Published with permission of the author. A similar piece ran as an Op-Ed in the Rochester Post-Bulletin on September 7, 2021.

“I must study war and politics so that my children shall be free to study commerce, agriculture and other practicalities, so that their children can study painting, poetry and other fine things.”

― John Adams

The Minnesota Department of Education reviews and revises standards for our public schools’ curricula on a 10-year rotation. This year, new Social Studies standards are being prepared for implementation in 2023. Draft 2 was released and comments were accepted during August. How do they look compared to the 2011 Social Studies standards? In a word, pathetic.

They both cover subject areas called “strands”: Citizenship and Government, Economics, Geography, and History. The new draft adds Ethnic Studies. John Adams didn’t see that one coming.

They both use “standards” to describe concepts to be covered. For example, “The civic identity of the United States is shaped by historical figures, places and events and by key foundational documents …”

They both use “benchmarks” as lessons to be taught in support of a standard. For example, “Describe symbols, songs and traditions that identify our nation and state.”

The number of standards is cut by 3/5. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as they can be broad concepts and seven of the current standards are used for only 1 or 2 benchmarks.

Three of the strands had their standard counts cut in half. History standards are down from the current 23 to the draft’s four. That’s terrible not just on quantity but quality. Current standards mention events such as the American revolution. The draft standards mention none. Instead, they’re squishy: all about diverse views. For example, “Recognize diverse points of view and develop an informed awareness of how our positionality (i.e., gender, race, …) influences historical perspective.” Yes, perspectives vary and can matter but actual things actually happened.

The American revolution shows up only in benchmarks for comparing its impact on different groups, examining perspectives of different kinds of people, interpreting the founding documents in terms of whose voices were absent, and discussing the American and Haitian revolutions. Apparently, we’re one of a panoply of nations who have revolted. Nothing special to bother learning about. The Founders are never mentioned.

Currently, the most-used standard (for 25 benchmarks) is:

“The United States government has specific functions that are determined by the way that power is delegated and controlled among various bodies: the three levels (federal, state, local) and the three branches (legislative, executive, judicial) of government.”

In the draft, the most-used standard (for 41 benchmarks) is:

“Use historical methods and sources, inclusive of ethnic and Indigenous studies …, to understand and reflect upon the roots of contemporary social systems and environmental systems of oppressions and apply lessons from the past to eliminate injustice and work toward an equitable future.”

Oppression. Injustice. Equity. Starting in kindergarten. For those of you who don’t know, today’s equity is not equal opportunity. It’s equality of result: an absolute impossibility without coercion and notions of fairness pushed down from powerful elites. The standard speaks of oppression (presumably as something to avoid) but encourages equity that will require oppression or gaming (as with Rochester Public Schools’ discipline disparity).

Our Founders gave us a unique and extraordinary gift. We know and understand the adages about two sides to every story and the victors writing history. But our country is about much more than oppression and positionalities. We know this because it’s the biggest immigration magnet in forever. And that’s not due to ethnic studies.

The draft standards are as contemptible as the country its writers think they see. That country is not real. Yet.

—Bruce Kaskubar

P.S. There’s a Viewer for seeing and searching the standards elsewhere on this web site.

updated 15Sep21 12:20 pm CDT: changed data table to charts