The American Historical Association (AHA) recently sent a letter to the Jefferson County (Colorado) Public School board and its students which was posted on the AHA blog.

The AHA sent their support to the College Board (the entity that creates Advanced Placement course curriculum and tests) in August but also acknowledges that the students’ protests display a level of critical thinking that should be recognized. EducationWorld previously reported on the protests in Colorado.

The letter reads in part:

We are concerned that the Jefferson County School Board's proposals for board review of the curriculum framework are inspired more by politics than a commitment to rigorous and professional history education. At the same time, we are deeply impressed with the enthusiasm of your students. To see students standing up for the integrity of their education, and in particular for the quality of historical thinking and teaching that takes place in their classrooms is refreshing--and quite frankly, impressive.

AHA notes that individual teachers play a strong role in guiding AP History students.

"The AP framework is organized chronologically and thematically in order to enable teachers to use their expertise to select the individual stories that compose the broader narratives."

While some compromise has been reached when it comes to the AP History content, there continues to be disapproval in Colorado with the board's actions, as seen in the Chalkbeat Colorado blog post entitled “Jeffco protests continue with no end in sight.”

Read the AHA's letter.