(Editor’s note: The following is public comment submitted to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) by 360 signatories, from all across Colorado, on proposed revisions to the state’s social studies academic standards. Previous public comment on the matter published by Complete Colorado is available here.)
Dear Members of the Colorado Board of Education:
Thank you for the opportunity to make these comments on the proposed social studies standards developed by your advisory committee. What are our credentials to submit these comments? We come from a range of economic backgrounds, we are young and old, we represent a variety of ethnicities. Some of us barely made it out of high school while many have graduate degrees, some of us have served our country in the military, we work in a variety of fields including education, most of us are parents or grandparents, all of us have ancestors who came to the United States for a better life, whether to escape poverty, government repression or religious persecution in their own countries.
We all favor the unvarnished teaching of social studies – the good, the bad and the ugly – but to focus only on the ugly, as the proposed standards do, is neither a true nor an honest representation of this country’s history and will not help our students become educated members of the community. By failing to recognize the sacrifices of many disadvantaged groups over time, the proposed standards will serve only to separate our children from their common humanity.
For example, page after page of the proposed standards identify certain groups whom the authors of the standards apparently believe are disadvantaged, without identifying other groups for whom this country has served as a refuge from poverty and oppression, even from death in the case of LGBTQ persons in some countries. We can all agree that slavery and Jim Crow, as well as the use of indentured Chinese to build the railroads, and the westward expansion of the country at the expense of native Americans are blots on our history. Hopefully, we all agree that these groups have proven capable of surmounting the challenges they encountered and, in many cases, have prospered in the United States.
While the proposed standards mention our foundational documents such as the U.S. Constitution (including the Bill of Rights) and the Declaration of Independence as well as the basic structure of our government such as the three branches of government, these are not emphasized even though they are so vital to understanding why our country endures despite our many differences.
We ask that the proposed standards be totally rethought with an emphasis on the shared experiences that unite us as citizens of the United States.
Thank you again for allowing us to comment on the proposed standards.
Sincerely,
| Tanya Acuna Pitkin County/Aspen Lyle Albaugh Enis Alldredge Karen Alldredge Felicia Aldrich Alan Altman Judi Altman Katherine Altorfer Graciela Ananos Shannon Andrews Mindy Arbuckle Norman Bacheldor Nancy Bacheldor Allen Bacher Lindsay Backas Anne Baker Thomas Baker Virginia Baker Heidi Beattie Dan Berg Erik Berg Marilou Berg Summer Berg Seth Berger Colleen Beyer Mark Blodgett Mark Boice Kelly Boyd Carrie Bradford Andrea Bryan Jason Brumm Amy Bullock Bill Bullock Eric Bullock Kathie Bullock Lars Burghardt Mike Burke Wendy Burke Greg Burnette John Burnette Michelle Burnette Dennis Burns Greg Bush Terry Butler Jeff Carlson Kellie Carlson Nancy Carlson William Carlson Thomas Cangelosi Betty Christensen Linda Clement Denise Cohen Warren Cohen Jennie Contraras James Cooper Abigail Cornish Chad Cornish Jesse Cornish Carrie Couey Kelly Couey Susie Cunningham Joan Davids Sherry Damm Stephanie Davis Barbara De Luca Robert De Luca Jennifer Demers Heather DeVos Curtis Ditzell Brandi Donelson Bub Donelson Michael Dority Albert Dowden Gretchen Dudney Robert Dudney Michael Dunahay Kelly Dunn Joy Dunphey Cynthia Ebert Robert Ebert Jill Edinger Michael Edinger Mario Espinoza |
Helaine Fabijanic Garfield County/Glenwood Springs Nikki Fedishen Kathryn Ferry Patricia Feuerriegel Robert Feuerriegel Andrea Fields Sean Fields Betsy Fisher Ryan Flournoy Johnryan Flynn Jacque Fosdick Alice Fordyce James Fordyce Cam Formby Bettie Jo Forster Jerold Francus Judith Francus Shannon Fox Deb Fuller Ed Fuller Yvette Garcia Bordes Jon Gaiter Guiseppi Garofalo Evin Garretson Annie Glatz Mark Goodban Greg Gordon Jayme Goscha Mike Goscha Sherri Gourley Lisa Gross Donna Gulec Nancy Gunow Michael Gursey Carl Hall Lisa Hall-Flynn Karen Haeffner James Haeffner John Hammett Britny Hanson Jason Hartline Kelly Hegarty Janice Heie Angie Heggland Karl Heggland Laura Henderson Chris Hendrickson Wendy Hendrickson Lisa Houston Rebekah Hough Megan Hough Joel Hough John Hough David Hughes Christine Hushion Dan Hutchinson Andrea Inhoffer Dee James Rich James Deanna Janckila Kathrin Jansen Bob Jenkins Carol Jenkins Michael Jenkins Andi Johnson Mindy Johnson Mary Jones Jerry Kauffman Joyce Kauffman Susan Kaye Marc Keleske Vicky Keleske Jon Kelly Karl Koehler Carol Knauf James Knauf Terri Lamers Kim Langley Mark Langley Jamie Lawrence William Lawrence Caroline Leadingham Jalyne Lessig |
Ann Lieberthal Pitkin County/Old Snowmass Jim Light Marcie Lindgren Marchelle Linscott Kara Lizotte Lucas Lizotte Monty Loud Paula Loud Joy Love Lauren Lovett Trudy Lowery Michelle Lyman Mike Lyons Renee Mackie Michael Malcolm Ken Marchetti Ana Mari Dory Marken Bonnie Marlette Christopher Martin Stacie Martin Tony Martinez Michelle Martinez Lu Maslak Sam Maslak Shannon McCollough Valerie McDonough Keith McDougal Kim McGahey Cindy Meinders Thanh Thuy Merrigan Julie Metallo James Michaels Manuela Michaels Theresa Michel Jason Mietchen Randy Milhoan Holly Miller James Miller Jeff Miller Lloyd Miller Marguerite Miller Wilfred Miller Diane Milligan Lindsay Mills Micah Mills CJ Milmoe Karren Moehring Robert Moehring Bridget Moffroid Timothy Moffroid Belinda Monson Alan Moore Arlan Moore Craig Morehouse Tanya Morehouse-Levy Brian Moriarty Pat Moser Steve Munroe Alan Musser Joy Myers Amy Nakos Darren Nakos Janis Nark Amy Noraka Stephanie Northrup Kristy Nott Paeter Nott Jennifer Odell Ann Overlease Jim Overlease Alisa Owens Matthew Owens Jane Pearson Christine Peterson Kimberly Platt William Plummer Jodi Puder Deborah Quattrocchi Mark Reece Arthur Reeds JonNell Reeds Ramon Reyes Ann Richardson Hiram Richardson Susan Richel |
Ronn Riedel Denver County/Denver Amanda Ringstad Darla Ringstad Kelly Ringstad Jaffe Rissman Craig Robelen Lisa Robelen Mary Rolfs Tom Rolfs Julene Romero Robert Romero Frank Routhier Janelle Routhier Elana Royer Christopher Royer Julia Russo Lindsay Ryan Ning Chu Ryan Max Schmidt Geri Schmidt John Schuber Martha Seymour Gayle Shaeffer Gina Shaw Deborah Shisler Peggy Shellman Rusty Shellman Tara Sidell Michael Skuble Tanja Slack Todd Slack Lawrence Singer Lisa Singer Sheri Slesinger Matt Smith Shelley Smith Candy Snyder Matt Solomon Donalyn Speer Jennifer Speight Heidi Spiller Gail Stanger Karen Stoller Lonna Stolper Michael Stolper Melanie Sturm Sean Sunkel Danielle Surette John Surette Barb Tabb Mike Tabb Jim Tarr Sarah Terrill Drew Taylor Natalia Taylor Richard Tobey Victoria Tobia Alan Tralins Rondella Underwooo Marci Valicenti Thomas Valicenti Amanda Vanderpool Frieda Wallison Peter Wallison Carol Ward Joe Ward Connie Warnick Jon Warnick Shirley Wayne Deborah Webb Doug Weiser Lynda Weiser Michael Westmiller Jerry Wheeler Mary Wheeler Kit Williams Mark Williams Donn Willins Ann Wilkinson Lawrence Winnerman Lorrie Winnerman Pete Wood Vicki Wood Jennifer Woolley Alexandra Yajko Marc Zachary Zane Zachary Anna Zane Ed Zane |
