I didn’t realise we were talking about an either/or situation which is what some people seem to be implying. It doesn’t even have to be 50/50, couldn’t 70/30 or 80/20 work as well?

Otherwise, it’s not education, it’s propaganda. And you don’t instill civic pride by having a fear-based, dogmatic education
system.

All you’ll have is a population split between irrational bigots and those so disillusioned that they feel the diametric opposite of civic pride.

Way to go…

I am SO glad I had a very international education (and my bi-national, bilingual, multicultural daughter is about to leave her home in Italy to go to high school for a year in India!).

-What version of US history is being taught? The one I remember was wrought with “manifest destiny” and kind of skimmed over some pretty important historical events like slavery, mass genocide of native people, etc. But I realize that that was over 30 years ago, and I haven’t looked closely at the curriculum lately.

-I imagine some int’l education perspectives might look harshly at the role of the US in the world based on foreign policy decisions, and overlook some positive aspects of the culture and government.

So exactly what is discussed and how it is discussed is obviously very important.

My view from being in AZ for awhile and knowing a little about these particular legislators is that their view is that there is only “one good government system” and only “one God” (who happens to be Christian). I just simply disagree with this, and think we can teach pride, love and respect for our country by honoring the diversity that is here, and the imperfect history that we have.

How you can learn about US history without learning about the world anyway is kind of beyond me, given that we are a nation of immigrants, and we have chosen to take an extremely active military and economic role in the rest of the world.

I appreciate that I can rant about things occasionally … thanks for joining the discussion.

Sadly, none of what you say shocks me, or even really surprises me. And before you call me a cynic, remember, a cynic is what an idealist calls a realist.

-TimK

There are few words I could say to express my utter shock and horror at the American school system. Being a person who graduated from an International program in Canada, I am appalled to think that Americans would blatantly ignore the rest of the world.

Interesting article and great blog. I really enjoyed reading your opinions.

What is heartening, however, are some of the comments you’ve recieved in response. Proof that many of us realize that there is a whole world out there that we are merely a part of, but one that we can be a great part of~

Public education has not being preparing America’s children for the future, or the present, for the last thirty years and there seems to be no sign of that changing. If any state could benefit from having a bi-lingual education, AZ is that state considering the demographic changes that have been caused by immigration across the border.

In general, it’s not an easy question. The ignorant-protectionist perspective bugs me because this perspective hurts the U.S.’ competitiveness in the long run. If we don’t remain open to competition and allow ourselves to evolve into a more globally integrated world economy, than we will decline in comparison to others that do. We have to take on all comers, and part of that, is learning about other people and places so we can act effectively and continue to thrive.

But, the America-basher perspective bothers me just as much. People who joke about how many languages U.S. citizens speak–go ask the average guy in Guangdong, China how many languages he speaks. Or, the guy on the street in Indonesia. The answer is ONE. I know, cause I’ve lived in both places. Europeans speak a lot of languages because their countries are small and very close together–like U.S states. If Nevada spoke another language, I’d be more inclined to learn it. Europe is not in the same situation, thus not a standard to be followed. Others learn English because it helps a great deal in business–because they want to make money. Not because they want to be “multicultural” for the sake of being a good world citizen.

After college, I traveled, studied, lived, and worked in several other countries. I found out that most people in other countries are basically, just like people from the U.S. There are a-holes, great people, and everything in between. I learned their languages, their history and culture, religion, etc. I got an MA in Asian Studies.

I didn’t need to start learning Spanish in 2nd grade in order to learn all of that. I did it on my own because I was curious. And so can almost anyone else in the U.S. who is interested in doing so. I think there are other venues that our kids can learn about other countries. I think our news channels could do a much better job. Parents can do it themselves. But, you only have so much time in a grade school classroom, so many pages in a textbook, so much bandwith in a child’s head. Do we teach less about US history in order to teach more about other countries’ histories? Personally, I’d like my kid to start with who he is, what country he comes from, etc. There are many things about American values, culture, and our political system, that put us in a position that entices others to want to learn to speak English to do business with us and move here to live. That says something. So I would like my child to be rooted in this, and then, he or she can learn about others.