Up North Progressive

In early May of 2018, Social Studies teachers in Michigan were offered the opportunity to review the latest draft of the Social Studies Content Standards projected to replace the 2007 standards by 2019. Considering that starting this year state testing accounts for half of 40 percent of a teacher’s annual evaluation, it would be nice to know what the required will be. Along with this, Michigan high school seniors will also have to pass the federal citizenship test given to naturalized citizens to graduate, which none of exists in the new standards.

Some of the changes are good. Most notably the list of examples teachers can use to teach a standard are no longer part of the standard, but now in a special section in the margins. This is important because in the past when developers of the M-STEP Social Studies test used the standards, they would include the examples listed below in test questions. With them no longer part of the standard, it will refocus the questions on the state test to address only the standard, and not generate trivia questions based on the examples.

Unfortunately, there’s also some bad stuff. Really bad stuff. One of the last people in Michigan to provide input on the standards is State Senator Patrick Colbeck; the guy who thinks it’s unchristian if children don’t recite a pledge to a symbol of a secular democratic republic every morning in school, who actually hates school because he has harsh memories of his own time in school, and believes parents who vaccinate their kids are child abusers. He considers himself a tea party conservative and is the first one with his hand out whenever Betsy DeVos whips out her checkbook. He’s also running for Governor of Michigan this year.

One of the first glaring examples of Patrick Colbeck’s bizarre understanding of civics is his systematic obliteration of every instance of the words democratic and democracy. Colbeck’s ignorance of democracy feeds his contempt for the institution. The United States is a republic because our representatives are elected. The United States is a democracy because those representatives are elected by the people. Like most Michigan Republicans, the only constituents Colbeck cares about are the corporations and billionaires who donate money. The hoi polloi who cast their votes mean nothing to him. What can you expect from someone who uses the pledge of allegiance as proof the United States is not a democratic republic.

Colbeck also attempted to exclude as much content as possible mentioning civil rights struggles of minorities, women, and LGBT. He demanded to teach middle schoolers community activism to be excluded because they were too young to get involved in their communities. He also argued about whom a baker should be forced to make a wedding cake as an example of why there were too many references to LGBT issues, and called organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center a hate group. Worst of all, Colbeck demanded instruction about Islam should be excluded because it’s a false religion.

Then, Colbeck edited USHG Standard 8.3.4 to read this:

Colbeck, like many conservatives today thinks the first amendment gives him the authority to force his belief in an invisible sky alien on everyone else, even if that means infringing on the civil rights of others. The Michigan Department of Education disagreed with him and struck out RELIGIOUS from his edit. They told him he either accept the revision or the entire edit would be removed. Colbeck’s answer to this was:

Religion will always have a problem granting all civil rights.

If your religion has a problem granting the same rights you believe your religion entitles you to enjoy to others, even if they don’t believe in the same invisible sky alien you do, then there is something wrong with your religion, not civil rights. Since when did civil rights become a finite resource, and if you guarantee people of color, women, gay, lesbian, and trans people their civil rights, you somehow have less? Bullshit!

There is still time to let the MDE know you do not approve of the right-wing hijacking of the new Social Studies content standards. You can submit answers to a survey here, and there are public hearings you can attend over the next couple of weeks.

Waterford 6-8 p.m., June 20, Oakland Intermediate School District, 2111 Pontiac Lake Rd.
Sault Ste. Marie 6-8 p.m., June 26, Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District, 315 Armory Place.
Lansing 6-8 p.m., June 27, Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 W. Kalamazoo St.
Grand Rapids 6-8 p.m., June 28, Kent Intermediate School District, 2930 Knapp St. NE.

Let the Michigan Department of Education know Patrick Colbeck’s narrow, bigoted view of Social Studies is wrong for the young people of Michigan. They deserve a curriculum that is fact-based and encourages them to get involved in civic activities regardless of their age.