Arkansas historians criticize Governor's endorsement of social studies
Gov. Mike Beebe expressed support Monday for the state's new public school social studies curriculum, which some Arkansas historians say shortchanges the teaching of state history.
Spokesman Matt DeCample said Monday that Beebe won't back the Arkansas History Education Coalition's call for a one-year moratorium of the new curriculum. The governor also refused to create a special committee to study the revision process.
Beebe believes the new curriculum, which incorporated previously freestanding elementary Arkansas history requirements into the larger social studies curriculum, gives students a better grasp of the link between state and national historical events, DeCample said.
"The Department of Education put a lot of work into these guidelines, and the idea is to let them go into effect and see how they work for us," DeCample said.
The Arkansas Curriculum Frameworks define what students must know in major subject areas such as math, English and science. Individual school districts design their curricula based on the frameworks. Arkansas Department of Education officials must revise all frameworks at least every six years. The new social studies frameworks go into effect this fall.
Beebe's decision came two days after the coalition and a number of other disgruntled educators requested his support at a Saturday news conference in Little Rock.
They claim the new frameworks will water down Arkansas history instruction in two ways: The new frameworks combine the study of social studies and Arkansas history at the elementary level; previously, there were separate frameworks for each. The group believes teachers will stop teaching Arkansas history at the elementary level because the standalone frameworks no longer exist. Social studies and Arkansas history frameworks are separate at the secondary level. But critics say new world history demands in junior high school force schools to bump a required one-semester Arkansas history course to high school.
Because Arkansas history isn't a graduation requirement, the educators argue few students will take the course. Plus, there are no existing Arkansas history texts written specifically for high school students, they claim.
Jeannie Whayne, chairman of the history department at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, said Monday that she was surprised and disappointed with how quickly Beebe reached his decision....
Spokesman Matt DeCample said Monday that Beebe won't back the Arkansas History Education Coalition's call for a one-year moratorium of the new curriculum. The governor also refused to create a special committee to study the revision process.
Beebe believes the new curriculum, which incorporated previously freestanding elementary Arkansas history requirements into the larger social studies curriculum, gives students a better grasp of the link between state and national historical events, DeCample said.
"The Department of Education put a lot of work into these guidelines, and the idea is to let them go into effect and see how they work for us," DeCample said.
The Arkansas Curriculum Frameworks define what students must know in major subject areas such as math, English and science. Individual school districts design their curricula based on the frameworks. Arkansas Department of Education officials must revise all frameworks at least every six years. The new social studies frameworks go into effect this fall.
Beebe's decision came two days after the coalition and a number of other disgruntled educators requested his support at a Saturday news conference in Little Rock.
They claim the new frameworks will water down Arkansas history instruction in two ways: The new frameworks combine the study of social studies and Arkansas history at the elementary level; previously, there were separate frameworks for each. The group believes teachers will stop teaching Arkansas history at the elementary level because the standalone frameworks no longer exist. Social studies and Arkansas history frameworks are separate at the secondary level. But critics say new world history demands in junior high school force schools to bump a required one-semester Arkansas history course to high school.
Because Arkansas history isn't a graduation requirement, the educators argue few students will take the course. Plus, there are no existing Arkansas history texts written specifically for high school students, they claim.
Jeannie Whayne, chairman of the history department at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, said Monday that she was surprised and disappointed with how quickly Beebe reached his decision....