Early Nebraska Education Standards Draft Causes Stir for Making Global Warming Fact and Excluding Founding Fathers

An initial draft for social studies standards in Nebraska public schools has created quite a stir as the curriculum allegedly excluded the Founding Fathers, important historical dates and American Exceptionalism, while advocating global government and global warming as fact. Omaha.com reports on the initial draft of standards released in April which must be adopted by nearly 250 school districts:

The initial draft contained broad directives such as making sure high school students can “analyze and evaluate the impact of people, events and symbols upon history in the United States and abroad.”

That draft put greater emphasis on personal finance and called for teaching students to look at history from multiple perspectives.

The draft also encouraged students to “engage in appropriate civic activities” such as advocating for personal rights, the rights of others and influencing government action.

Nebraska Board of Education member John Sieler, a former Republican Party official, told Omaha.com that the initial draft standards suggested that all cultures and beliefs are equivalent, giving the example that an Afghanistan woman being shot to death before a crowd of men after being accused of adultery is not equivalent to America beliefs. Seiler also stressed to Fox News Radio his concern that the drafts did not emphasize the positive effects of capitalism and free market enterprise.

“We need to say free market enterprise is good,” he said. “Socialism is bad. To me, it’s black and white."

Donlynn Rice, the state’s administrator of curriculum, instruction and innovation, reminded Fox News Radio that the draft is “not a completed document.” When asked about one of Seiler's specific concerns, Rice did say that she was not sure if the term “American exceptionalism” is in the draft.

“We’re talking about the importance of understanding different cultures,” she said. “We certainly want students to be aware there are many different cultures both in our country and across the world.”

The revisions in state social studies standards will be the first since the 1990s. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that the Board of Education has urged members to as open as possible as they revise the standards, a process that the Journal Star reports has generated more interest than previous revisions of language arts, math or science standards. Before finalized the draft will be sent to outside education groups for review and posted on the departments website. The final draft of standards is expected to go to the board in October, when it will hold a public hearing.