N.C High Schools to Remove Pre-1877 U.S. History?

FoxNews.com ^ | February 3, 2010 | Molly Henneberg

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• How U.S. History is taught could change in N.C.
• North Carolina Schools May Cut Chunk Out of U.S. History Lessons

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You have only half the story. The TEA, which oversees primary and secondary education, issued a statement on the facts.

“The Fox Network in recent days has repeatedly broadcast highly inaccurate information about the State Board of Education’s efforts to adopt the new social studies curriculum standards,” the board had made clear that it’s not considering eliminating references to the Christian holiday.

The board’s Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills review committee recommended replacing Christmas and Rosh Hashanah with the Buddhist and Hindu holiday Diwali as examples of significant religious holidays.

When the board met in September, it made clear that those holidays would be put back in — and they were restored in the committee’s October revision. Upshot: The board isn’t considering removing Christmas from the list of holiday examples.

What about starting the teaching of American history in 1877, leaving out the drafting of the Constitution in 1787 and decades of events after that?

Texas has long spread its teaching of history over several grades. The Texas Education Agency said: “Texas has and always will teach U.S. History from the beginning until present day. U.S. History through Reconstruction is taught in eighth grade... U.S. history since 1877 is taught in 11th grade.”

The board has never considered removing the Constitution from history textbooks or the state’s curriculum.

So there was some smoke, but no fire.