George Washington: No Longer in Our Public Schools?

By William M. Sanders

 

            When I started the George Washington Portrait Project in 1998, I thought that New Jersey, the crossroads of the American Revolution, would be proud to set the example for the rest of the nation, by commemorating the 200th Anniversary

of the death of one of our most important founding fathers, by placing a stately portrait of George Washington back in our


William Sanders

public schools.

 The original portraits, put in every classroom in every school in America by congressional mandate in 1932, to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Washington‘s birth, were removed starting in the 1960’s. I have yet to find a public school where one of these portraits still hangs.
            To my surprise and dismay, my project was met with fierce opposition from the ACLU, the leadership of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), and the NEA at the national level.
            Then in 2002, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) attempted to remove George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, from the history core curriculum. The NJDOE is still trying to get this accomplished.

Over the past thirty years, information regarding early American history and George Washington in our children’s text books has been whittled down to a meager 10 percent of what it was in the 1960’s. How can our children grow up to become good citizens when they don’t understand or know about those who founded our great nation and why they fought to establish it? How can they learn to make proper civic assessments?

            Our children are not clear on the principals on which our country was founded. In a survey of fourth grade students conducted by the Mt. Vernon Ladies’ Association the following alarming statistics were found:

  1. Seven out of ten thought that California, Illinois, and Texas were among the original 13 colonies.
  2. Six out of ten had no idea why the pilgrims came to America.
  3. Only seven percent of fourth graders could identify an important event that took place in Philadelphia in 1776.
  4. One in four Americans cannot recognize whose picture is on the one dollar bill.

Further, in recent tests administered to high school seniors, only one in ten could be considered proficient in American history.

I think the teachings of George Washington are as timely today as when Lieutenant Colonel U.S. Grant III, gave a speech to the National Convention of the NEA on July 2, 1930.  Grant closed his speech by stating, “…teach your pupils to know and admire George Washington, to carry his example and companionship in their hearts and the country’s destinies will be safe in the hands of the next generation.”

Images are important…the portrait of George Washington serves to remind us of what it means to be an American, and of the ideals, devotion, and love of country he so strongly exemplified. That is why I am continuing my battle to place George Washington‘s picture back into every classroom in America.

 

Publisher‘s Note…

William M. Sanders is the Executive Director of the Portraits of Patriots Project in Mountainside, New Jersey. Any individual or organization interested in assisting Mr. Sanders in his efforts to put the portrait of George Washington back into our public school classrooms and pubic buildings is encouraged to contact him either by e-mail at patriotspx@aol.com or by calling (732) 560-0770. We also encourage you to visit his web site (http://www.portraits-patriots.qpg.com) which contains information on how to order a framed print for you home or office.