New Report Shows College American History Classes Focus Mostly On Social Justice Revisionism

New Report Shows College American History Classes Focus Mostly On Social Justice Revisionism

By Corinne Murdock |

Center for American Institutions (CAI), an interdisciplinary research project through Arizona State University (ASU), declared in a new report that higher education’s American history classes focus mostly on social justice revisionism that conclude with a depiction of America as a nation in decline.

In their research, published recently as the first “State of Health” commission report, CAI reviewed 75 introductory history syllabi from dozens of the top 150 national universities ranked by U.S. News and World Report last year. The project members included Scott Walker, former governor of Wisconsin; Mary Fallin, former governor of Oklahoma; and Newt Gingrich, former House Speaker. 

The CAI commission discovered that progressive angles to identity-related terms and topics dominated American history introductory courses: white supremacy, racism, inclusion, exclusion, equity, diversity, masculinity, gender, LGBT, and oppression. Comparatively, the commission claimed that essential founding and other key historical topics were mostly overlooked or heavily criticized, like liberty, federalism, the Constitution, rule of law, Western tradition, the Industrial Revolution, and capitalism.

The commission explained that its first report was focused on civic education because a proper education of the Constitution, federalism, economic expansion, and democratization produce informed voters. They posited that unity in imparting American history leads to a healthier nation, evident through limited polarization and dysfunctionality in politics. They also posited that an improper understanding of the nation’s history results in radicalization, divisiveness, mass disrespect, and antisocial behaviors; the commission cited an overemphasis on identity-related themes as a specific cause of an improper historical education.

On classes that taught American history from the settlement to 1877, the CAI commission found that all syllabi included at least one mention of an identity-related term; 56 percent of classes focused on institutions topics; one-third of courses focused on institutions for less than half of class meetings; 80 percent of courses spent only two class periods or less on the writing, ratification, and contents of the Constitution; 11 percent of classes didn’t cover the drafting of the Constitution in Philadelphia; and 63 percent of syllabi included institutional phrases such as “liberty” and “freedom,” but no syllabi mentioned “the rule of law” or “Western tradition.”

The commission also found that those syllabi that tended to mention institutions more also mentioned identities more, regardless of syllabus length.

On classes that taught history from 1877 to the present, the commission found that over 60 percent of syllabi included one “divisive” identity-focused term; over 40 percent didn’t mention the terms like “freedom,” “prosperity,” or “religion”; over 10 percent of class meetings focused exclusively on the Civil Rights Movement or feminism; and only 10 percent discussed Phyllis Schlafly, a major critic of second wave feminism.

The commission further found that instructors angled their teaching on this period of history with a fixation on the exclusion of minorities, oppression and expression of gender identity and sexual orientation, and voicing anti-market bias. The CAI commission added that coverages of political, legal, military, progressive, and religious histories lacked context and depth.

The research team found that most of the classes conclude with a characterization of America as a nation in decline and an ignorance of positive points in recent American history, such as women gaining voting rights.

“Through lectures, discussions, and required readings, students are directed to see a nation in decline. [The] United States is portrayed as a nation that never fulfilled its ideals of equality, defined as social equality,” stated the report. 

The study was preempted by the discovery that 40 percent of students were below proficient in American history and civics, according to last year’s report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. CAI Director Donald Critchlow stated in the report introduction that higher education offered the poorest quality of education on American history and civics: social justice ideology over truth.

“American colleges and universities are being forced to become centers of remedial learning, but they are failing to provide basic facts of American history and civics to their students,” said Critchlow. “[M]any teachers of introductory American history courses simply are not conveying foundational knowledge to their students. Instead, a heavy emphasis rests on racial, ethnic, and gender identity, usually to the detriment of a comprehensive and necessary knowledge of our nation’s past.”

In order to counter these alleged issues with higher education American history and civics courses, the CAI commission recommended the establishment of new interdisciplinary degree programs with more expansive civic education opportunities. 

Additionally, the commission recommended greater educational transparency: public postings of syllabi, approximate student enrollments and majors, student enrollments per faculty or affiliated faculty, publication of faculty meeting minutes, faculty and upper administration announcements, and a two-year report of occupational outcomes for majors.

The commission also recommended teachers to be evaluated based on teaching and research outcomes, and for higher education institutions to cease requiring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statements from faculty hires.

CAI will issue a second State of the Health commission report on Civic Education in the Military next spring. 

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

Phoenix Finds Shelter For 82 Percent Of Homeless After Court Order To Clean Up The Zone

Phoenix Finds Shelter For 82 Percent Of Homeless After Court Order To Clean Up The Zone

By Corinne Murdock |

The city of Phoenix reported having an 82 percent success rate with admitting The Zone’s homeless into shelters after a court order to clean up the infamous downtown homeless encampment.

The majority success rate came just ahead of the court-ordered deadline last week, Nov. 4. Of the 716 homeless in The Zone, 590 consented to entering a shelter according to Rachel Milne, director of the Office of Homeless Solutions. That’s a success rate of over 82 percent.

Milne also said that they managed to reconnect some of those sheltered homeless with their families, or got them established with treatment programs. Milne says that shelter only serves as the beginning of securing permanent housing for the homeless. 

“We need to make sure those 590 individuals that did move on to an indoor location now have the support systems and the proper services to help them in their homelessness,” said Milne. 

That concern relates to the recidivism rates of The Zone’s residents, something noted by the Maricopa County Superior Court when it ordered the city to clear The Zone. 

In his ruling, Judge Scott Blaney criticized city officials equating 70 percent of individuals accepting services as a permanent movement from the streets. Blaney ruled the data as potentially misleading, noting that the city wasn’t able to disclose how many of those individuals accepted a “free hotel room for the night” before returning to The Zone the next day. 

As part of their compliance with the court order, the city established clear signage prohibiting encampments and other related criminal activity around the area that formerly housed The Zone.

AZ Free News published a series of reports on the nature of The Zone: rampant crime and lawlessness: murders and assaults, drug use and dealings, prostitution, gang violence, theft and property destruction, bordered all around by knee-deep and blocks-long biohazards.

One of the lawyers that sued the city over its handling of The Zone, Ilan Wurman, marveled at the success rate the city of Phoenix experienced when forced to meet a court deadline to help the homeless.

“We did it. Because of our lawsuit, the City has cleared the Zone,” said Wurman. “And look at the huge number of folks who ACCEPTED SHELTER. Just incredible.”

As reported previously, the city attempted unsuccessfully to obtain an extension in April on an original order to clean up The Zone.

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

Gov. Hobbs’ Task Force Admits 2022 Election Under Her Rule Disenfranchised Voters

Gov. Hobbs’ Task Force Admits 2022 Election Under Her Rule Disenfranchised Voters

By Corinne Murdock |

Gov. Katie Hobbs’ Election Task Force (ETF) admitted that the 2022 election under her administration as secretary of state disenfranchised certain voters.

In the ETF’s final report, issued last week, the group recommended 16 improvements, two of which concerned hotly contested issues on eligible voters’ registration status: provisional ballot forms and cross-county voter registration. The 14 other issues spanned election administration, voter registration, early voting, election day and after procedures, and election equipment and security. 

These provisional ballot and cross-county voter registration standards and procedures caused some voters to be disenfranchised last year. 

Concerning provisional ballot forms, the ETF noted that no law exists to direct counties to have provisional ballots double as voter registration forms for eligible voters who weren’t registered prior to casting their vote. However, it is standard practice adopted by many counties, as noted by the ETF. The ETF also said that inconsistencies in provisional ballot forms across counties resulted in disparate treatment of voters. 

“[T]here is no statutory requirement for counties to adopt this practice, which can result in inconsistent treatment of similarly-situated voters in different counties, and a potential decrease in the practice with turnover in County Recorder and elections offices,” said the ETF.

Maricopa County, which houses the state’s largest voting population, doesn’t have its provisional ballots double as voter registration forms. That meant that unregistered, eligible voters who voted in the primary through a provisional ballot remained unregistered, and therefore cast provisional ballots in the general election that were ultimately rejected. The county offered the following explanation to AZ Free News:

“Maricopa County does not use provisional ballots as registration forms. We do have voter registration forms available at vote centers. An individual must be registered to vote at least 29 before an election to be eligible to vote in that election. So, if someone registers to vote via a registration form at a vote center and then votes a provisional ballot, that provisional ballot will not be valid as they still are not within that 29-day time frame.”

Yet Pima County, which handles the state’s second-largest voting population, does use provisional ballot forms as voter registration.

Concerning cross-county voter registration, the ETF recommended changing state law to allow voters who moved counties to change their address up to and on Election Day, which voters may already do if they change addresses within the same county. Current law requires voters who move to another county to update their address at least 29 days prior to Election Day. The ETF noted that some voters were unaware of address changes to their voter registration

“Some voters are not aware of having made changes to their voter registration through the MVD, or may forget having made a separate request,” stated the ETF.

As alluded to by the ETF, hundreds of voters came forward after the 2022 election to allege that very disenfranchisement happened to them. In his arguments for a new trial in May, failed attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh’s legal team introduced sworn affidavits of hundreds of voters claiming disenfranchisement due to bureaucratic failures. 

One allegedly disenfranchised Maricopa County voter given as an example, Marlena, attempted to vote on Election Day but was denied. Marlena had reportedly experienced issues with the county’s registration system for months: earlier that year, she discovered that her registration had changed without her knowledge and consent. Evidence indicated that Marlena attempted to correct her voter registration before the deadline and subsequently received confirmation from Maricopa County confirming her registration. Yet, she was denied her vote on Election Day.

During a Maricopa County Board of Supervisors meeting in September, county officials noted that individuals have mistakenly checked the wrong box and unknowingly changed their voter registration, when re-registering a vehicle in another county.

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

Democratic Congressional Candidate Confuses Which District She’s Running In

Democratic Congressional Candidate Confuses Which District She’s Running In

By Corinne Murdock |

Democratic congressional candidate Kirsten Engel has confused which district she’s running in, marking the second year and second congressional race in a row of similar oversights to the district she aims to represent.

On Tuesday, Engel posted about her weekend activities purportedly in the sixth congressional district — except, all of the events took place in the seventh congressional district.

“Busy weekend in #AZ06!” said Engel.

The canvass with Tucson Mayor Regina Romero took place at the mayoral candidate’s headquarters — 2720 E. Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85716. The tailgate for the University of Arizona (UArizona) Homecoming took place at the University of Arizona Mall (85721). The UArizona Law awards ceremony granting Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick the Lifetime Achievement Award took place at the James E. Rogers College of Law — 1201 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85721. 

None of those events were in the sixth congressional district.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) was among the first to notice Engel’s mistake. NRCC spokesperson Ben Petersen said in a statement that Engel’s oversight amounted to disrespect — especially since she made a similar mistake last year.

“Extreme liberal Kirsten Engel refuses to stop disrespecting 6th district voters. The 7th Congressional District is as close as Engel will come to representing the 6th, especially given she can’t find it on a map,” said Petersen. 

In July, Engel claimed she was mobilizing her local grassroots support and hearing the concerns of voters within her district — yet posted a picture from the Bisbee Pride Parade, which is outside of the district.

“It’s been an exhausting but exhilarating first couple of months on the campaign trail,” said Engel. “I’ve loved traveling throughout Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, and Pinal counties — talking to voters, hearing their concerns, and mobilizing grassroots support.

Engel faced a similar issue with district engagement and recognition last year. 

Last September, while running against now-Rep. Juan Ciscomani for the sixth district, Engel held a campaign event at Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson — outside the sixth district — immediately after skipping a debate with Ciscomani.

Several months prior, the Arizona Daily Independent reported that Engel and her primary opponent Daniel Hernandez opted to host their debate outside the sixth district as well. 

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

UNICEF Club Allegedly Tells Scottsdale High Schoolers To Side With Hamas

UNICEF Club Allegedly Tells Scottsdale High Schoolers To Side With Hamas

By Corinne Murdock |

A UNICEF club at Desert Mountain High School (DMHS) allegedly told meeting attendees to side with Hamas in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. Hamas is a terrorist group and the de facto governing entity of the Gaza strip, the heart of the ongoing conflict.

In images posted to X (formerly Twitter), the club declared that Israel was an apartheid state, desired to eradicate Muslims, and was the aggressor in the ongoing conflict. 

Specifically, the club declared that Israel has been illegally occupying, taking, and settling on land belonging to Palestinians; that Israel had engaged in ethnic cleansing and apartheid by forcibly displacing and discriminating against Palestinians; and that Israel unjustly tortured and imprisoned Palestinians, including 80 percent of Palestinian children. 

The club also notified club members of an upcoming fundraiser to submit proceeds to UNICEF Gaza, and plans to reroute Halloween fundraising funds to Gaza and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

A candidate for Arizona Department of Education Superintendent, Shiry Sapir, said that the meeting was an endangerment to Jewish students by issuing a false representation of the Israel-Palestine conflict escalated last month by the terrorist organization Hamas.

“Remind [DMHS] that publicly funded schools aren’t supposed to partake in propaganda and anti-Semitic rhetoric,” said Sapir. 

Sapir urged district leadership to implement a preemptive plan to prevent retaliation against Jewish students, and for a representative of Israel come to speak at the school to the students present at the UNICEF club meeting.

Sapir learned of the incident after receiving a report from a parent, who also reported filing a complaint with the school about the club meeting. 

“I wish [my daughter] took pics or video but she said all they spoke about was how Israel is the aggressor and Jews want to kill all Muslims,” said the parent. “How Israel took the land illegally and is committing war crimes. Craziest propaganda.”

The principal, Lisa Hirsch, said in a letter to the DHMS community that she reviewed and approved the slide content before the club meeting. Hirsch emphasized that school clubs were optional and intended to be safe spaces that foster inclusivity. However, she noted that school officials would be reviewing club meetings to ensure content aligned with principles of free speech and mutual respect. 

“We are dedicated to promoting an environment that encourages open dialogue, the sharing of diverse perspectives, and constructive conversations while respecting the rights and values of every member of our school community,” said Hirsch.

There are four other UNICEF high school clubs in Arizona in addition to DMHS: Basis Chandler High School, Basis Scottsdale, Basis Peoria, and Hamilton High School. 

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.