The Politics of State Social Studies Standards Adoption

Recently, School Boards for Academic Success, a new national conservative school board association with an affiliate in Colorado called Colorado Leaders for Academic Success, shared this article on their X account, Big DEI Booster Revamping K-12 History Curriculum In Republican-Run Iowa. One paragraph stands out as a cause for concern here in Colorado.

“Iowa would easily achieve the law’s command if, instead of a bureaucratic process employing people shaped by incompetent and evil institutions such as NCSS, it simply selected best-in-country history curriculum outlines such as from the National Association of Scholars or Hillsdale College. Any thinking citizen can see either is quite obviously better than the current social studies curriculum mandated in every state in the nation.“

Sound familiar? The National Association of Scholars/Civics Alliance is a Social Studies coalition/organization that recommended American Birthright Standards to the Colorado Board of Education. Colorado Board of Education voted down the use of American Birthright standards; however, Woodland Park School Board voted to use American Birthright Social Studies standards after the Colorado State Board of Education rejected the academic standards.

Who is the Article’s Author, Joy Pullmann?

Joy Pullmann is a Hillsdale College graduate, executive editor of The Federalist, Heartland Institute fellow, and co-founder of a classical academy. Joy confidently asserts her views on what she thinks is best for Iowa and the Nation’s public school students. In the article mentioned above, Ms. Pullmann positions herself as a “good Christian mom” yet makes personal attacks against Stefanie Rosenberg Wager, a former teacher, former NCSS President, and currently an Administrative Consultant, Standards and Instructional Practices at the Iowa Department of Education.

Rather than fostering constructive dialogue, Ms. Pullmann propagates misinformation about the NCSS and aims to sway parents into believing that the American Birthright Standards and the Hillsdale Curriculum are the optimal choices for public school education. Such tactics raise questions about her commitment to genuine Christian values, significantly when they undermine Ms. Wager, a dedicated professional who has devoted her career to education. It’s imperative for parents to critically evaluate the motives behind such assertions and seek the best outcomes for their children based on sound principles and facts. NCSS has a long-standing legacy, contributing significantly to social studies education for over a century.

NCSS Statement on American Birthright: The Civics Alliance’s Model K-12 Social Studies Standards

What is The Federalist?

The Federalist is an online conservative magazine that focuses on culture, politics, and religion. AllSides rates The Federalist as a right-wing media source.


What is The Heartland Institute?

The Heartland Institute is a conservative and libertarian public policy think tank that is a member of the State Policy Network. The Heartland Institute is known for its work with the tobacco company Philip Morris to question the cancer risks of secondhand smoke. The Heartland Institute is also known for rejecting the scientific consensus on climate change. More on the Heartland Institute

What is the State Policy Network?

The State Policy Network supports the work of many vocal think tanks that promote climate change skepticism, including the Heartland Institute, Cato Institute, and Heritage Foundation.

  • State Policy Network (SPN)
    • “The State Policy Network (SPN), founded in 1992, is a collection of conservative and right-leaning think tanks. It consists of almost 70 affiliates and over 90 associated organizations. SPN believes in restoring the balance of power between “powerful elites” in Washington, DC, and state governments. Originally founded as the Madison Group, the goal of the State Policy Network was to create mini Heritage Foundations in each state.”

How does this connect to Colorado?

Recently, a new conservative school board association, Colorado Leaders for Academic Success, popped up in Colorado. CLAS is a School Boards for Academic Excellence State Partner Organization. The SBAE website states that if you are a school board member affiliated with one of SBAE’s State Partner Organizations, you are eligible for a free curriculum review with Jordan Adams, former founder of Vermilion.

More about Jordan Adams

Concerns

According to SBAE’s website content, School Boards for Academic Success supports Science of Reading curricula for English Language Arts. According to several posts on SBAE’s social media, it appears that SBAE supports Hillsdale Math and Science curricula and Civics Alliance’s American Birthright Social Studies Standards, which align with the Hillsdale 1776 curriculum & other curricula choices.

SBAE’s Colorado affiliate, Colorado Leaders for Academic Success (CLAS) website, highlights a partnership with 16 school districts, raising concerns that more Colorado districts could face the same curriculum issues as Woodland Park School District. With Colorado’s unique focus on local control over curriculum, Colorado school boards with a CLAS majority could adopt curricula recommendations made by SBAE & CLAS.

It is worth noting that several Colorado school districts have already adopted curricula aligning with the Science of Reading. In 2019, the legislature strengthened the READ Act. According to the Colorado Department of Education website, “the READ Act requires K-3 teachers providing literacy instruction, 4-12 reading interventionists, elementary school leaders, and K 12 literacy coaches to complete training in the science of teaching reading”; therefore, Colorado School Districts would not need SBAE’s curriculum audits for ELA. So, what is left for Jordan Adams to audit? Social Studies, Math, and Science curricula?

A look inside Colorado’s years-long push to change how schools teach reading.

What can you do? VOTE LOCAL!

Colorado School Board Elections are in November 2025. This is a crucial time for our local education, as the decisions made by local school boards regarding curriculum adoption will be influenced by these elections. Do we need religious indoctrination? OR do we want to stick to the approved INCLUSIVE Social Studies Standards that the Colorado State Board of Education approved and Science and Math Curricula that align with Colorado Academic Standards?

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