Date: April 1, 2004
Subject: Alternative standards authors revealed

Here is a list of authors of the alternative social studies standards, provided by the Senate Education Committee. There were four teams:

1. Minnesota Civics Group
2. U.S. and World History Writing Team
3. Economics Writing Team
4. Geography Writing Team

If you have been paying attention, you'll recognize some of the most vocal critics of the Academic Standards Committee's work on this list, many of whom are regular readers of this blog and web site. I give this group major credit for putting their money where their mouth is. After being dissatisfied with the outcome of the second draft, they got to work writing an alternative, and they got it approved (albeit along party lines) by the Senate Ed Committee.

The MN Civics Group wrote one set of comments that David Buller used to guide our (Government & Citizenship) large group discussion, mostly because it was formatted like our first draft, mirroring our spreadsheet of standards, benchmarks, and examples and because we each had a hardcopy of their suggestions. There were many questions that day about "who are these guys?" I would have been more comfortable if they had attached their names to their comments.

Putting aside labels like "education elites" (mea cupla) and "education establishment," now that we have some real names to look at, I'll have to admit that they are a distinguished group. I would make an objection here to the "inmates running the asylum" arguments made by some in this group, that only teachers and curriculum directors should be writing these standards. But many of them are debate coaches, and I was never in debate.

Speaking of labels, Bruce Sanborn may have influenced the standards, but unless he is some sort of Amazing Kreskin manipulating us telepathically, he did not have any more influence than I or any other member. I met the infamous (in liberal circles) Sanborn of the Claremont Institute for the first time during the Academic Standards Committee meetings. He is a very nice guy, thoughtful, very well read as you might expect, sort of like my favorite U of M college professors but without the liberal bias. Even Rick Theisen, in his testimony opposing Commissioner Yecke's appointment yesterday before the Senate Ed Committee, observed at least once that Bruce's suggestions were vetoed by the rest of the writing committee during one of their (open to the public) meetings. I can tell you that this happened more than once, as David Buller also observed in his testimony before the House Ed Policy Committee.

Now on to the alternative standards committee roster:

1. MN Civics Group Alternative Civics Standards Writing Committee

JoEllen Ambrose
Champlin Park High School
Champlin

Sandy Aldrich
Park Rapids Area High School
Park Rapids

Amy Bergquist
Minneapolis South High School
Minneapolis

Jennifer Bloom
MN Center for Community Legal Education
St. Paul

Michael Boucher
South High School
Minneapolis

James Farr
Department of Political Science
University of Minnesota

Lynn Gresser
Coon Rapids High School
Coon Rapids

Ann Marie Lubovich
Pine River-Backus High School
Pine River

Lisa Norling
Department of History
University of Minnesota

Craig Roble
Heritage Middle School
West Saint Paul

Lonni Skrentner
Edina High School
Edina

2. U.S. and World History Writing Team

Sarah Chambers, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Latin American specialist, Fulbright Scholar; current Roseville Public School parent.

Sara Evans, Ph.D., Distinguished McKnight University Professor of History, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Modern U.S. specialist, recipient of University of Minnesota President's Outstanding Service Award and College of Liberal Arts Dean's Medal; past Blake School and St. Paul Public School parent.

Edward Farmer, Ph.D., Professor of History, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, East Asian and World History specialist, Fellow of University of Minnesota Academy of Distinguished Teachers, editor of Ming Studies; past Minneapolis Public School parent.

John Howe, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of History, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Colonial and Revolutionary America specialist, recipient of University of Minnesota President's Outstanding Service Award, co-author of best-selling college textbook The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society (Harper Collins); past St. Paul Public School parent.

Mary Jo Maynes, Ph.D., Professor of History, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, currently President of the Social Science History Association, Modern European and World History specialist, recipient of University of Minnestoa Award for Outstanding Contributions to Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education; past St. Paul Public School parent.

Lisa Norling, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Revolutionary and 19th-century U.S. specialist, University of Minnesota McKnight Land-Grant Professor; current Minneapolis Public School parent.

J.B. Shank, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Early Modern European specialist, University of Minnesota McKnight Land-Grant Professor, Fulbright Scholar; former High School Western Civilization, History, and Social Studies teacher (in California); current St. Paul Public School parent.

Ann Waltner, Ph.D., Professor of History, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, East Asian and World History specialist, University of Minnesota McKnight Land-Grant Professor, editor of the Journal of Asian Studies.

Barbara Welke, Ph.D., J.D., Associate Professor of History, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Modern U.S. and Legal/Constitutional History specialist, University of Minnesota McKnight Land-Grant Professor, editorial board member of American Society for Legal History and Law & History Review; current St. Paul Academy parent.

Consulting contributors:

Patricia G. Avery, Ph.D., Professor of Social Studies Education, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, University of Minnesota School of Education.

Marjorie Bingham, St. Louis Park High School teacher (retired), World History curriculum specialist, member of the Bradley Commission on History in Schools, past board member of American Historical Association's Teaching Division.

Dana Carmichael-Tanaka, Ph.D., Director of No Child Left Behind and Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator for the Minneapolis Public Schools.

3. Economics Writing Team

Joseph A. Ritter
Associate Professor
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs

Tracey Deutsch
Assistant Professor
Department of History
University of Minnesota

Rick Theisen
Education
Social Studies Teacher, grades 10-12, Osseo High School, Osseo,
Minnesota, 1966-July 1, 2000

4. Geography Writing Team

John Brady, eighth grade geography teacher at Buffalo Community Middle School, and member of the Minnesota Academic Standards Committee.

Beth Potter, Dean of students at South View Middle School in Edina, and former Edina Public Schools Social Studies Specialist.

Craig Hattam, seventh grade geography teacher at Lincoln Middle School in Hibbing, and MCSS board member.

There now. You may have an occasional disagreement with their views, but these are professionals who are clearly qualified. Hmm. Is there an echo in here?