Throwing the Booklet at Lynne Cheney

Re: “Booklet That Upset Mrs. Cheney Is History,” Oct. 8: As a history educator at Arcadia High School, I am troubled by Lynne Cheney’s actions. The Bush administration promoted standards for all schools with the No Child Left Behind Act. Now the Department of Education, thanks to Cheney’s complaints, has removed the mention of national history standards from its booklet on teaching history to our children.

Which is it going to be, standards or no standards?

Last week we had back-to-school night. I met with parents and assured them that we will meet and exceed the standards for history. The standards offer an honest approach to our history and allow for open discussion and disagreement about events.

Ten years ago the national standards promoted a more inclusive history, and that did not square well with Cheney, who felt that we should revert to a form of “hero history.” When we take an honest look at our past, warts and all, that is heroic.

Oliver Beckwith

Monrovia

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It is frightening that the routine update of a useful and positive United States government handbook for parents could be hijacked and turned into the personal vehicle for the right-wing views of one person -- even if she is the wife of the vice president.

The National Standards for History is a moderate and responsible document, created and edited by a wide range of teachers and scholars. It has been, and continues to be, sound guidance for state and local district curriculum writers all across the nation. Now we learn that 300,000 copies of a parents guide, which merely mentioned those national standards, have been destroyed because Cheney does not like the standards. This is sorry testimony to the cowardice of the Department of Education, as well as to the malign influence of one woman.

Political ideology, not professional judgment, is driving American education today.

John Hergesheimer

Whittier