National survey shows Kentuckians have 2nd worst knowledge of history
Proposed Social Studies Standards won’t fix it, either
It’s really sad. The Herald-Leader just reported how our state flunked a U.S history test in its article, “So why was Ben Franklin famous? Kentuckians flunk test of U.S. history knowledge.” The article is based on a recent report from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation that shows Kentucky ranks second to lowest for history knowledge based on questions given to applicants for US citizenship.
Per the Woodrow Wilson study, almost 3 out of 4 Kentuckians (71 percent) flunked.
What’s worse, the proposed changes to Kentucky’s public school social studies standards, which include the subject of history, offer no hope that things will improve.
You see, the proposed standards exhibit an almost complete disregard for important historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Woodrow Wilson (also mentioned in the Woodrow Wilson Foundation’s report) and many, many more.
It’s just unbelievable. It's true that you can’t make Franklin memorable with bad instruction. But, you certainly can’t make him memorable if you don’t mention him at all.
Once you consider that the proposed social studies standards revision also completely ignores many, many other important people such as Abraham Lincoln (honest – he is nowhere mentioned), Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (also AWOL), and other key Americans like Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers, you begin to understand that some of the 71 percent of the Kentuckians who could not pass the Woodrow Wilson test just might have had a hand in writing the vacuous standards the state is now being asked to accept as the central guidance for everything our kids will learn about social studies, history included.
The Kentucky social studies standards revision is currently in a public comment period, and it is time for every Kentuckian to speak out and demand better. To learn how to do this, click the “Read more” link.
The public comment period for the regulation that incorporates the new social studies standards by reference, 704 KAR 8:060, Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies, has started and is scheduled to run through the end of March. Here is where you can send your comments on the regulation and the standards it will incorporate:
Via E-Mail: Deanna.Durrett@education.ky.gov
By post:
Deanna Durrett, General Legal Counsel
Kentucky Department of Education300 Sower Blvd., 5th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601.
Because all public comments must be considered by the Kentucky Board of Education, you might also want to address them, as well. The board’s joint mailing address is:
Kentucky Board of Education
c/o Kentucky Department of Education
501 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
Individual board member e-mail addresses are found here.
If you want more information about these very weak social studies standards, here is a comment paper with a lot of information.
You can see the actual social studies standards as approved by the Kentucky Board of Education early this month by clicking here.
Also, we have a constantly growing series of blogs for you about this problematic set of standards. Find those by entering the term “Social Studies” in our search feature at the top right of the blog page and click the “Search” button.