Cord Byrd: “Every February our Nation celebrates the birth of two of our most revered presidents--George Washington, the father of…”

“Every February our Nation celebrates the birth of two of our most revered presidents--George Washington, the father of our Nation, who victoriously led his ill-fitted assembly of militiamen against the armies of King George, and Abraham Lincoln, the eternal martyr of freedom, whose powerful voice and iron will shepherded a divided Nation toward a more perfect Union. Sadly, I fear that many of our Nation's school children may never fully appreciate the lives and accomplishments of these two American giants of history. They have been robbed of that appreciation--robbed by a school system that no longer stresses a knowledge of American history. In fact, study after study has shown that many of the true meanings of our Nation's grand celebrations of patriotism--such as Memorial Day or the Fourth of July--are lost on the majority of young Americans. What a waste. What a shame. In 1994, the National Assessment of Educational Progress assessed fourth, eighth, and twelfth-grade students' knowledge of U.S. history. The results of this study are deeply disturbing. The study divided students into three groups--advanced, proficient, and basic--based on their ability to recall, understand, analyze, and interpret U.S. history. Only 17 percent of fourth graders, 14 percent of eighth graders, and 11 percent of twelfth graders were judged to be 'proficient.'”