Trump and Secretary Linda McMahon want to do something that is not only wrong but illegal. They want to mess with the history and social studies that are taught in the nation’s schools. They want schools to teach students only what is great about the U.S., while overlooking the shameful events of the past, like slavery, segregation, the forced removal of Native Americans from their homelands, discrimination against people because of their race, national origin, religion.
Federal law explicitly prohibits any attempt to influence the curriculum of public schools by any federal officer.
If you think it’s a terrible idea to whitewash history, take note of this chance to send a message:
Federal Dept of Education: Please Submit a Comment – Especially Social Studies Teachers – it is worth it. Federal Dept of Education is holding its public comment period for Sec. McMahon’s new supplemental priority, “Promoting Patriotic Education,” until this Friday. at 11:59pm Share your thoughts on why a “patriotic” education, especially as defined by the Trump administration, is harmful! As the National Coalition on School Diversity points out, this grant prioritization mobilizes deeply racist and harmful executive orders such as January’s Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling and March’s Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History
Here is where to submit the comment – look at the comment checklist
https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/ED-2025-OS-0745-0001
Diane Ravitch's blog 
You and I are both old enough to remember the real Republicans’ endorsement of school indoctrinations. Those Republicans saw public schools as an essential mechanism to turn immigrants into Americans. So, they used to be in favor of radical indoctrination and now they say they are against it. Actually I think they are lying GOP SOBs, who look at their imagined “liberal radical indoctrination” as a lever to get what they want. They care not a whit about the educational system, just about their power to change it.
Remember when they were going to abolish the DOE? Now they see it as an essential actor in society. These people cannot keep their stories straight, not surprising as they are making them up as they go.
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Steve,
They are not opposed to indoctrination. They want their kind of indoctrination, which they call “patriotic.” In other words, leave out the bad parts of our history. Bury the truth. Don’t face history honestly. We are always the good guys. Always. That’s the world view of the 1940s and 1950s. Turn back the clock.
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… oh, … and Christian Nationalism, too! Yep!
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Since Liberalism emphasizes individual liberty within a society that produces government by the consent of the governed through the voluntary exercise of the franchise, I suppose it is indoctrination. I am all for that.
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Done.
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One critique if I may.
You wrote: “They want schools to teach students only what is great about the U.S., while overlooking the shameful events of the past…”
When they talk about Making American Great Again, THEIR VERSION OF GREAT DOES INCLUDE (from the list above): “slavery, segregation, the forced removal of Native Americans from their homelands, discrimination against people because of their race, national origin, religion.”
They are not ashamed of that. They think the country was “great” right up to 1954 when Separate but Equal was no longer the law of the land.
Those shameful actions were embedded in State laws and after 1954, those and other acts were refuted by the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, IDEA, and other – all of which prompted the “anti-DEI” movement.
Congress admitted states as “slave” and “free” states (Missouri Compromise). States (Missouri) passed laws that prohibited teaching black children to read (Act of February 16, 1847, § 1, 1847 Mo. Laws 103).
If a law is “on the books” – it is bona fide history! (And systemic). It must be taught!
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Diane, this is an oxymoran. Patriotic indoctronation is not education, it is propoganda.
John Inman Ed.D., M.A., Ed.M., DDPE john@learningexceptionalities.com 541-497-3774 Author of newly released book: Twice-Exceptional Children Are Gifts https://www.johninmandialogue.com/learning-exceptionalities/
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We have had a bunch of truly shameful Secretaries of Education. This one is perhaps the worst ever. She is as qualified for the position as Kennedy is to run Health and Human Services or Homer Simpson would be to teach quantum mechanics at Cal Tech. An utter imbecile and a tool of fascists. All fascist governments, of course, engage in precisely such “patriotic education.”
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Bob,
I couldn’t resist.
EJ: How qualified might Homer Simpson be to teach quantum mechanics at Cal Tech?
AI: Homer Simpson teaching quantum mechanics at Caltech? That’s a scenario that would send shockwaves through both Springfield and Pasadena. […] Homer might be able to accidentally stumble into quantum insights, but teaching at Caltech? That’s a quantum leap too far. Unless Caltech suddenly values comedic timing and donut-based analogies as teaching credentials, Homer’s best bet is sticking to his post at Sector 7G.
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Donut-based analogies are extremely productive!!!! But there are holes in theories based on them that should not be glazed over.
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The analogy to Homer Simpson is particularly appropriate, considering that in her wrestling shows, she played a real-life cartoon character.
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Perhaps the nation’s teachers need a model of sound history education. To that end, I am submitting this example of a brief history of England:
A Brief History of England, by Gerald | Bob Shepherd | Praxis
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Done.
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My submitted comment: “Federal law prohibits any officer of federal government from interfering with state/ local selection of K12 public school curriculum. I consider this in breach of those laws—as would ANY executive administration’s discretionary grants encouraging state/ locals to compete for federal funds to design history curriculum that “aligns with its priorities.” Leave selection/ design of history curriculum with state/ local government where it belongs— at the branch of government whose elected representatives are closest to the classroom.”
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Thank you for writing to McMahon about “patriotic education.” I hope the General Counsel for the ED department tells her that whaat she wants to do is illegal.
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My wife, a retired public school social worker, is including the legal point in her comment. She’s also pointing out that hiding or forbidding something is a highly effective way to get teenagers to seek something out & read it.
In my comment I’ll explain that receiving my entire education attending schools with a curriculum that included events and periods where America did things that may be viewed as negative didn’t make me hate America. It made me deeply patriotic because I also learned how America moved past shortcomings & became better.
The Founders’ gifted us with a set of ambitious principles for America. They themselves sometimes fell short of their ideal, but the ideal remains constant. If we claim everything is perfect, there’s no reason to strive for improvement. We honor the Founders when we teach our children that imperfections can inspire us to move forward.
___________
[Waddaya know? I started out this post describing what I planned to write, & ended up finishing it right here!]
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The option to submit your comment anonymously isn’t functioning.
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Posted the info on my Facebook page encouraging people to participate — received positive responses from people who’ll pass it on.
Keep in mind this Secretary of Education has been very publicly dropped on her head by an employee. https://talksport.com/video/wrestling/2305683/linda-mcmahon-takes-a-tombstone-piledriver-from-kane/
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The history of our country is for all to learn where we came from, what mistakes we made over don’t repeat those mistakes. We are a country of immigrants and that should always be taught in our schools. You don’t adjust history to suit your needs. Keep your hands of the facts of our country!!!
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An excerpt from the comment wife, a retired public school social worker, posted on the proposal:
__________
…
(3) ANALYSIS
“Federal law prohibits any officer of federal government from interfering with state/ local selection of K12 public school curriculum. I consider this in breach of those laws—as would ANY executive administration’s discretionary grants encouraging state/ locals to compete for federal funds to design history curriculum that “aligns with its priorities.” Leave selection/ design of history curriculum with state/ local government where it belongs— at the branch of government whose elected representatives are closest to the classroom.”
If it was legal for the federal government to change the curriculum for k-12. I would like make comments about the proposal. To change the curriculum to one of patriotic education. patriotic
“Patriotic education means a a presentation of the history of America grounded in n accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling characterization of the American founding and foundational principles;” By its description . Patrioti education is neither good nor bad, it depends on how it’s implemented. honest means telling the real truth
If by honest it means describing all of America’s history. That includes the killing of Native Americans to get their land, slavery and Jim Crow depriving Back people of their rights, discrimination agains Asians and Hispanic.s A history that tells all these people their true history would make these large voting blocks of people feel. understood and validated for their historical suffering. Sharing these events may sound like it’s putting America in a bad light , but actually, it’s part of our movement towards being the beacon of freedom and liberty our forefathers wanted us to be .Our history includes the passage of legislation that gives these people the right to Fair Housing, voting and all the other privileges of being an American.
If by honest it means history that that hides evidence of discrimination of various groups and having a history that might embarrass, certain people, that that is a problem. Presenting history like that will upset all the minority voting blocks whose history in American will be eliminated. They will hit the social media, tick toc, Facebook, Utube . It will create confusion with students who read the textbooks and then read different content online In addition, students will have read about the deleted material in previous years and they can’t un-expose themselves to that. They have also seen or read books on movies on the deleted subjects. You can’t repress that knowledge. With Teens , preteens, young adults, anytime you forbid them something, it makes really attractive to possess and read.
Generally, the costs regulation imposes should be justified by the benefits that it brings. Are they?
The cost of replacing all the textbooks in the country with new textbooks aligned with patriotic education would be enormous. Because of all the cuts to education, it would be hard for the states and cities to buy new textbooks.
(4) RECOMMENDATIONS
I recommend that the Department of Education drop this proposal to change the curriculum to patriotic education. The Department of Education should return to allowing states and cities to determine curriculum
Lenore Grandizio
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