Social Studies on the Radar

In the most recent Ed Week there is an article about a group that is getting together to try to focus on common standards for Social Studies. Honestly, my first thought was how sad that is. While I understand the desire to set standards that students should meet regarding a subject, I kind-of liked being under the radar of most standardized testing. It's not because I don't want to teach kids anything or because I don't think all students should know certain material, but it's primarily because I don't want the pressure of teaching to the test. It seems that the more we focus on testing, the worse the kids end up learning. Although I am not inclined to teach only the material on the test, having people focus on other subjects takes the pressure off my content area. With the eyes elsewhere, I feel like my students have the freedom to actually learn something and make a connection to it.

Attitudes About Sexual Violence

Sometimes things come together to saturate your mind on a subject...at the moment, for me that is our attitude about sexual violence. 

• First, I heard that Kansas state Republican representative Pete DeGraff urged women to plan ahead for rape just like he has a spare tire for his car by saying "The likelihood of you being raped is the same as getting a flat tire."

• Next, I heard about a study that looked at PTSD in soldiers and that women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from PTSD upon returning from combat duty. That probably sounds right to people who think women shouldn't serve in combat. However, if you adjust for those who are sexually abused during their combat duty, it becomes almost an even level with men's rates of PTSD.

• Finally, I read in Ed Week about a case in which a cheerleader was dismissed from the squad because she refused to cheer for a baseball player who she accused of sexually assaulting her. The officials asked her to leave, because it created a "disruption in the stands." 

The fact that a state (although Kansas can be a little kooky) representative likens it to getting a flat tire and that female soldiers are sexually assaulted by fellow soldiers are reprehensible. Even worse is punishing a girl for not cheering for her alleged perpetrator. What kind of role models are we if we let these attitudes prevail?! While women have come a long way, we still have a long way to go to change the attitude (and acceptance) of sexual violence. This is crazy!