I am pleased that CNN addresses history education in its article, “Subject Matters: Why students fall behind on history.” Raising issues that have concerned the AHA Teaching Division, the article mentions the role of “No Child Left Behind” in the decline of time that teachers spend on history in the classroom. It also briefly discusses one of the most important issues in the teaching of history: the students’ lack of a historical context for the discrete pieces of information they learn. Many excellent history teachers at all levels and public historians creatively battle against these problems.

This article offers a provocative launching point for a discussion on history education and teaching in our schools.  Please feel free to express your opinion in the comments section below.

Noralee Frankel is the AHA’s Assistant Director on Women, Minorities, and Teaching. 

This post first appeared on AHA Today.