This week, Florida Governor, Ron Desantis, came out to declare that he would prohibit AP Black History, a new course from College Board, from being taught in schools. Republicans and education will be another topic to discuss on this blog, but for now I want to focus on what students are learning in school, and why I think it is outdated.
I come from a very small town in Chester County Pennsylvania. My high school was ninety percent white. I lived in a bubble, not being exposed to different perspectives, cultures, or ideas, and like many Americans, I was not exposed to these new ideas in my K-12 education. A survey from the Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy, revealed that out of 27 states that are home to Native tribes, only 43% of them require Native American history to be taught in schools, and 28 do not require any learning of Native American history. This lack of education shows. Another survey revealed that about 78% of Americans admit they know little or nothing about Native Americans.
The American education system is flawed for many reasons, one of the biggest being how poorly prepared students are to become fully functioning citizens after graduation. Understanding how our government works requires a foundational understanding of history, so how can a student be prepared to participate in our democracy if their view of history is completely one sided?
Another area where I think our curriculum is failing is sex education. In high school, my health class was sufficient, for me as a straight person, but I do not think that I could say the same for my LGBTQ+ classmates. We learned about male and female anatomy, contraception, healthy vs. unhealthy relationships, etc. However, any discussion of contraception and safe sex was strictly discussed through a heterosexual lens, and this seems to be the norm for many American high schools.
According to an article in USA today, 39 states and Washington D.C require sex education, but only 18 states require that this information is medically accurate. On the other hand, only 11 states require any information about LGBTQ+ to include “inclusive content in regards to sexual orientation.” Even worse, five states allow for negative information to be taught about homosexuality, or to even push heterosexuality.
I wanted to write my blog about education in the United States not only because my parents are teachers, but also because I believe that a person’s education is one of the single most important experiences in their lives. I think that a lot of our issues in the United States today in regard to race, sexual orientation, as well as women’s rights, can be attributed to generations of Americans not being properly informed during their time in school. Unfortunately, the statistics show that our education system is still lacking in diversity today, and therefore these issues may continue into the future.
While I do not know the ins and outs of the AP Black History course that has sparked debate, the fact that it is sponsored by College Board, I can be pretty certain that it is not “political propaganda.” I really hope that this course is able to get into schools across the country, especially Florida, and I hope that Native American history, and LGBTQ+ sex education become essential parts of curriculum everywhere.
While I was aware of the disparities that form between what is taught and accurate information, the statistics helped visualize the issue and realize how severe it really is. I found it particularly shocking that only 18 states require sex education to be medically accurate, as the basis for this information should be based on medical facts and truths. I absolutely agree with your stance and think the inaccuracies in diversity are a major issue throughout American schools and needs to be better addressed.
Hey Jackson! My name is Lianna and I’m in the 10AM section of ENG 138T. I also attended k-12 in Chester County, PA (I went to Avon Grove High School), so I relate to feeling as though my education has not been particularly diverse. I had no idea there was a new AP Black History course, much less that there was so much controversy over it. I completely agree with your points on Native American education and sex ed in schools. Something that has recently been brought to light for me is that because curriculums often refer to native and indigenous people in the past tense, they do not recognize that these groups of people are still very prominent today, which causes a perceived lack of relevance in many unfortunate cases. This lack of education about native people and their cultures is one of the largest underlying issues in conservation right now, and I really resonated with what you had to say on the matter. Good luck in the rest of your semester!