Blueprints for Reform
The university system in the United States has accomplished a great deal of good, but it has strayed from its chief goals of scholarly inquiry and responsible teaching, especially in … Continue reading “Blueprints for Reform”
Reforms We’re Cheering For in 2023
Each January, the staff of the Martin Center share our higher-ed-reform dreams for the coming year. Will all of our wishes come true? Probably not. Nevertheless, we offer them here … Continue reading “Reforms We’re Cheering For in 2023”
Did you Know? A Comprehensive “1776 Curriculum” is Released
Hillsdale College has published a gigantic collection of reading materials and curriculum of nearly 2,500 pages, which it has termed the 1776 curriculum collection. It is available and free for … Continue reading “Did you Know? A Comprehensive “1776 Curriculum” is Released”
Put America Back in American Foreign Policy Curricula
Bring back civics, urge those disaffected with the United States’ educational system. They have a point. Of the many things wrong with America’s schools, the warped view of American history, politics, … Continue reading “Put America Back in American Foreign Policy Curricula”
How the College Board Mangles the Teaching of History
The College Board is a not-for-profit company that has a great deal of influence over American education. Its Scholastic Aptitude Test (the SAT) is the most widely used test for … Continue reading “How the College Board Mangles the Teaching of History”
Did You Know? The 1776 Report—a Half-Done Project
A short-lived report quickly torched by the new Biden administration provides a pathway for those who seek to return to a classical structure of higher education. The report, titled the … Continue reading “Did You Know? The 1776 Report—a Half-Done Project”
Did You Know? Students Are Clueless About History
Colleges and universities across the country don’t require students to study history. Although students at many colleges are “technically” required to take a history course to fulfill their general education … Continue reading “Did You Know? Students Are Clueless About History”
The Breakdown of American Education and the Hopes for Change
America’s system of education has failed in one of its most important goals: forming future generations of American citizens. This is particularly true in higher education, where students are encouraged … Continue reading “The Breakdown of American Education and the Hopes for Change”
Why Students Have Turned Away from History
I taught history from 1976 through 2013 at Harvard, Carnegie-Mellon, the Naval War College, and Williams College. The 37 years of my career coincided with a drastic change in the … Continue reading “Why Students Have Turned Away from History”
A Radical Pseudo-historian Meets His Match
Historians tend to be skeptical about the influence of books and ideas upon important historical developments, preferring to draw upon material or broadly social and cultural causes as the best … Continue reading “A Radical Pseudo-historian Meets His Match”