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teaching history

Why do we HAVE to study history?

John Fea   |  July 30, 2021

I love this:

What do Americans really think about critical race theory?

John Fea   |  July 23, 2021

According to an Reuters-Ipsos poll 43% of Americans said they are “familiar” with critical race theory. 30% have never heard of it. Other findings from this poll: 24 % of Americans know about the 1619 Project. 22% know about the […]

A North Carolina anti-critical race theory bill that makes some sense

John Fea   |  July 9, 2021

North Carolina House Bill 324 forbids K-12 teachers from teaching: One race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex. An individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, […]

Ed Ayers: The history classroom is a “community of trust”

John Fea   |  July 6, 2021

University of Richmond historian Ed Ayers recently visited a high school history classroom. He reflects on what he saw here. A taste: I recognized in those two sessions what I had learned four decades ago when I started teaching history: […]

Florida history teacher: “I do not teach critical race theory”

John Fea   |  June 30, 2021

Jessica Morey teaches African-American history, Advanced Placement U.S. history, A.P. U.S. government, and economics at St. Francis Catholic High School in Gainesville, Florida. She says she does not teach critical race theory. In a recent piece at The Gainesville Sun, […]

Scholars respond to legislative efforts to restrict education about racism in American history.

John Fea   |  June 16, 2021

I currently serve as Vice President of the Conference and Faith and History. (I become president in the Fall). I am proud to say that the Conference is one of the scholarly organizations who are condemning laws limiting teaching on […]

Historian Steven Mintz reimagines the U.S. survey

John Fea   |  June 8, 2021

There is a lot in this piece at Inside Higher Ed. Here is a small taste: What should we do? The first step is to clarify, in our own minds, what students ought to get out of these survey courses. […]

Florida senator Rick Scott introduces a resolution condemning critical race theory

John Fea   |  June 8, 2021

More of the same. Indiana’s Mike Braun and Tennessee’s Marsha Blackburn are also on board. Here is the text of the resolution. Expressing the sense of the Senate that Critical Race Theory serves as a prejudicial ideological tool, rather than […]

Biden dumped Trump’s 1776 Commission, but its members are still meeting

John Fea   |  May 22, 2021

If you are not familiar with the 1776 Commission, get up to speed here and here and here. Here is The Washington Examiner: The education advisory commission set up by former President Donald Trump will resume operations despite being disbanded by President Joe […]

Texas is trying to whitewash its history

John Fea   |  May 21, 2021

One of these days I will try to put together a list of state education boards trying to change their history curriculums so that students do not come face to face with the many sins of America’s past. Texas will […]

What did anti-1619 Project U.S. senators learn about race from their school textbooks?

John Fea   |  May 13, 2021

The Root just published excerpts of U.S. history textbooks used in schools attended by the thirty-eight Republican senators, including majority leader Mitch McConnell, who recently signed a letter criticizing the New York Times 1619 Project and critical race theory. Here […]

Oklahoma is trying to ban the teaching of critical race theory. What does this mean for how U.S. history is taught in the state?

John Fea   |  May 1, 2021

Here is Janelle Stecklein at The Ada News: A bill attempting to ban the teaching of “critical race theory” in Oklahoma’s public schools cleared the Legislature Thursday. House Bill 1775, which also bans mandatory gender and sexual diversity training for […]

Mitch McConnell petitions Education Secretary to remove the 1619 Project from federal grant programs

John Fea   |  April 30, 2021

The 1619 Project is in the news again. Here is Ryan Nobles at CNN: In a letter obtained by CNN, the Republican leader asks Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to abandon curriculum in American schools that McConnell argues tells a revisionist history of America’s […]

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 […]

Fannie Lou Hamer webinar for teachers

John Fea   |  April 8, 2021

Current‘s Managing Editor Jay Green, will join Chris Burkett and Sarah Beth Kitch on Saturday, April 10, 2021 for a webinar on civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. The webinar readings include: Testimony Before Congress, Fannie Lou Hamer, 1964 Voting […]

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