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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Who Shapes American History?

    The College Board designs advance placement courses for high-school students, providing what critics call a monopoly on American History. But historians disagree about slavery, the rationale for various wars, the nature of government and what’s called "American Exceptionalism."

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    By Warren Olney • Aug 6, 2015 • 32m Listen

    The College Board designs advance placement courses for high-school students, providing what critics call a monopoly on American History. But historians disagree about slavery, the rationale for various wars, the nature of government and what’s called "American Exceptionalism." College Board standards set last year were called "unpatriotic" by conservatives, including the Republican National Committee, which accused the Board of a "radically revisionist view…the emphasizes negative aspects of our nation’s history while omitting or minimizing positive aspects." Now they have been revised--but the controversy is not going away. Is "neutrality" even possible?

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    How to Teach US History to Our High School Kids
    1. 1:32Japan Set to Reactivate Nuclear Reactors Next Week
    2. 8:07Who Shapes American History?You’re reading this
    3. 41:09'Best of Enemies' and the Rise of Punditry
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Jenny Hamel

      KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Charlotte Duren

      Producer, To the Point/Which Way LA?

    • KCRW placeholder

      Christine Detz

      Producer, 'To the Point'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Maria Montoya

      New York University

    • KCRW placeholder

      Lyndsey Layton

      Washington Post

    • KCRW placeholder

      Williamjames Hull Hoffer

      Seton Hall University

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    How to Teach US History to Our High School Kids
    1. 1:32Japan Set to Reactivate Nuclear Reactors Next Week
    2. 8:07Who Shapes American History?You’re reading this
    3. 41:09'Best of Enemies' and the Rise of Punditry
    Back to To the Point