Tennessee Ed Board Won’t Condemn ‘Revisionist’ AP History Exam

A Global Studies class of 10th and 11th graders work at Bedford Academy High School on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013 in New York. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott held a press conferenc... A Global Studies class of 10th and 11th graders work at Bedford Academy High School on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013 in New York. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott held a press conference at the school to announce a record high Advance Placement (AP) and SAT exam scores for students city-wide. At Bedford Academy the number of students taking the SAT quadrupled since last year and tripled for AP since 2006, according to a press release statement. "About 98 percent of our students are going to college," said principal Adofo Muhammad, " But we won't be satisfied until it's a hundred." (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) MORE LESS

The Tennessee Board of Education declined to adopt a resolution denouncing the controversial new AP U.S. History course framework, The Tennessean reported this week.

In September, two Republican Tennessee state senators urged the education board to address the new AP exam, which conservatives have condemned as “radically revisionist.”

Republican state Senators Dolores Gresham and Mike Bell asked the board to review the new curriculum.

The board held a discussion on the test on Thursday. Conservative activist Jane Robbins along with the conservative Tennessee Eagle Forum asked the board to adopt a resolution in which the board expressed “official disapproval” of the new AP U.S. history exam.

Although the board held a discussion with advocates on both sides of the debate, the board did not take any action. They said that the discussion filled the legislative requirement set by the state senate.

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  1. Avatar for ottis ottis says:

    So put that in your pipe and smoke it! I guess the board of education is not as nuts as the repug senators.

  2. If it’s too much even for Tennessee, would it be safe to say we might have reached peak wingnut? ***

    ***Nope. Peak wingnut can never be reached. There’s an infinite supply.

  3. I’m so tired of our history being ruled by mythology. It’s time to have absolutely fact based history curricula.

  4. The idea that history should be taught with an editorial slant is nothing new. I’d guess that many people become politicized to some degree when they realize for themselves that America is not the country that never fights bad wars, never does anything at the behest of major corporations, and never, ever forced any aboriginal Americans from their native lands.

    So now the wingnuts are crying because the College Board has removed some of the “slant” from the history books. Too bad. The right wing is totally opposed to education. All they want is indoctrination. Next thing we will see is some group trying to start an American version of “Hitler Youth”.

  5. I guess the wingnuts in Tennessee don’t want their smart kids to get college credit for a college level course. The board was smart enough to realize the AP end game hurts Tennessee kids. Good for the board.

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