Surprised this hasn't surfaced yet..

[TVKaleen]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/oklahoma-legislative-committee-questions-legality-of-advanced-placement-courses-in/article_2b257556-b62c-5a92-862e-8e9821a29bbc.html

All I have to say is WTF.

[SoonerProphet]

The Black Robe Regiment sounds like a solid group of nutters.

[TVKaleen]

How did this nutter and Kern end up on the same committee? And how did this get out of the committee.

[SoonerProphet]

Rod Dreher has a nice piece on this topic at AmCon

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/politicizing-history/

[FaninAma]

As a parent I am very proactive in being aware of what my children are taught in class especially during the pre-k to 12th grade levels. I think I am pretty open minded. (I do think evolution should be presented as a theory. I am not in favor of presenting the Biblical story of creation in schools unless it is a private religious school.) But, if I see something that is being taught to my kids that contradicts values and principles I am trying to instill in them I sure as heck will take it up with the school administration and schoolboard in a polite and civil manner.

I scanned the AP history course description and requirements in the link and looked at the test questions and I didn't see any objectionable material. Still, I think parents have a right to have input on what is taught to their kids. To counter any uninformed objections to a course we need more informed parents lending am informed, balanced voice to the local and state decisons on this matter....in other words, we need more parenteral involvement.

[TVKaleen]

My two best friends are both teachers at local high schools. Parental involvement alone isn't the answer. Every conference they get plenty of parental involvement from parents of kids who are failing or have bad grades. The involvement amounts to the parent blaming the teacher for the fact that little Johnny ain't doing **** in the classroom. When I was a youngster, if I received a bad grade I was to blame, not my teachers. Sadly, most parents treat school as just a 12 year free babysitter that takes off work during the summer.

[Curly Bill]

My two best friends are both teachers at local high schools. Parental involvement alone isn't the answer. Every conference they get plenty of parental involvement from parents of kids who are failing or have bad grades. The involvement amounts to the parent blaming the teacher for the fact that little Johnny ain't doing **** in the classroom. When I was a youngster, if I received a bad grade I was to blame, not my teachers. Sadly, most parents treat school as just a 12 year free babysitter that takes off work during the summer.

Yep!

[Soonerjeepman]

parent involvement needs to be done at the curriculum level as well. FIA, if evolution is taught as a theory then so should creationism....same thing...a theory...imho.

Kind of like global warming...and WHY it's happening....there are plenty of folks on both sides of the argument. BUT you never hear about anything else besides it's man's fault and if we don't change we are all going to die. (this is on every child's science web site out there...every kids magazine as well)

[okie52]

Rod Dreher has a nice piece on this topic at AmCon

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/politicizing-history/

That is a good article.

[SicEmBaylor]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/oklahoma-legislative-committee-questions-legality-of-advanced-placement-courses-in/article_2b257556-b62c-5a92-862e-8e9821a29bbc.html

All I have to say is WTF.

Another GOP precinct chairman and I were discussing this just yesterday...

I clep'ed out of American history and got 2nd place (some damned kid from Lawton beat me) in the Oklahoma state history competition whereby one student from each school district represented the district in a chosen subject. I'd like to say I had some amazing competition, but our history curriculum was poor even before this ridiculous decision. We're really trying to rival the Texas State School Board for idiotic decision making, I see. Nonetheless, a few things to keep in mind:

1)The textbooks and lesson plans are dreadfully biased at times. My school didn't offer AP History, unfortunately, but our textbooks were always garbage. I remember one lesson in particular in which the textbook and my assistant-wrestling coach teacher taught that McCarthy was a member of HUAC and that he dragged innocent entertainers before his committee and ruined their lives. The second part of that is true enough, but McCarthy wasn't a member of HUAC because HE WASN'T A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE! More to the point, HUAC was responsible for much of that excess not McCarthy himself nor was his Senate committee. I pointed that out , but I was told it "didn't make a difference." And don't even get me started on Lincoln or the American Revolution.

2)Local districts ought to have the right to determine what courses they offer their students within broad guidelines as to how many units of each subject are required for graduation set by the state. The state should issue the broad guidelines while the local district decides what courses are offered in order to meet those guidelines. The state shouldn't be able to stop a district from offering any course they wish.

3)The individual AP teacher should have more power to create and set their own curriculum despite the fact that the College Board is responsible for setting curricula. How much they change the class curriculum should be balanced with the need to ensure their student's success on the AP exam.

4)It astounds me that my state would take away an opportunity for students to learn in somewhat more rigorous classwork that encourages, hopefully, critical thinking skills which can even lead to earning college credit. Shame on the state for trying to limit that opportunity.

[TVKaleen]

Another GOP precinct chairman and I were discussing this just yesterday...

I clep'ed out of American history and got 2nd place (some damned kid from Lawton beat me) in the Oklahoma state history competition whereby one student from each school district represented the district in a chosen subject. I'd like to say I had some amazing competition, but our history curriculum was poor even before this ridiculous decision. We're really trying to rival the Texas State School Board for idiotic decision making, I see. Nonetheless, a few things to keep in mind:

1)The textbooks and lesson plans are dreadfully biased at times. My school didn't offer AP History, unfortunately, but our textbooks were always garbage. I remember one lesson in particular in which the textbook and my assistant-wrestling coach teacher taught that McCarthy was a member of HUAC and that he dragged innocent entertainers before his committee and ruined their lives. The second part of that is true enough, but McCarthy wasn't a member of HUAC because HE WASN'T A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE! More to the point, HUAC was responsible for much of that excess not McCarthy himself nor was his Senate committee. I pointed that out , but I was told it "didn't make a difference." And don't even get me started on Lincoln or the American Revolution.

2)Local districts ought to have the right to determine what courses they offer their students within broad guidelines as to how many units of each subject are required for graduation set by the state. The state should issue the broad guidelines while the local district decides what courses are offered in order to meet those guidelines. The state shouldn't be able to stop a district from offering any course they wish.

3)The individual AP teacher should have more power to create and set their own curriculum despite the fact that the College Board is responsible for setting curricula. How much they change the class curriculum should be balanced with the need to ensure their student's success on the AP exam.

4)It astounds me that my state would take away an opportunity for students to learn in somewhat more rigorous classwork that encourages, hopefully, critical thinking skills which can even lead to earning college credit. Shame on the state for trying to limit that opportunity.

Hell.. I'm jealous. You made it to McCarthy? We didn't even get past WW1 in my AP class back in 1985 or 86.. a long time ago. Somehow I still scored a 5.0 on the test.

And I'm thinking that there has been extreme pressure applied to the guy who wrote this bill based on the following article:

http://m.newsok.com/okla.-lawmaker-reworking-advanced-placement-bill-says-he-supports-ap-program/article/5394536

[dwarthog]

Rod Dreher has a nice piece on this topic at AmCon

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/politicizing-history/

Excellent read.

Thanks for posting that link.