DC’s updated social studies standards include colonizers and white supremacy
Jenny Goldsberry
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The D.C. State Board of Education updated its social studies standards to be more “culturally inclusive” Wednesday.
After a unanimous vote, the board ratified the first update to the standards surrounding the social studies and history curriculum since 2006. An effort to update began in 2019 when former social studies teacher Jessica Sutter joined the board.
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“The Office of the State Superintendent has worked with the State Board of Education, educators across the District and community stakeholders to develop history and social science standards that reflect the District’s commitment to robust, culturally inclusive teaching and learning, impart important social studies content in the early grades, strengthen student knowledge of democratic principles and values, and promote civic engagement,” a message from Superintendent of Education Christina Grant said. It preludes the standards that will attempt to “reflect the lived experiences of the community and families in Washington, DC.”
New topics include introducing explorers like Christopher Columbus as “colonizers” and broaching the history of white supremacy, two terms that weren’t included in the 2006 standards. History will also include events that happened after 2006 until the present day, which will include LGBT history.
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It took a “32-member Technical Writing Committee of DC educators, and national social studies, civics and history experts” and “extensive community feedback” to arrive at the new standards, per Grant’s office.
The new standards will apply to Washington’s 115 public schools and 49,896 students, per U.S. News and World Report.