Sen. Kruse (317-232-9400) has introduced SB 117 which mandates certain content for U.S. History courses in Indiana schools. The bill is up for second reading on Monday. In particular, it requires schools to teach “the structure of state and federal governments, including the role of separation of powers, the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution, and the Federalist Papers.” It also requires the school to administer “the United States Civics Test prepared by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.” Schools could choose whether test results are tied to credit in the course.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
I don’t have a problem with any of these items in particular. I see value in knowing the structure of state government, the structure of federal government, the role of separation of powers, the Bill of Rights, and the Federalist Papers. However, as an initial matter, I don’t like the General Assembly micromanaging the school curriculum.
Next, it’s hard to escape the feeling that Sen. Kruse is trying to put his thumb on the scale of what the kids are taught in order to promote a particular view of federalism. Whether that’s his intent or not, the text of the legislation provides a lot of flexibility. I might be inclined to spend a lot of time talking about how, in the pre-Civil War period, Southern states were enthusiastic supporters of the Fugitive Slave Act which required the federal government to go into anti-slave states that weren’t observant enough of the slave states’ laws permitting white people to own black people. That, in fact, the federal government’s lackluster intrusion into the business of the free states was a major theme in secession declarations. And that, historically, a declared love of federalism has often been pretext for resisting civil rights legislation.
I do like the idea of kids having to take the immigration test. It might give them an appreciation of their own citizenship and the responsibilities that ought to come with it.
The trouble is that teachers aren’t judges on social studies at all. There is nothing in ISTEP or any of the tests the feds nor state mandates that covers this. As a result there is no incentive for this to be taught.
I agree that this is valuable information to learn but all the focus is on language arts and math. Nothing for science or social studies and we are poorer for it.
Al of these things are taught in every high school Government class in Indiana – as well as in many other levels. A student not knowing it – or rather believing it – or practicing it – all difficult to judge. And frankly, the day that state legislature could pass such a test is a day we haven’t seen. Yes, let’s micromanage every moment of the day.
I don’t know if you were thinking about these questions, but you can take a 100 question test at citizenshipstudyguide.com and also my.uscis.gov. See how you do if you have 20 or 30 minutes. It would certainly address the problem of civic ignorance if kids had to pass it to graduate. It would certainly bring a lot of respect for new citizens.
Unless principals somehow monitor what is actually taught in social studies classes, Kruse’s demands are not really enforceable. As gizmomathboy has pointed out, the micromanaging legislature has not chosen to include social studies in the state test and there is no cutoff in the publically available test. Such attempts constitute nothing but bluster, so the legislature should just stay out of curriculum. I suspect social studies teachers will continue to teach what they believe is sppropriate to the stidents in ways they believe are most effective and good principals will stay out of the way, Mr. Kruse’s hamhanded attempts notwithstanding. Supporting this law is like supporting God mother and apple pie.
I saw on the Indianapolis Business Journal today hat the Cursive Writing bill passed the Senate. But the article said that House Leader oppose the bill as micromanagment.
Experience is supposed to teach us something, but these people haven’t learned that when they mess around in education they mess it up. I guess they do this because they believe that when one is elected, one is immediately endowed with the wisdom of the ages, and besides, if one goes through K to 12, that’s all you need to know to speak with authority on education. But the old wisdom says that just because you stand in a barn, it doesn’t make you a horse.