Article Preview: Medford School Board OKs disputed AP U.S. history textbook - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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2015-04-14

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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation  |  Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Gov. Brown touts need for transportation funding in talk to Medford chamber Wimer pig farmer might play active role in her double murder trial Gov. Kate Brown gets an up-close look at ailing Medford viaduct Cougar seen in Ashland's Lithia Park Jackson County Library District approves $5.62 million contract with LSSI Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Wimer pig farmer might play active role in her double murder trial Medford man dies after being struck by truck in crosswalk Emergency Services, April 13 Emergency services, April 12 Emergency services, April 11 Politics and Elections Gov. Brown touts need for transportation funding in talk to Medford chamber Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Arthur I. 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Brown touts need for transportation funding in talk to Medford chamber Erickson shores up business with three contracts Lithia Motors shares break the $100 mark Road to health: Bike and pedestrian paths play greater role in transportation project funding Agriculture New bosses take charge at Harry & David Dancin Vineyards covers up Broth maker leaves San Diego for Medford Opinion Latest Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Granlund cartoon: Hillary 2016 bid Letters to the Editor, April 13 Kathleen Parker: Rolling Stone gathers dirt — on itself Our View: Medford School District's new spending appears prudent Editorials Our View: Medford School District's new spending appears prudent Other Views: Keep Klamath water plan moving in Congress Our View: Emails contradict claims of Kitzhaber, Hayes Our View: All ethics reform bills should get a hearing Our View: Cheers and jeers Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, April 13 Letters to the Editor, April 12 Letters to the Editor, April 10 Letters to the Editor, April 9 Letters to the Editor, April 8 Columns Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Kathleen Parker: Rolling Stone gathers dirt — on itself Dana Milbank: After another tragedy, signs of progress George Will: Containing Iran's nuclear intoxication Charles Krauthammer: The Iran deal: What we've given up Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Removing barriers to walking, biking benefits everyone Guest Opinion: Conversion therapy on LGBT youth is child abuse Guest Opinion: Pot opponents have good reason for concern Guest Opinion: If Courtney kills bill, $15 minimum wage will go to the ballot Guest Opinion: Phoenix embraces Bee City USA designation Lifestyle Latest stories Cars We Remember: 1964 Olds F-85 owner seeks information Wry & Ginger: Commencement-speech gigs have a hold on academia Paul Rogers: Schedule your time wisely Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda Odyssey It Is What It Is: The importance of the pick-me-up Food Community blog: U.S. dietary guidelines change little with the times Season Stepp: Try farmer’s market sunchoke in a creamy potato soup Page H. 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Auditions for youth musical set at Camelot Review: From past into present in OSF's 'Long Day's Journey' ‘A Dream of Red Pavilions’ at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Music The ABBA Show comes to the Craterian Theater in Medford The Brothers Reed celebrate new CD 'Sick as Folk' Britt Festivals line-up kicks off June 6 Rhythm is on tap at the Northwest Percussion Festival Gene Burnett tonight at Liquid Assets in Ashland Community Events 'BRAND,' 'Western' among Ashland Independent Film Festival award winners Ashland Co-Dependent Film Festival 2015 Pear Blossom Festival kicks off in Medford Ashland Independent Film Festival announces 2015 lineup Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Dining Restaurant inspections, April 12, 2015 La Tapatia offers authentically delicious cuisine RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS: Sunday, April 5 The Laughing Clam in Grants Pass offers seafood-heavy menu Standing Stone owners to open Medford brewpub and restaurant Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED   » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW   Study analyzes how the Northwest would escape a massive tsunami       ...       Wimer pig farmer might play active role in her double murder trial       ...       Cougar seen in Ashland's Lithia Park       ...       Study analyzes how the Northwest would escape a massive tsunami       ...       Wimer pig farmer might play active role in her double murder trial       ...       Cougar seen in Ashland's Lithia Park       ...           EDUCATION Medford School Board OKs disputed AP U.S. history textbook District officials request supplementary lesson on Second Amendment language By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 7, 2015 @ 2:00 am By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 7, 2015 @ 2:00 am »  Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> The Medford School Board Monday narrowly approved a controversial U.S. history textbook recommended by teachers and criticized by members of the board and community. The textbook — the 16th edition of "The American Pageant" by David M. Kennedy and Lisabeth Cohen — along with curriculum for several other advanced placement classes were recommended for adoption at the March 16 board meeting. While the board unanimously approved the other curriculum, board members Jeff Thomas and Kim Wallan objected to the annotated version of the U.S. Constitution in the back of the U.S. History textbook and asked that the board defer voting on it until all members — two were absent — could be present. Thomas and Wallan were offended by the bracketed words and phrases embedded within the text of the Constitution, particularly the authors’ note in the Second Amendment, which appears in the book this way: "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms [i.e., for military purposes] shall not be infringed." Last week, several board members met with representatives from the publishing company to discuss the text and the authors’ intent in the annotations. “The book was not trying to discount years of Supreme Court decisions but to be used as a teaching tool,” explained Daniel Woodward, a South Medford High School AP U.S. history teacher. “We selected what we believe to be the best text with the best support materials for students and a great online edition,” Woodard said. “And it far supersedes anything else that’s out there.” At Monday’s meeting, board members Sally Killen, Ron Andersen and Marlene Yesquen submitted to the teachers’ recommendation and voted in favor of “The American Pageant.” “I have a lot of trust in the teachers and their ability to use an imperfect text,” Killen said at the meeting. “No textbook is perfect.” Wallan adamantly opposed the book so long as it contained an annotated version of the Constitution, and board member Larry Nicholson also voted no to the book, citing “philosophical” reasons. “When the authors start editing things, it makes it look like we’re using today’s ideology to analyze what was done 200 years ago,” he said. After much deliberation, Thomas voted yes, but only after teachers and Todd Bloomquist, the district’s director of secondary education, guaranteed him that they would include a disclaimer in the course syllabus, provide “clean” copies of the Constitution for each student and teach a lesson to explain the reasoning behind the board’s misgivings about the editorialized version of the Constitution. “If I think that will happen, then I’ll support it,” Thomas said. Board member Tricia Prendergast was not present at Monday’s meeting. Two community members, Joel Marks and Stuart Sennett, left the meeting frustrated with the outcome. “It's a disgrace what the school board did,” Marks said. “Jeff Thomas cowardly folded.” Marks, an adjunct history professor for Rogue Community College and Southern Oregon University, said he spent more than seven hours reviewing the textbook. He informed the board at the start of the meeting that he had identified nearly a dozen “flaws and misrepresentations, as well as factually misleading errors” in the book. “The editorial comments in the Constitution were the tip of the iceberg,” he said after the meeting. “The whole book is biased toward a particular worldview. It disparages the founding fathers by calling them ‘elite conservatives.’ ” Woodward described the discourse with the board as “positive” and said he and the other AP U.S. history teachers were fine with the contingencies. The students, he said, will look at the origin of the Bill of Rights and its interpretations over time. “I feel so wholeheartedly that this is the best resource for kids that I will take the book but not use the Constitution (as it's presented),” he said. Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt . By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 7, 2015 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments   /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ »  STAY INFORMED   Email NewsLetter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed   Email newsletter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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