This book changed me from being a "conservative" to a "liberal"....

[caraher]

16. I'd actually expect the reverse

In wealthy districts the kids will be expected to excel in college and will need to develop some critical thinking skills. Those same districts also need to recruit good teachers, who are more likely to insist on actually teaching something of substance.

By contrast, in resource-poor districts the history teacher is more likely to be chosen mainly because the school needs a good football coach, and he has a teaching certificate.

At high school age, students are more likely to adopt their parents' politics than anything else, and students also compartmentalize well ("this is the answer I give in the class for the teacher, but it's not what I really think" - this goes on a LOT with teaching evolution, for instance. In fact, I'd say that if you take your mental image of the school most likely to adopt (or want to adopt) teaching the latest flavor of creationism, that will be the same kind of school most inclined to the indoctrination model for US history). So while some students might have their eyes opened, it's not enough for rich conservative parents to demand dumbed-down schools for their kids when that would put them at a competitive disadvantage for college.

Indoctrination central would be rural schools and working class areas where terms like "Reagan Democrats" are not considered oxymorons.