Jefferson protests showcase the power of student voice

Since Sept. 19, students and teachers have been staging protests throughout Jefferson County in Colorado to decry the school board’s proposed changes to U.S. curriculum. The new curriculum aims to omit certain historical events or ideas that portray a negative image of the United States, and it was motivated by changes to the Advanced Placement U.S. History curriculum made by College Board.

Julie Williams, one of three newly elected members of the Jefferson County School Board who have created a conservative majority, wrote in the proposal for the new curriculum that “Materials should promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free enterprise system, respect for authority, and respect for individual rights. Materials should not encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law.”

Though it is, of course, true that the goal of education should not be to tear down the United States, it is also wrong to cover up certain aspects of history simply because they are unpleasant or create less-than-positive images of the United States in students’ minds.

Gabriella Visani, a freshman majoring in occupational therapy at USC, graduated from Lakewood High School last year, one of the schools involved in the protest. Many of her former classmates have participated in the walkouts. Visani called the censorship “dystopian” and “reminiscent of 1984 and Big Brother.”

According to Visani, the censorship of history curriculum is only one of many issues plaguing the school district, but it is the one that has garnered the most attention. She said that the controversy over history textbooks is “representative of what the Board of Education represents, which is kind of this machine-like education system.” Among the other issues facing the district are pay cuts and disagreements between the district and teacher unions.

The most ironic part of this situation is that by proposing the curriculum change, the Jefferson County School Board is teaching high school students a real-life history lesson: to use democratic power to stand up for what they believe. In fact, the students are actually channeling tactics that historical figures used throughout American history in the very events that school board members hope to remove from textbooks, namely those that do not demonstrate a “respect for authority” and instead “encourage or condone civil disorder.”

These Colorado students are promoting the most fundamental ideals of the United States through activities that the school board says do not “present positive aspects of the United States and its heritage.” The board’s attempt to censor rebellious aspects of American history is actually fueling that same desire for disobedience among the current generation of students. What the board fails to realize is that disobedience to authority is one of the key tenets of a democratic-republican government. In fact, without it, there wouldn’t even be a republican government here in the United States. Through free speech and peaceful assembly, Colorado residents are not only taking advantage of their rights, but they are also fulfilling their duties as citizens of the United States to actively participate in government. The board members, who hope to uphold a mythical image of the United States, are not the patriotic citizens in this instance; instead, the patriots are the students, as well as teachers, who are willing to face the consequences of their actions in order to stand up for justice.

If the Board of Education hopes to make changes to the curriculum, they must go about it in a more democratic way or all attempts will fail. Students must continue to demand that their voices be heard, but more importantly, the school board must actually start listening to its constituents. For now, the future of American education — and perhaps other academic subjects — in Jefferson County looks bleak. If the leaders cannot put aside their own personal interests in order to best serve the students, they no longer are fit for office.

As Visani put it, “I love what made [Jefferson County] great, which is passion for education, and I’m really worried that the new board is going to ruin that.” The students of Jefferson County shouldn’t have to worry about ensuring that their school district provides the best and most inclusive education possible. But if necessary, they must continue exemplifying the tenets of freedom of speech and citizen involvement in government that have been exemplified in the historical examples that the Jefferson County School Board is attempting to hide from them.