Donald Trump, a man who is noted for his ignorance of history, signed an executive order the day before the election to create a “1776 Commission” to establish guidelines for “patriotic education.” The commission was established as a counterpoint to the New York Times’ 1619 Project, which told the story of African Americans in the colonies and the nation.
Although Trump surely did not read the 1619 Project, he somehow gleaned that it detracted from the all-white, all- male history that he imbibed at his military school. While he doesn’t remember it, he does know that it portrayed America as a nation that was blameless and pure. He wants to assure his base that he will fight to protect white paternalism and privilege. Whatever his commission comes up with, it’s unlikely to affect curriculum, which is decided by states and textbooks.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Great, because I know when I sit down to plan instruction and write a unit, the first question I’ll ask myself is “How does this square with the curricular mandates of a certifiable moron?”
So yeah, sounds good.
Trump just issued another worthless piece of paper with his name on it.
It is not about patriotism. It is not about what the United States of America stands for. It is all about Trump. Trump does not have a patriotic bone in his body. This piece of paper is all about making the Proud Boys, White Supremacist, etc., and making them happy.
Hopefully your are right, Diane. Maybe the states will have the intestinal fortitude to decide what should be in the books our children read and learn from when it comes to patriotism.
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education.
Not to worry too much about the bloated rhetoric in this executive order (EO).
Trump does not write these EOs. At best he understands the gist of them and their political value in stirring enthusiasm in his white, male and non-college-educated base (If they pay attention and read these pompous pronouncements). Most of the EO’s are designed to grab a headline and perhaps a moment of attention from others who are likely to read and understand the premises and claims. Some are “actionable” policy statements offered by deep-pocket lobbies and lightly edited to fit the legal requirements of EO statements.
This EO is hot air. It was likely written by Bill Barr because it is perfectly consistent with several of his speeches, one at Notre Dame, the other at Hillsdale College and both complaining about “culture.”
This EO does nothing more than establish a Commission to recommend indoctrination into “natural law” as the founding principle for our nation. The indoctrination will be aided by the Secretary of Education, who is in charge of details and who must issue a report due a year after the convening of the Commission, which does not happen immediately.
This EO, dated Nov. 2, 2020 is nothing more than a late delivery of fuel for Trump’s culture wars conducted from hot air balloons. This one makes claims about natural law as the founding principle for the nation, as if that principle is free of controversy. Natural law is apparently favored by Catholic doctrine and selectively by evangelical Christians. https://academic.oup.com/cb/article/25/2/154/5525410
In any case, Trump would have to change two federal laws to do anything more than launch this overblown rhetoric as if a serious proposal for indoctrination.
These are the laws:
Legal Restriction: “U. S. Congress. General Provisions Concerning Education. (2010, February). Section 438 (20 U.S.C. § 1232a). US Code TITLE 20 EDUCATION CHAPTER 31, SUBCHAPTER III, Part 2, §§ 1232a. Prohibition against Federal control of education. No provision of any applicable program shall be construed to authorize any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system, or over the selection of library resources, textbooks, or other printed or published instructional materials by any educational institution or school system, or to require the assignment or transportation of students or teachers in order to overcome racial imbalance.”
Legal Restriction: Pub. L. No. 107-110, 115 Stat. 1425 (2002). Section 9527 ESEA amended by NCLB (20 U.S.C. § 7907(a).] Section 7907(a) is one of the ESEA’s general provisions contained in Title IX of the Act. It states: Nothing in this [Act] shall be construed to authorize an officer or employee of the Federal Government to mandate, direct, or control a State, local educational agency, or school’s curriculum, program of instruction, or allocation of State or local resources, or mandate a State or any subdivision thereof to spend any funds or incur any costs not paid for under this [Act]. 20 U.S.C. 7907(a).”
The blowhards of religious patriotism believe in indoctrination. They push authoritarian ideas and expect people will comply without thinking.
They ridicule authoritative knowledge based on study They shun critical thinking, and all Trumpsters undermine trust in wisdom gleaned from scientific inquiry.
They are enemies of public education.
My inner history teacher is dying inside. We were starting to get away from the “Rah rah patriotism of the 1950s textbooks and now we’re going back? Ugh. I’m feeling nauseous at the moment. Maybe this is why I finally walked away from teaching if THIS is going to make a comeback!
This is exciting! Maybe we can have a chapter on the guy from Knoxville that stood up to the Nazis and claimed Judaism.
More than likely, there will be tons about the economic expansion of the cotton south without mention of the forced re-location of over a million slaves or the aggressive removal of the indigenous people who lived there.
Late add-on to this post….and it will probably go largely unnoticed… but…
It’s probably time to create a national curriculum about the dangers posed by demagogues in democracies, since this is what we’re living through here in the U.S..
And, to liberals out there who are bemoaning the not-so-great election returns and wondering how we can compromise and appeal to more of Trump’s base…
Well, ponder these words from election evening…Senator-elect and TrumpistaTommy Tuberville of Alabama told his critics to “go to hell and get a job”… while 25-year-old Madison Cawthorn tweeted “Cry more, lib.” down in North Carolina. Cawthorn could be around in politics for a long,long time..
This is some of what we’re up against…testosterone-fueled, junior-highish (though sometimes locked and loaded) thuggery.
John… also late but add QAnon believers elected to Congress, and the following statement from Trump, issued before the legalese in his Executive Order trying to mandate his version of the truth about American history.
Among the claims:
‘’“President Trump has firmly stood against attempts to distort America’s history and taken action to promote patriotic education that celebrates the truth about our Nation’s history.” (Trump knows what is TRUE even though thousands of his his lies are well-documented ).
“In September, the President assembled the first White House Conference on American History to address these distortions.”
–The President has taken action to establish the National Garden of American Heroes, a statuary park that will memorialize our American heroes for generations to come.”
–The President took executive action to ensure that radicals who seek to destroy America’s heritage by tearing down our monuments are prosecuted to the fullest extent under the law.”
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-protecting-americas-founding-ideals-promoting-patriotic-education/
Remember that Trump’s strongest support is among white men, and voters without a college degree, rural residents and those who have said the government should put a higher priority on the economy even if it increases the spread of the coronavirus. Well…
WE DID IT !!!! The United States had 102,831 new coronavirus cases IN A SINGLE DAY on Wednesday Nov 5, 2020. Passing 100,000 is just for starters. Actually the count was 102,831 on Wednesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Today, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020 we had 16 states with their highest seven-day average of new cases since the pandemic began. These states are: Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wisconsin. Add the following states, which never ordered a state-wide stay-at-home-order: Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/05/health/us-coronavirus-thursday/index.html For trend-line graphs see https://twitter.com/COVID19Tracking/status/1324143873191370752
Trump still has a long time to do damage before the scheduled inauguration of the next president.
Yes, Laura, and the damage will just keep on coming…long past inauguration day.
If Republican leaders in Congress wanted to be real leaders right now, they’d meet with the Democratic side and issue a joint statement condemning Trump’s attack on our election process.
Fat chance of that! I’m certainly not holding my breath… There should be a book written about the Trump era called “Profiles in LACK of Courage.”
Down the road, in the future, the United States really needs some sort of Truth and Reconciliation Commission, akin to what South Africa used after apartheid.
Well, enough of this comment. We both get marked “late” on this one, ha, ha.
I have to go take my temperature and log on to the district’s website and attest to the fact that I am, indeed, healthy enough to stand in front of my students this morning.
Standing there, trying my best to explain just how UNhealthy our nation is at this moment.