Rewriting History

On Saturday, I had a chance to drive about thirty minutes from Wise to Jenkins, KY.  It wasn't just a sight seeing trip but a chance to see the events of "Thunder On The Mountain", a Civil War re-enactment that takes place in August each year.  I attended last year's event and was asked by someone to take pictures for a project this year at Jenkins.

This time around, I had the privilege of speaking to several of the re-enactors, some who play General Robert E. Lee, General Stonewall Jackson and General John Hunt Morgan.  On several occasions, I was referred to as Mr. Brady or Matthew Brady for my taking photos of the events of the day.  One discussion with the gentleman playing General Morgan touched upon something that I had never thought of until today.

We were talking of the Civil War and how history has never fully told the story of why there was a Civil War.  We've been made to believe that it was all due to the issue of slavery when in reality, there was much more to it than just slavery.  It was families who were split along slavery lines as well as lifestyle and independence.  Many in the South did not want the beliefs of the North forced upon them.  Education has failed to tell the real story behind the Civil War.  We're told of the big battles of Gettysburg, Bull Run and others but how many people really know about the other smaller battles? 

Educators have a great opportunity to become a student once again and research these events and write and illustrate their importance to history.  One of the first things that are brought up by administrators is does it apply to the Standards of Learning?  Yes.  But let's get one thing straight.  Teaching strictly to the SOL's is recipe for failure.  Teachers should use the SOL's as a guide, a road map to help them bring in other examples and illustrations to drive home the importance of a particular subject.  I've also learned that students in Northern Virginia could care less about Southwestern Virginia and Southwestern Virginia students could care less about eastern shore Virginia.  And the state wants all students across the Commonwealth on the same page?  Sorry, this educational utopian society hasn't developed and has in my opinion, been dead on arrival since the inception of the Standards of Learning.  Educators need to begin the quest of rewriting history, getting past the rigid, strict guidelines of "You will teach this..." and open themselves up and their students to a whole new world.

What will our legacy be as educators?  It seems that all education is doing is producing a newer model of programmable student every year.  How will historians write our chapter in the history books?  Will the story be told of teachers who wanted to prepare students for the next level in their lives or how they taught to the tests?