Politicizing Curriculum

Last week, I got forwarded an email from a University of Vermont student with "Meeting with Principle [sic]" as its subject line. This student is the state director of an organization called Teach Against Genocide (TAG). Its mission is to "pass state-level legislation which directs school boards to incorporate genocide education into public school curricula."

The email proposed to meet with our school principal in order to find ways to make educators part of the process.  "I know that mandated curricula is a sore subject among teachers, but that is precisely why I am working so diligently to make sure that they play a defining role and have a final say in the legislative language."

Read into that: "Come listen to me, a UVM student who can't spell, cram this curriculum down your throats."

Comments

[Anonymous]

Angry Vermonter-
Hundreds of thousands of people are dying for no good reason and Americans have little to know knowledge of it. It is our responsibility as members of an international community to, at the very least, be aware of what is happening-what has happened-and what will continue to happen unless we take a stand for humanity. If you are going to criticize, please make a legitimate argument rather than words of indifference.

Sincerely,
That Student...

[Curtis Hier]

There was more to the post that, unfortunately, didn't get published due to a glitch. Here's the rest:

There are plenty of things wrong with public education, but lack of genocide education is not one of them. Students are thoroughly exposed to the concept of genocide with such literary assignments as Night by Elie Wiesel and The Diary of Anne Frank. A Google search for "genocide curriculum" turns up 198,000 related sites, and "holocaust curriculum" yields 289,000 results. Vermont's Framework of Standards includes genocide specifically. So, genocide education is already mandated curriculum.

My students are already well familiar with both genocide and holocaust as concepts. What they can't do is conjugate verbs, do long division (or short division), and spell the title of our school's head administrator. While genocide is potentially more serious, Vermont's students are more likely to encounter, on an individual and daily basis, verbs, math problems, and occasionally the principal.

It is not wise to politicize one's curriculum. Social studies curriculum should not become a battleground for special interests. Currently in the United Kingdom, Jews and Muslims are having it out over whether the Holocaust should be dropped from that country's official curriculum.

TAG is an organization that should feel free to promote its cause. But asking for a legislative mandate is not the way to go. Our legislature's education committees are busy enough making snowboarding the state sport and taking away school choice from pregnant teens.

"Angry Vermonter-
Hundreds of thousands of people are dying for no good reason and Americans have little to know knowledge of it. It is our responsibility as members of an international community to, at the very least, be aware of what is happening-what has happened-and what will continue to happen unless we take a stand for humanity. If you are going to criticize, please make a legitimate argument rather than words of indifference.

Sincerely,
That Student..."

Little to know knowledge. After "principle"... And "That Student" wants to set the curriculum. With proof they shouldn't be let near it.

Absolutely hilarious.