To the editor:

It is good to have the freedom to express one’s thoughts. Some readers may not be aware of the required Minnesota social studies standards for public school students in grades K-12, beginning in the 2026 – 2027 school year. Social studies brings to mind studying the cultures of different people around the world. The new course has an additional section called “Ethnics”. In that section one of the subjects is “Identities”. Young children will learn “who they are”, considering their race, religion, individual values, culture, language and gender. These standards may be incorporated into the language arts through books. The goal is to promote “honesty and inclusiveness.”

Some of these standards conflict with God’s directive to parents “to bring them (children) up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4). A child’s values may be the Ten Commandments, the values God desires us to have and live.

When I see my neighbor’s flag across the street, I think of the freedoms it represents. Freedom of religion is important to uphold in our classrooms. Parents have the opportunity to become informed of all the required Social Studies standards at each grade level and can choose to opt their child(ren) out of any part of the standards or the final testing.

In trying to be “inclusive” I am concerned that those who prepared these social studies standards have excluded God, the source of our blessings.

Trudy Madetzke

Marshall