliciting comments on these proposed priorities. The American History and Civics Education programs […]