Every educator I know wants to give our students a complete education that will let them pursue their dreams, no matter what they look like or where they were born.
That’s a difficult job in normal times, but now we’re all trying to recover from the pandemic and return this fall stronger than before. Unfortunately, some groups are making it harder for everyone.
On June 19 this newspaper published an essay by Scott Hennen about a seminar by the right-wing advocacy group Center of the American Experiment.
Apparently, Hennen heard some nonsense about what’s taught, or not taught, in social studies classes. As a 7 th-grade teacher, I can assure Moorhead parents that I teach the Civil War, both World Wars and the Holocaust.
Hennen may have been intentionally fooled by the center’s campaign to misrepresent a pending update of the state’s standards for teaching social studies, which includes a broader look at Minnesota history.
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The center seems more interested in spreading disinformation and stirring up racial resentments than presenting an accurate look at what schools are doing to give every student an equal chance at success.
That’s too bad. We’re educating the leaders of tomorrow, who need to learn our shared past to understand the present and shape a better future.
From now on, I hope writers will ask a local teacher before repeating wild stories about their schools. It’s an easy step toward improving our civic conversation and frustrating those trying to divide us by race and place.
Jeff Offutt lives in Moorhead.
This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.
