What I don't understand is the insistence the APUSH fit "common core". APUSH is supposed to be a college class. Your district is right in the fact that they don't HAVE to teach it, although it clearly would be to the detriment of the students. From what I understand AP course is a framework and a test. Districts & states can implement the course however they want.
One of the problems with the old APUSH is that it wasn't like any college course that I know. Their objection is "George Washington, Jefferson and a full understanding of our founding principles are on the way out." Well there is a lot more to US History than the founding fathers. And that students needs to learn U.S. History of the past 100 years as well. The problem with the old APUSH is that covering 300 years of US History to any depth in a year it unrealistic for most students. Perhaps districts should require a H.S. survey course for their graduation requirements and turn APUSH into an optional 2nd year.
What I found interesting is the emphasis on H.S. History as the study of the founding fathers. My son is taking regular US History in California. Clearly our requirements for the class are different with Texas requirements. Regular US History in CA if officially from Reformation (post Civil War) to present time. They are doing a unit of "review" to start but don't even taken much time on the Civil War. The assumption is that students learned about Colonial times through Civil War in 8th grade and 5th grade. Do kid in Texas not learn about U.S. History before H.S?
Last edited by bluemagic; 09/21/14 07:24 PM.
