The Ohio K12 Social Studies Wars

Since the start of the 2021 Legislative session on January 4th, there have been a substantial number of bills introduced in the Ohio Statehouse concerning what students learn in K-12 social studies. These political “turf wars” are nothing new, as special interests and competing camps on both the right and left battle over what history and social studies content should be taught in classrooms (Evans, 2004). For instance, did you know that under the Ohio Revised Code it is illegal for Ohio students to learn World History before American History in school? While many of you may know Ohio students complete high school graduation exams in American History and Government, did you know it is illegal for the state to administer an exam in World History?

Some of these proposed bills censor or push nationalistic propaganda or half truths, and appear as nothing more than cheap political talking points used by politicians to score points on the backs of kids, families, and professional educators, for re-election or to advance political office. As the popular saying goes, every senator sees a future president when looking into the mirror. While the content prescribed within these bills differs, only one bill includes state funding for teacher social studies professional development of new instructional resources for compliance. All too often  ill informed and politically charged mandates and requirements are saddled on K12 social studies teachers, with the disdain of extending little to no state funding included for its implementation. Thus, teachers are left having to pay out of their own pockets for their own professional development and classroom resources for compliance on these misguided bills. 

Current bills specifying what students learn in K-12 Ohio social studies classrooms include the following:

• House Bill 616 criminalizes and outlaws the teaching of LGBTQ+ content and the teaching of divisive concepts. This is modeled after Florida's "Don't' Say Gay Bill", and outlaws conversations on divisive concepts such as race and gender. 
• House Bill 327 prohibits the state’s social studies educators from “teaching or advocating divisive concepts” on race, color, nationality, or sex in the classroom.
• House Bill 322 which outlaws and bans the use of Critical Race Theory in social studies, and makes illegal mandates for social studies teachers to discuss controversial issues or current events.
• House Bill 529 mandates teachers publish their syllabi, all instructional materials and activities used, which includes textbooks, reading materials, videos, digital materials, websites, online applications (“apps”), and any other materials used for instruction a year ahead of time. While this Bill is applicable across all subjects, proponent testimony is mostly grounded in the teaching of history and social studies.
• Senate Bill 1 which requires social studies teachers to have a newly created state endorsement, in addition to a state social studies license, to teach a financial literacy course required of high school students for graduation
• Senate Bill 68 mandates the creation, adoption, and local use of a statewide model curriculum in grades nine through twelve on "proper" interactions with peace officers during traffic stops and other in-person encounters with peace officers. Most districts are expected to embed this mandate in American Government, Street Law, or civic courses.  

• House Bill 73, which blends the teaching of American History and American Government to prepare learners for a combined American History and Government state high school graduation exam. Many in education believe this would result in a “Super American Studies” course.

The bills above double-down on the state’s conservative political agenda where traditional American History, American Government, the Founding Documents, and Personal Finance account for up to 83% of the learner’s social studies instructional time. 

Other subjects like World History, Global Studies, Geography, Ethnic Studies, Black History, Sociology, Psychology wage battle for the remaining 17% of instructional time scraps for electives. The state’s social studies curriculum does little to prepare its youth to engage new perspectives and learn about the bulk of the world’s population, 96% lives outside of the U.S. Anyone else find irony in Ohio trying to create a world-class education system without actually teaching about the world and its people? It is disappointing that in the midst of a historic global pandemic, where one nation acting alone cannot tackle this or any other global issue, our state has built walls and barriers to true global learning. After all, social studies is the subject most at the center of preparing youth for citizenship education for an increasingly global and multicultural society.

Holocaust Memorial @ Ohio Statehouse. The Holocaust is taught in World History Learning Standards

In my graduate and undergraduate courses, in social studies education, we explore the different “camps”, philosophies, and movements that defined the teaching and learning of social studies in the nation’s schools. Obviously, the content we teach children, especially, in history and social studies, has and will be contested. Key debates include: Should social studies focus on the traditional disciplines of History, Geography, Government, and Economics? Or, should there be a more integrated approach, somewhat of a “social stew”, that blends these disciplines when exploring social issues and movements? What about using the social studies classroom to promote American exceptionalism and national allegiance or social justice and global/multicultural learning?

The political tailwinds of a deeply contested 2020 election, and conservatives' rejection of using social studies to help prepare youth for an increasingly global and multicultural future, are stamped all over these four bills and the state’s curriculum. Republicans have dominated the Ohio Statehouse, and their respective Primary and Secondary Education subcommittees. With victory comes its toils as conservatives set out to write/rewrite what students learn in social studies classrooms. 

History has shown our nation’s social studies classrooms are a foothold in enacting a political agenda focused on what future citizens should know, think, and believe. Look no further than the State of Ohio as proof.

Social studies teachers, don’t forget to get your copy of the Ohio Learning Standards in Social Studies, which include your very own “Make America Great Again” hat.

-- Updated on 6-11-2022

Global Education in the Age of Donald Trump, Brexit, and Rising Nationalism

Was I wrong? In 2009, I wrote in my dissertation that nations and their people are increasingly connected to a complex global system which there was and is no retreating. However, recent events like the Brexit, the rise of Donald Trump, and increasing nationalism around the world (i.e. China, Saudi Arabia, France, Brazil, Germany, etc.), could make one reconsider such a statement. Maybe, as Ross Douthat in the New York Times puts it, “From now on the great political battles will be fought between nationalists and internationalists, nativists and globalists.” Judging from today’s political climate one could easily argue the nationalists/nativists have the upper hand.

As I was flying into China to begin my stay as a visiting faculty member at Henan University, mind you to help faculty promote global perspectives in their teaching, I came across two NY Times editorials on Globalism, one from the far left and the other from the middle right. ThomasFriedman (6-29-2016), a long time defender of globalism and free markets, tried to make sense of the Brexit and the rise of Trump. Friedman notes that “The pace of change in technology, globalization, and climate [has] started to outrun the ability of our political systems to build the social, educational, community, workplace, and political innovations to keep-up.” As a result of governmental failures to ensure these institutions keep pace, many citizens have been displaced, dislocated, and frustrated by these global forces.”  Instead of politicians focusing on the problem of offering meaningful solutions on how systems can be better reformed and adequately funded to ensure successful integration politicians focus on easier, weaker pray; namely, immigrants and globalism.  Friedman correctly argues, globalism and multiculturalism have built the world’s most prosperous and powerful states in the 21^st Century. They attract the best talent, investment, and are the most stable. Instead of allowing these global and multicultural forces to destroy us and pull us part, key reforms should be made to use these forces (Globalism and multiculturalism) to promote global growth, stability, and peace.

In the same NY Times Edition, Senator Bernie Sanders (6-29-2016) explains why workers and the middle-class have turned their backs on Globalism and the EU by voting to Brexit. Sanders blames voters’ decision on their observing the richest in the country accruing great wealth, while experiencing a declining standard of living. Because of misguided policies and a lack of governmental regulation, Sanders notes Globalism has left the middle and lower class and their families further behind. Instead of making Globalism work for everyone, Sanders states, “the world’s economic elites (top 1%) now owns more wealth than the whole of the bottom 99%.” Vast income inequalities have resulted in frustration and rejection of an unfair global economy that seems rigged to only protect the wealthy and corporate interests. While Sanders doesn’t acknowledge the great gains that have been made through Globalism in alleviating global poverty in the developing world, he is quick to point out how workers in many developed countries have been displaced and affected through unfair trade policies. Senator Sanders argues, much like Friedman, for not throwing the “baby out with the bathwater” but better reforming the international system to protect all workers and their families, the environment, and to slash global gains in military spending.

"Reforming the international system to protect all workers and their families, the environment, and to slash global gains in military spending"

Was I wrong in my 2009 assertion, like many others that claimed nations and their people are and forever will be increasingly connected to a complex global system which there was and is no retreating? Instead of viewing Bexit, the rise of Donald Trump, and increasing global nationalism as a rejection of Globalism I agree with Friedman and Sanders in that it’s time we do Globalism better; namely, we reform our institutions to better reflect the increasingly global and multicultural world we live in. This means undertaking important governmental and grassroots reforms to ensure youth receive a high quality global education so multicultural citizenries in all nations are better prepared to protect workers and their families, our environment, and to promote peace and sustainability. This is the message stakeholders must take away from Brexit, the rise of Donald Trump, and rising nationalism. 

Unlike any other time in the course of human history our world needs educators that are prepared to teach with, about, and for a more just world (Maguth & Hilburn, 2015). Global educators understand how people, places, businesses, and governments are connected across the world. When politicians present easy answers like “keep all the Muslims out”, “build higher walls”, or “withdrawing from the global community” youth that have been grounded in a global education by their teacher ask the tough, hard-hitting questions in order to push back.  These youth understand that building walls and spewing divisive rhetoric against the most vulnerable in our society are never the answer, and instead opt to build bridges of understanding and engage in constructive diplomacy. Our world faces many serious challenges (i.e. alleviating global poverty, ensuring access to clean water, combating global extremism, ensuring gender equality, etc.) and instead of retreating or hiding, shouting hateful names, and pointing fingers, youth grounded in a global education see strength in our diversity and work endlessly for a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world for everyone. Now more than ever, the times demand global educators.

  

Note: This post was written while serving as Visiting Scholar at Henan University in Kaifeng, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China.