EdAction
Maple River Education Coalition PAC
105 Peavey Rd, St 116 
Chaska, MN  55318 
952-361-4931
http://www.EdAction.org
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October 31, 2003
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Public Opposes Anti-American Academic Standards
Education Elite Do Not Speak For Parents & Taxpayers

EdWatch, a statewide parent/citizen watchdog organization that represents over 30,000 members across the state of Minnesota, is reminding the legislators and standards committee members that the public does not want a re-play of the anti-American Profile of Learning standards. EdWatch accuses critics of the draft of the new History and Civics standards of "pushing a radical, politicized version of history and civics that has been rejected by the public."

In response to recent criticism of the draft academic standards, a letter from some University of Minnesota history professors calls for replacing words like "cooperation, compromise and conflict" with words like "conquest," "subjugation," "exploitation," and "enslavement" to characterize America's history.

"The National History Standards, the National Standards on Civics and Government, and the National Content Standards for Social Studies represent content that the public objected to in the Profile of Learning," stated Julie Quist, EdWatch Director. "These standards present an out-of-the-mainstream anti-American world view."

When the U.S. Senate had a chance to vote on the matter in 1995, they opposed the National History Standards 99-1. "The Senate viewed them as a biased, distorted inaccurate view of history, EdWatch maintains. "In spite of that, these same standards, with only cosmetic changes, are being promoted again by a loud element of the educational elite."

"The same individuals and media outlets who supported the Profile of Learning year after year want to put that same content back into Minnesota's standards," continued Julie Quist. "The elections of the last
few years set the stage for the 2003 repeal of the radical, anti-American standards. Now some are trying to reverse those legislative actions."

EdWatch will be at Saturday's academic standards committee meeting to urge the standards committee to focus the standards on knowledge more than process, as the law dictates, and to focus on content that reflects the patriotism that transcends political labels.

EdWatch (formerly Maple River Education Coalition) has rallied thousands of citizens on the steps of the Capitol, at one time as many as 5,000, to oppose the Profile of Learning over the past five years.

Contact Information:    Julie Quist     651-646-0646  507-340-9486 (cell)
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