Rethink 'Blame America First' As The Way To Teach History

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Investors Business Daily:

Many of us are concerned that our education system is failing, but no subject has received less focus on its shortcomings than the area of American history.

In June, the National Assessment of Education Progress (known as the nation's report card) for American history was released. The results were shocking. Only 20% of fourth-graders, 17% of eighth-graders and 12% of 12th-graders scored "proficient" on the subject.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough called our students "historically illiterate."

There are many reasons this has occurred, but it's clear that teaching American history is not a priority in the classroom. Unfortunately, focusing on objective historical facts has been put aside and children are no longer learning about the critical leaders and events that have shaped the United States.

Significant time is spent discussing all the things America has done wrong in our 235 years. As a result, little time is left to teach what we have done right.

It's time for a new national focus on the importance and significance of a factual presentation of American history. That's why I co-founded Learn Our History with Brad Saft to counterbalance a blame-America-first attitude among textbook authors and many teachers.

'Last Best Hope'

Unlike the current presentation of our history as one of racism, sexism and imperialism, we seek to help our children and teachers understand who and what have made America the greatest country in the world.

America isn't perfect, but it is "the last best hope of man on earth," as Ronald Reagan said. This is an effort to inform and inspire the next generation of Americans so they can become better citizens.

As the 10th anniversary of the terrible attacks of 9/11 approaches, Learn Our History is releasing the video "9/11 and the War on Terror" to give parents and teachers an additional tool to explain this seminal event to our children. Our film helps explain why we were targeted, how American values differ from those of our attackers and why and how our nation responded.

This new video has not been warmly received by some members of the chattering class. We realize that much in our culture has become politicized to the point of being polarized. It's clear that some on the left do not want those with differing views to have a voice in America's classrooms, and it is well-known that most of the educational establishment tilts to the left of our political spectrum.