Oklahoma Votes to Ban A.P. U.S. History, Is Dumb

Dear Lawmakers in Oklahoma,

It is not a good idea to vote to eliminate funding for A.P. U.S. History (APUSH) classes in high schools.

Why?

This makes you look ridiculously stupid and overreactive.
A.P. courses are a way for students to save money for college, and removing these opportunities is not a good thing.
A.P. courses add to the rigor of a student's college application, making them a more competitive applicant, and it's pointless to limit these opportunities.
This kind of vote distracts from the real issues at hand in regards to education and the content of the APUSH course, and instead leads to people mocking your vote rather than actually look at the issue that you're trying to address.

Sincerely,

Christine Rousselle

(Scarborough High School Class of 2009, A.P. U.S. History, 2008)

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In all seriousness, though, this is dumb and irresponsible legislating.

While the College Board's updated APUSH guidelines have raised ire last year, it's important to note that these are a framework, not a set syllabus or curriculum. The A.P. exam, administered in May, has fairly broad essay questions and multiple choice that covered a wide spectrum of American history. (Plus, to take the exam and potentially receive college credit, you don't actually have to take the class during the year.) This legislation could put high school students at a disadvantage simply because a lawmaker was being a drama queen and trying to score some political brownie points. That's not good.

There are legitimate problems with education in the United States that are worth looking in to and legislating changes. Reducing history class options for high-achieving students is not one of them.