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Labor history 101 in high schools?

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by Jessi Polsky

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Wisconsin schools may start teaching the history of unionization alongside algebra and physics if a bill introduced by Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, becomes law.

If passed, the legislation will require all school boards in Wisconsin to "include information on the history of organized labor in America and the collective bargaining process" in their curriculum, according to the bill.

At a public hearing regarding the bill Thursday Hansen said that the historical information proposed in the bill would be taught along with other citizenship-related course material.

"The eight-hour day and 40-hour week are things we take for granted today, but they did not come without enormous sacrifices on the part of working men and women," Hansen said at the hearing. "Unions fought hard for unemployment insurance, overtime pay, workers' compensation, safety regulations and more."

The bill does not specify the exact material that would be taught, nor does it contain specific requirements for elementary, middle and high schools, according to Hansen spokesperson Eric Genrich.

But Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, thinks the bill benefits certain special interest groups more than Wisconsin students.

"It's just throwing a bone to a special interest, that being the unions," Suder said.

Legislators could argue for a number of "necessary curriculum items," Suder said, adding some could deem it imperative to teach the history of "the Irish or the Polish."

However, Genrich said the history of previously oppressed groups is mandated in existing statewide curriculums.

"There are some other requirements of law, specifically the teaching of African American history and Native American history," Genrich said.

But according to Suder, Wisconsin school systems should focus on the basics in the classroom.

"If anything, we should mandate the teaching of our Constitution and the history of our republic," Suder said.

Despite not supporting this bill, Suder said there should be a balance between curriculum items authorized by law and those decided by individual school districts, schools and teachers.

"I fully support a mandate for the Pledge of Allegiance to be taught. I also support a mandate for more math and science courses," Suder said. "But very specific items like teaching about unions should be left up to the school and the teachers."

However, Hansen said at the hearing the history of unions is important enough to be a necessary topic of discussion in schools.

"As a new generation enters the workforce, they will face challenges …[g]lobalization, downsizing, temp work — these are some of the issues that our new generation of workers will find and they need to know their history before they enter into these new struggles," Hansen at the hearing.

The bill, Hansen added at the hearing, supports teaching the history of both Wisconsin and national unions.

"Wisconsin has a long, proud and sometimes tragic history of labor's efforts," Hansen said.

Suder said he does not expect the bill to pass through the Republican-controlled Assembly.

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Anonymous (December 11, 2007 @ 6:00am):

Meanwhile, many students can barely write a cogent and grammatically correct sentence. Let's stick to the basics before adding niceties like the history of a special interest group.

Anonymous (December 11, 2007 @ 11:26am):

Considering how important unions have been to the history of the United States, and Wisconsin in particular, current curriculum is remarkably absent in such a discussion--even worse, the materials about unions that are taught are hold-overs from the McCarthyist era. It isn't so much catering to special interests, as teaching materials correctly and finally using post-Cold War textbooks.

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