Tim Walz appeases Education Minnesota

Here We Go Again: Round Two

By Ramblin’ Rose

Every ten years in Minnesota, another set of academic standards is revised. The only role that the legislature plays is to approve the schedule for such reviews. The governor appoints the panel; they issue a draft for public comment; they prepare another draft to present to the Commissioner of Education who signs it and presents it to a law judge for approval. Our elected representatives NEVER participate in the process.

That process started about the time of the pandemic for the social studies academic standards in Minnesota. Walz called for applicants (who knew about the invitation?) and appointed the participants, many who had served on other panels for/with him. The first draft (32 pages) was released in early December. The comment period for the public was again not widely publicized. Local news media did not cover the story at all.

Those that watched the panels’ presentation online in late March heard the members state that they had received 13,000 comments but were not following them since they had their own vision. Their visionary draft trashed US history, eliminated nearly all historical events, identified the nation as racist, incorporated many elements of the Critical Race Theory, added benchmarks about indigenous people in MN—far beyond the percentage of Native Americans in MN.

Much later than the anticipated approval by the law judge in May 2021, the second draft was just now released (all 168 pages). The public comment period ends on August 16th. Citizens may respond via email or surface mail to the Commissioner of Education. (Details found at: https://www.americanexperiment.org/comments-needed-second-draft-of-social-studies-still-alarming/) The process has been delayed by public reactions. Let’s hope that the public can have an even greater impact now. Some historical events (WWII and the Holocaust) have been re-added to the standards.

So, what is in the second draft?

Minnesota state statute includes history, geography, economics, and government and citizenship as social studies. An attempt was made to include Ethnic Studies in the K-12 education omnibus bill but failed. That did not stop the committee. They have illegally included Ethnic Studies as the fifth strand of social studies. The language of the second draft portrays this study as oppression and marginalization and not as the means to understand multiple perspectives.

As in the first draft, this draft presents: (themes and examples)

• Negative View of America: Students learn of the imperialism and colonialism, of exploitation and genocide by our nation
• Oppression & Identity: Students learn that their self-concept centers on race, gender and oppression, not on historical or current facts
• Lack of Native American Balance: 61 benchmarks focus on the role of Native Americans in MN history; 21 standards in 6th grade deal with indigenous peoples—making MN history almost completely Native American history in MN
• Current Politics: In 2nd grade, young children learn about the presumed “Big Lie” of the 2020 election; in 7th grade, the rights of immigrants (stated in biased terms)
• Ethnic Studies (newly added): Topics are presented in terms of oppression and marginalization

Even though the standards are not designed to be curriculum—curriculum is decided by local school districts—the standards and benchmarks are often perceived to be the guide for curriculum so that students will be able to pass the MCAs and pass to the next grade, to pass entrance exams for postsecondary education, to ensure continued state funding to the local government-supported schools.

Please read the standards or at least summaries of the standards and benchmarks. Sign the petition to the governor. Send a letter (personal) to the committee and the Commissioner to instruct and not indoctrinate our young people.

Wisdom from the Spanish philosopher George Santayana and repeated by many US statesmen: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” We pray that that is not the future of our own children and their children.

Do your part now and participate in the review and the comment period.