Revise the European Explorers educational standards in Public Schools
The Global Purpose Approach is requesting a revision of the required educational standards related to honoring “European Explorers” (Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Juan Ponce de Leon, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Jacques Cartier, Henry Hudson, etc.). Learning about American and world history is important. The standards, however, should require students to learn history from multiple perspectives. Not only for historical accuracy, but also for representation (which has been proven to help student performance).
“Curriculum and lesson plans that continue the glorification of oppressive historical events and leaders are not productively serving our children. Many educational systems do not explicitly address real historical facts from multiple perspectives nor do they authentically focus on character-based education, multicultural learning, and civic responsibility.”- Tarece L. Johnson, EdD, CEO The Global Purpose Approach
Teachers should be required to teach historical facts related to European explorers instead of celebrating their “achievements”. Educators should also be held accountable for teaching students irresponsibly. Glorifying European explorers, assigning positive attributes to colonizers, creating life-sized posters, and honoring individuals who facilitated genocide and slavery should not be allowed in schools. Celebrating the massacre of Indigenous people and slavery (unconsciously or consciously) should be prohibited. Instead, teachers should be required to responsibly educate students about European explorers as well as other multicultural explorers around the world.
“For years we have celebrated the “discovery” of the new world. We celebrate the arrival, the survival, and the growth of the new community. During this celebration, however, we often ignore the pain endured by the natives of the land. We gloss over the murders, the abuse, and the theft in order to celebrate the new world. We do not need to abandon truth to celebrate America. We must, teach our children to look at the past, examine the truths, and grow from it.” — Xaviera Pace, Educator
Standards should be intentionally inclusive of other diverse explorers from around the world (not only European explorers). Teachers are evaluated based on their execution of educational standards and student comprehension of lessons presented. For this reason, The Global Purpose Approach is petitioning a change in educational standards that excludes facts and do not include diverse people and perspectives. We must teach students historical truths and this starts with revising educational standards that currently honor colonizers (intentionally or unintentionally) and do not explicitly address the impacts of their actions (sponsors and explorers). We must teach our students historical facts related to events, symbols, places and people.
“If kids are taught to view similar kinds of historic events within the framework of common circumstances, rather than as a straight up chronology by region, they could see how the history does repeat itself and how tendencies in human nature are at the heart of conflicts, biases, and travesties. Slavery, genocides, and exploitation stem from what kind of circumstances? What does that tell you about power and victimization? What can we learn about how we behave towards others?” asks Wendy Kalman, one parent who has signed the petition.
Global Purpose Approach requests the following:
I) Sign the Petition
Sign the petition to support a change in educational standards that celebrate colonizers and exclude other multicultural explorers who also made indelible impacts on our nation and the world. Signing the petition also supports holding teachers accountable to teaching historical facts and inclusively teaching about the rich diversity of our nation and the world.
Petition:
https://www.change.org/p/the-global-purpose-approach-revise-educational-standards-related-to-european-explorers-in-public-schools
II) Department of Education
Department of Education to take direct actions to:
1) Change the educational requirements related to “European Explorers” and other standards that celebrate explorers who facilitated genocide and slavery. Also, revise all curriculum that honors (even remotely) confederate people and symbols.
2) Include the study of diverse “explorers” (reflecting gender, racial, ethnic, and religious diversity) around the world and study their obstacles, character traits, and accomplishments.
Other Explorers:
3) Require bi-annual (online and in-person) sensitivity, diversity awareness and cultural competence training for teachers and administrators.
4) Create incentives for administrators to ensure multicultural representation and engagement in schools.
For more information on The Global Purpose Approach visit our Facebook Page and search online using the hashtag #TheGlobalPurposeApproach #MulticulturalEducation
