The new 2015 AP American History curriculum has created controversy amongst the teachers in different states.

College Board changed the curriculum so that students could develop their historical thinking skills, rather than simple chronological reasoning like it had been in the past.  

The College Board states, “statements in framework are more clearer, and historically precise, and less open to misinterpretation or perceptions of imbalance”.

However, some teachers in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania believe the new curriculum is anti-American and teaches students only the negative side of American History.

Jane Rodgers who has been teaching APUSH for over eight years from Dallas, Texas, is not fond of the College Board’s changes.

Rodger said,  “the framework emphasizes the ‘racial stereotyping and the development of strict racial categories among the British colonists’ as opposed to the more charitable inclinations of the Spanish and French, with their ‘acceptance of racial gradations.”

In other words, Rodgers believes that the new APUSH curriculum stresses the racial discrimination from the British colonists, and shifts focus away from the charitable actions of the Spanish and French

Rodgers was not the only one to speak her opinion about the new curriculum. Larry S. Krieger, a high school history teacher for over 40 years from Pennsylvania did as well.

“As I read through the document, I saw a consistently negative view of American history that highlights oppressors and exploiters,” said Krieger.

According to Krieger, the framework fails to mention a lot of America’s greatest historical figures by name. He is concerned that this means that they won’t be on the test and therefore won’t be taught.

Nonetheless, there are people that do believe the new AP American History curriculum is helpful.

Fritz Fischer, a history professor from the University of Northern Colorado, helped write the state’s social studies standards in 2009. He tried to defend and create a resolution to this controversy.

Fischer said, “The APUSH framework does not, as some critics have asserted, promote a “radically revisionist” view of American history and it does not ignore the contributions of the founding era of U.S. history. These are clearly politically motivated misstatements of fact.”

Others believe that people should own up to the negative and positive decisions made by history because it is how we grow from it.

Mr. Snedeker, a current AP teacher at SJHHS says, “It is important for any athlete, any student, anybody of any profession to recognize their weaknesses. To get better you have to recognize your weaknesses and I think to have a curriculum that doesn’t talk about any weaknesses and just promotes the positive qualities of something,  isn’t a true account of history is really like.”