Tavares, FL August 7, 2014 This page is at: http://tinyurl.com/on3xwcc
SEE Updates section below for newest information - updated Aug. 13, 2014
Note: I have been following Common Core and all the problems for three years, so I am rather biased against it and the architect, David Coleman, so this factsheet page focuses on his new attempts to revise the AP US History exams to be liberal indoctrination tools. I am trying to confirm all the "facts" flying around, and just had a meeting with the head of Academics for the Lake County School District (FL - near Orlando)
This is a work in progress. Return to find updates. This factsheet focuses on APUSH, but you can see my separate Common Core Factsheet here: www.tinyurl.com/HaltCommonCoreNow
Vance Jochim [email protected]
The widely criticized Common Core architect David Coleman is now doing an apparent end run to modify the curriculums of the Advanced Placement US History (APUSH) exams provided by the College Board. After mucking up Common Core, Coleman is now running the College Board and has "alligned" the SAT tests with Common Core.
Now, rather than go through a process to get an approved liberal version of US History courses and textbooks, he is revising the AP US History EXAM controlled by the Common Core, forcing AP US History teachers to modify their teaching to comply with the new indoctrination approach.
The internet erupted with articles about this new tactic by Coleman about mid-July, and the issue is filling many of the blogs, Facebook pages and websites run by anti-Common Core groups.
Here is our collection of resources in no particular order. I will insert the most important APUSH resources at the top of this document.
HERE is the MODIFIED 142 page APUSH "2014" course and exam description as of August 6, 2014. Just received on August 6. There is no publication date or revision number but on the back cover are these numbers: 130085459 and 13b-7787 .
Download Ap-us-history-course-and-exam-description
You can also download the above booklet directly from the College Board APUSH page HERE.
An earlier version apparently had 98 pages and was used in early critical articles, and the 2010 version (the old APUSH standards) had only 6 pages.
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This is the original National Review story that kicked off the investigations into APUSH
Original NationalReview.com article by Stanley Kurtz on "New War Over High School US History
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/382400/new-war-over-high-school-us-history-stanley-kurtz
This group, Women on the Wall, is posting almost daily on Facebook on APUSH - several links to videos
https://www.facebook.com/WomenOnTheWall.org
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Updates to this Factsheet
August 5, 2014: APIA List of resources and actions to stop implementation of APUSH - includes link to archive of audio of July 7, 2014 major teleconference on APUSH
August 6, 2014 - A national Women on the Wall teleconference on APUSH was held, and you can listen to the Soundcloud audio recording HERE. (Recommended - 90 minutes)
August 11, 2014 - RNC (Republican National Committee) issues two resolutions - one supports anti-Common Core activists, the other (below) defines many actions to delay and revise APUSH - Here is what we have so far:
Background on APUSH (Advanced Placement US History exam) offered to high school students by the College Board.
The APUSH exam was last revised in 2010. The new version, championed by Common Core architect and College Board CEO David Coleman, has caused an eruption of concerns and complaints from parents and conservatives over a perceived liberal bias and removal of traditional US History elements.
(Note: See our Factsheet on APUSH at http://tinyurl.com/on3xwcc )
Resolution on APUSH – demands a one year delay of the implementation of the new APUSH exams.
APUSH stands for the Advanced Placement US History exam provided by the College Board for high school AP students. The students take the popular AP courses to earn college level credits while still in High School. The architect of Common Core, David Coleman, is CEO of the College Board and there is recent, significant controversy over apparent liberal changes to the US History Curriculum and exams which will be effective in school semesters starting in September, 2014. The “College Board” is a non-profit organization and is not a government agency.
- The RNC requests the College Board DELAY implementation of APUSH for at least a YEAR.
- The RNC recommends a committee be convened to draft a new APUSH exam to follow “true history”.
- The RNC requests that state legislatures and the US Congress investigate this matter.
- The RNC requests that Congress withhold any federal funding to the College Board until APUSH has been rewritten “IN A TRANSPARENT MANNER”.
- The RNC also requests that revised sample exams be made available to educators, state and local officials and the public (Coleman restricted the controversial revisions and review copies were hidden, just like he did with Common Core).
- The RNC will deliver a copy of this resolution “to every Republican member of Congress, all Republican candidates for Congress, and to each Republican state and territorial party office.”
The RNC has NOT published confirmation data of the resolutions on their website and I am waiting for confirmation. However, the APIA (American Principles in Action) conservative group published an analysis and another group, the Eagle Forum, published the resolution texts.
Here is the full text of the APUSH resolution as supplied by the Florida Eagle Forum:
Resolution Demanding Implementation Delay, and Rewrite, of AP U.S. History Framework
WHEREAS, almost 500,000 U. S. students take the College Board’s Advanced Placement U. S. History (APUSH) course each year; and
WHEREAS, the APUSH course has traditionally been designed to present a balanced view of American history and to prepare students for college-level history courses; and
WHEREAS, the College Board (a private organization unaccountable to the public) has recently released a new Framework for the APUSH course; and
WHEREAS, the new APUSH Framework reflects a radically revisionist view of American history that emphasizes negative aspects of our nation’s history while omitting or minimizing positive aspects; and
WHEREAS, the Framework includes little or no discussion of the Founding Fathers, the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the religious influences on our nation’s history, and many other critical topics that have always been part of the APUSH course; and
WHEREAS, the Framework excludes discussion of the U. S. military (no battles, commanders, or heroes) and omits many other individuals and events that greatly shaped our nation’s history (for example, Albert Einstein, Jonas Salk, George Washington Carver, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Tuskegee Airmen, the Holocaust); and
WHEREAS, the Framework presents a biased and inaccurate view of many important events in American history, including the motivations and actions of 17th-19th-century settlers, American involvement in World War II, and the development of and victory in the Cold War; and
WHEREAS, the Framework describes its detailed requirements as “required knowledge” for APUSH students, and the College Board admits that the APUSH examination will not test information outside this “required knowledge”; and
WHEREAS, because the Framework differs radically from almost all state history standards, so that APUSH teachers will have to ignore their state standards to prepare students for the AP examination, the Framework will essentially usurp almost all state history standards for the best and brightest history students; and
WHEREAS, the College Board is not making its sample examination available for public review, thus maintaining secrecy about what U. S. students are actually being tested on;
RESOLVED, the Republican National Committee strongly recommends that the College Board delay the implementation of the new APUSH Framework for at least a year, and that during that time a committee be convened to draft an APUSH Framework that is consistent both with the APUSH course’s traditional mission, with state history standards, and with the desires of U. S. parents and other citizens for their students to learn the true history of their country; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, the Republican National Committee requests that state legislatures and the U. S. Congress investigate this matter; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Republican National Committee request that Congress withhold any federal funding to the College Board (a private non-governmental organization) until the APUSH course and examination have been rewritten in a transparent manner to accurately reflect U. S. history without a political bias and to respect the sovereignty of state standards, and until sample examinations are made available to educators, state and local officials, and the public, as has long been the established practice; and be it
FINALLY RESOLVED, that upon the approval of this resolution the Republican National Committee shall promptly deliver a copy of this resolution to every Republican member of Congress, all Republican candidates for Congress, and to each Republican state and territorial party office.
Note: The above APUSH resolution was written and submitted for approval by Tamara R. Scott, National Committeewoman for Iowa
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Aug 4, 2014 - WND.com article on Apush
Aug. 4, 2014 Website opposenewapstandards.us
http://opposenewapstandards.us/
Open letter to David Coleman on APUSH
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Aug 4, 2014 - CWFA.org List of APUSH resources Concerned Women for America
REALLY GOOD review of APUSH, links, Action lists
http://www.cwfa.org/resources-new-ap-anti-u-s-history-curriculum-framework/
List of APUSH action items - very detailed and good
Soundcloud audio on APUSH - posted by Women on the Wall
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Aug 5, 2014 - Texas Mom, Marijane Smitherman, audio testifies against APUSH
Compared 98 page version of revised College Board curriculum to 2010 standards (see the newer 142 page version linked above)
Her kids have taken 41 AP classes.
She compared older 2010 curriculum vs new 98 page curriculum
Went from 6 pages to 98 pages. See this video of her testimony before the Texas Education Dept.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq04TyqpLs0
Changes in theme content - new is "peopling"
Change in historical periods
Was from pre-Columbian and in chrono order
New outline is NOT chrono and each section mixed up and repetition
Change in events covered. 2010 was very specific.
2014 much more vague, have to use index.
Change in historical events covered. No Thomas Edison, battles, etc.
No WWII atrocities of Hitler.
Direct change of view of American National Character
- old used bravery, hope, perseverance
- new is negative biases - very disturbing
- APUSH is not another choice. There is no other advanced history curriculum.
- Has 1.2 multiplier - parents pay about $65 for kids to take each AP test
Q&A
She has not talked to College Board
"I feel like this is anti-semitic - does not teach history the way it happened"
"Concerned we just finished May with current exam, but can't use old materials for new class in five weeks"
"Says the Constitution was written for elites"
Referencing author Charles Beard who was biased author
30 teachers resigned recently over the expectation that AP and English and Social studies will be merged and will lose focus.
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Here is a collection or references created by Karen Effrem of FLstopcccoalition.org and sent to me on July 30, 2014.
"Here are the documents and articles that I was able to find from Jane Robbins of the American Principles Project and the Georgia Stop Common Core site. The highlighted links are actual documentation and analysis with quotes of the course and exam description. Hope these help."
- APUSH Fact Sheet
- The Redesigned College Board AP U.S. History Framework- 10 Key Questions and Answers
- Comprehensive review of the revisionist history standards (GPS and AP Framework)
- Georgia APUSH Resolution (Resolution - Demanding Implementation Delay, and Rewrite, of AP U.S. History Curriculum Framework)
- AP United States History Course and Exam Description
- Analysis of the College Board AP U.S. History Framework (A Review of Advanced Placement Policy Documents), Larry Krieger
Web articles:
- College Board’s ‘Flexibility Doctrine’ in AP U.S. History Exam for Optics Only, 7-22-14, Robbins and Krieger
- KEENE: Editing out an enlightened history of America- Liberal scholars indoctrinate students with a view of a nation built on dark motives, July 16, 2014, Washington Times
- TX Board of Ed Member: “This is Our Valley Forge, Our D-day”, Texas SBOE member Ken Mercer is leading the charge to get the Texas SBOE to adopt a resolution demanding that the College Board delay the rollout of the new AP U.S. History Framework.
- Common Core Architect David Coleman's Next Deception: The New AP U.S. History Exam, Dr. Susan Berry, Breitbart
- Jane Robbins with CBS’ Dick Morris on History Test Changes (great audio interview)
- Op-Ed: The ‘Stealthy’ Plan to Infuse HS American History with ‘Sharply Left-Leaning Curriculum’ — and Its Common Core Connection, The Blaze
- New War Over High School U.S. History, Stanley Kurtz
- The College Board’s Attack on American History, Robbins and Krieger
- New Advanced Placement Framework Distorts America’s History, Robbins and Krieger
- Yes, the New AP Framework Does Distort U.S. History (response to the College Board’s defense against the preceding article)
- Ronald Reagan and the Cold War, Jane Robbins
- D’Souza’s America and Our Schools, Stanley Kurtz
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RECENT articles on APUSH - newest ones on top
Aug 7, 2014 - Fox News article on memo sent to College Board head David Coleman to delay APUSH
March 25, 2014 - A major thinktank, the Heartland Institute, published this analysis of the APUSH revisions, going through all the section. So this existed before many of the articles listed on this page.
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Groups focused on Opposition to Common Core and now Opposing APUSH
FACCE - Floridians Against Common Core Education Facebook Page
Facebook page: Stop 2014 AP US History - FL APUSH
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APUSH Related Conferences, video and audios
August 6, 2014 - online teleconference on APUSH
Call the number below and then enter the access code and reference number.
Playback number: 530-881-1099
Access Code: 632867#
Reference number: 1#
Here is another, easier source for the above conference
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Documents Provided by the Lake County, FL School District to FiscalRangers.com during the week of Aug. 7, 2014 to describe what they and their APUSH teachers had been told by the College Board about the APUSH revisions
to be added here on Aug. 9.
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More to be added
