Whether or not you have chosen sides in the current debate about the state education standards on teaching Arkansas history, don't miss Doug Thompson's column about his daughter's experience in a required Arkansas History course taught by a local coach in our public schools.
Coaches often are paid more than certified history teachers with a degree in the subject, but that doesn't necessarily make them better teachers. Some are sorry classroom teachers, and the courses they are assigned often reflects the priority that school administrators give to certain subjects. Thompson relates the Arkansas history homework that was assigned to make his point. To find a local historic site, his daughter was asked to find the location of Big Daddy's Sports Bar. To understand the contributions of a famous Arkansas person, his daughter was asked to write a biography of basketball star Corliss Williamson aka "Big Nasty."
That's not right. We need to teach the real history of our community and our state, not some coach's limited view of current events. Students should be able to locate the site of the former Vic-Mon and the Brass Monkey. They should know the dates when Ike and Tina Turner played at Gaebale and The Rink, and who played drums for Ronnie Hawkins at the Rockwood. They should be able to identify the famous mural that graced the front of the Swinging Door. The should be familiar with the theology and sacraments of Our Church. They should be required to write biographical sketches of Marjorie Maxine Miller and Stevie Deffenbaugh. Our students need real history that let's us know who we are and from where we came.
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