Debates Raging Over What History to Teach in US Schools

Meet The Man Behind The Right's AP History Freak Out from Talking Points Memo
"Krieger's criticism centers on a few key points: he is concerned that the College Board left out major Founding Fathers and key works like that of Alexis de Tocqueville, along with other important figures and events. He is also concerned that the framework draws a negative picture of the U.S. from a global perspective."
Now, I have read in detail the new AP History framework -- and there is some real smoke and mirrors around Krieger's terminology here.  The framework does not REQUIRE that you have any knowledge of the founding fathers, their works or de Toqueville's work.  Or any other specific historical figure.  But there are AMPLE opportunities for teachers to include them in lots of ways that fulfill the framework's skill and knowledge objectives!  When they say the framework draws a "negative picture" ... read that as the framework provides opportunities for critical assessments of US history.  As we saw with Obama's Prayer Breakfast, I think most of the critics (not all) are hooked by ANY criticism,  One of the most notable aspects of this whole converstion is that most of the critics (it seems to me) routinely know very little about US History -- or it is the Parson Weems version, almost a version of history as a holy scripture told to reinforce religious or cultural values rather than to teach what actually happened, how we can learn from the past, and to create well-informed citizens.  -- Nuggetsman