I am a product of the blue box theory of American History. Flipping through my 10th grade U.S. history text book, it is impossible to ignore the takeover of the special interest box: little blue boxes, outlined and shaded, each one condensing minority perspectives and contributions into half a page or less: Women in the civil war, Immigrants and the railroad.
This weekend, the blue box theory struck again.
The Israeli Education ministry announced Sunday that Israel’s war of independence will now be referred to as a “catastrophe” for the state’s Arab population. A New York Times article notes:
Ms. Fenig, who is the national supervisor of homeland, society and citizenship studies, said, “Pedagogically, it is not right to hide facts and ignore Arab sensitivities if we want to live together and build something in common.”
Though applaud Ms. Fenig’s commitment to marginalized views, I cannot help but wonder if this is an impossible task. Can history text books ever succeeded in incorporating all sides into a coherent narrative, or will minority history never encroach further than boxes?
Kevin Carey appeared on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" to talk about the education proposals put forth during Wednesday’s State of the Union speech, including endowments, student loans, college prices and No Child Left Behind. He also responded to telephone calls and electronic communications.
Andrew Rotherham is featured in CBS's "Where America Stands," a news special on the current state of the nation's schools.
College and Career-Ready: Using Outcomes Data to Hold High Schools Accountable for Student Success
Teachers at Work: Improving Teacher Quality Through School Design 
01/28/10 | Education Sector is referenced and linked to in an article on AnnArbor.com.
01/28/10 | Andrew Rotherham is mentioned in a National Review Online column.
01/26/10 | Andrew Rotherham is quoted in an Education Week news article on President Obama's proposed education spending.
01/25/10 | Chad Aldeman's "College- and Career-Ready" is summarized in the Alliance for Excellence in Education's Straight A's newsletter.
01/21/10 | Chad Aldeman's "College- and Career-Ready" is reviewed by College Summit's blog.
01/22/10 | Ben Miller's Q&E post on student debt is linked to on the California Watch blog.