Will Real History Return to Ohio’s Government Schools?

“It saddens me to think, why would the state favor these new fifth grade standards over the old ones?”

That was the lament of a fifth grade teacher commenting on Ohio’s newly adopted social studies curriculum. Unlike the document it replaced, the new model social studies/government curriculum, drafted in November 2010, makes no mention of the U.S. Constitution. It does, however, suggest the use of Yertle the Turtle, by Dr. Seuss, to introduce the concepts of democracy, dictatorship and monarchy.

During a visit this year to a history classroom at Strongsville High School, I was happy to see the Bill of Rights printed on the chalkboard. That is, until I noticed that the Second and Third Amendments were not included. Asked about the omission, the teacher explained that he only had to teach what was in Ohio’s curriculum.

“These things infuriate me,” said Ohio’s House Majority Whip John Adams, R-Sidney, who has introduced a bill to re-emphasize the teaching of America’s founding documents in the school curriculum. “There is a complete lack of understanding about the founding of our country. It’s just frustrating.”

Hopefully House Bill 211, which Adams introduced on April 26, will begin to reverse the disrespect of our nation’s history by our government education system. Rep. Mike Dovilla, R-Berea, who represents Strongsville and the 18th District, is a co-sponsor.

The bill will require the proper study in grades four through 12 of historically significant documents – specifically the Declaration of Independence, the Northwest Ordinance, the U.S. Constitution - with an emphasis on the Bill of Rights and the Ohio Constitution. The study of each of the documents, the bill says, shall include study of that document in its original 18th century context.

Insights into the founders’ intentions when drafting those documents would be investigated by studying documents such as the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers, which argued for and against the ratification of the Constitution.

“In other words we don’t want revisionism of what those documents mean,” Adams said.

Adams said the study of these documents has recently been diminished in the standards and curricula developed by the Ohio Department of Education during the previous administration.

“We can’t expect our children to understand and defend the rights and freedoms the Founding Fathers intended for us—and that many people have died for—if they don’t have an understanding of how these documents led to the system of government we have today,” he said.  “By giving these young people an understanding of our heritage, we are better preparing them to be active and productive citizens down the road.”

Adams said the concerned fifth grade teacher quoted above brought the issue to his attention after comparing the previous state standards with the new ones.

Even if the bill passes, Adams admits that political bias can filter into the classroom.

“I don’t think we can ever get around somebody in a classroom putting their own spin on these documents - even in the original 18th century context,” he said. “We can’t be in every classroom and watch what goes on, but the verbiage of the bill is pretty concise and I hope it doesn’t get watered down. Some members of the Senate have said they don’t like our provision that requires a quarter unit of time dedicated to studying the founding documents. But if this isn’t mandatory, what should be? I am going to fight tooth and nail that it stays just as it is. The more support we get putting pressure on people within the legislative process, the better off we’ll be.”

HB 211 can be found at http://tinyurl.com/3wo3rej.