Joanne Jacobs
Why was Rosa Parks told to move to the back of the bus?
Florida is approving new "anti-woke" social studies textbooks, reports Sarah Mervosh in the New York Times. Some publishers think the...
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Joanne Jacobs
- Feb 21
- 2 min
DC 2nd-graders will study gender roles in Rome, Aksum and China
Writing social studies standards is always controversial. Often they're vague and meaningless, but sometimes they're insanely detailed,...
Joanne Jacobs
- Feb 20
- 2 min
AP African American Studies: None dare call it 'systemic'
The new Advanced Placement African American studies course was revised after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called it anti-racist...
Joanne Jacobs
- Feb 3
- 2 min
It's only Schoolhouse Rock (but I like it)
I'm so old I don't know the words to Conjunction Junction. Schoolhouse Rock, animated musical shorts on grammar, history, civics,...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jan 16
- 1 min
'Letter from a Birmingham Jail'
"We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom," Martin Luther King Jr....
Joanne Jacobs
- Dec 13, 2022
- 2 min
We're not that far apart on how to teach our history
The "history wars" are a fight between "imaginary enemies" concludes More in Common, after surveying Americans. "Both Democrats and...
Joanne Jacobs
- Nov 23, 2022
- 2 min
Blamesgiving: Public schools teach that America is 'bad and broken'
Public schools have lost touch with their mission and purpose, writes Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise...
Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 12, 2022
- 3 min
Why Americans don't trust schools to teach history
"Americans are losing faith in the ability of public schools to teach controversial issues, writes Natalie Wexler. One person's "hard...
Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 2, 2022
- 2 min
We used to share a story about America, but not any more
New laws restricting how teachers can discuss "divisive issues" try "to impose a singular narrative of the United States, because —...
Joanne Jacobs
- Aug 26, 2022
- 1 min
Public trusts teachers, but not so much on racism or gender
Sixty-three percent of people trust local public-school teachers according to a new poll by PDK, an educators' group, reports Libby...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jul 18, 2022
- 1 min
Putin orders pro-war classes
Russian schools are watching war movies, taking "virtual tours" through Crimea and "celebrating Russia's 'rebirth' under President...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jul 17, 2022
- 2 min
Raising an American girl
My daughter never had an American Girl doll, because I was too cheap to spend that kind of money, even if each doll had a history back...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jul 4, 2022
- 2 min
Celebrate US
The City of Orlando's email promoting a Fourth of July fireworks display set off fireworks of its own with a sour jape: “A lot of people...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jun 11, 2022
- 2 min
Kids, you’re not ‘stamped’
Moshe K. Levy considers himself “pro-human” rather than “anti-racist,” he writes on FAIR’s site. So he’s not a fan of Ibram X. Kendi’s...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 17, 2018
- 2 min
Teach history, not ‘social studies’ units
Periodically, my eighth-grade teacher would fill the blackboard with everything we should “know” for the test. I remember “1777” (battle...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 13, 2018
- 1 min
What should every American know?
What should every American know? Aspen’s Citizenship and American Identity program is asking. The video features four immigrants talking...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 4, 2018
- 1 min
Educational videos don’t have to be boring
Screen time isn’t necessarily wasted time, writes Mike Petrilli. His 10-year-old son learned about Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who defended Korea...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 3, 2018
- 1 min
1/3 can pass U.S. citizenship test
When was the U.S. Constitution ratified? Which countries did the U.S. fight in World War II? Asked multiple-choice questions from...
Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 3, 2018
- 1 min
Return of the hero
“We live in an era where we knock down old American heroes for all their imperfections, when no leader wants to admit to fault or...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jul 23, 2018
- 2 min
AP for all: Does it help students succeed?
Kalan Houser took the AP World History at Port of Los Angeles High School in May. As more students take Advanced Placement classes, a...
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