On Board Online • March 16, 2026
Excerpts from a Feb. 26 statement by Regents Chancellor Lester Young Jr. and Education Commissioner Betty Rosa:
Historical stories consist of objective facts. To that end, admirable and repugnant truths exist alongside each other. George Washington secured America's freedom but enslaved human beings. Andrew Jackson paid off the national debt but forced tens of thousands of Native Americans on the Trail of Tears. And Lyndon Johnson secured passage of the Civil Rights Act while escalating a deadly war in Vietnam . We find ourselves in a moment when truth is challenged, minimized, or reframed . One such effort is the federal government's attempt to suppress truth in our National Parks. Federal officials have attempted to prohibit mention of slavery at Independence National Park in Philadelphia, industrial hardship at Lowell National Historic Park and climate change at Muir Woods National Monument.
It may be comforting to imagine history free of conflict. But education has never been about comfort; it has always been about truth . We empower students to become thoughtful citizens who can engage complexity with empathy, courage and discernment.
The Board of Regents and State Education Department appreciate the educators, librarians, curators, archivists and other professionals who are committed to the truth above all else. As the American Historical Association recently wrote, "[s]tudents deserve opportunities to learn an honest and full account of the history of the United States and the world." This is only possible if students have opportunities to study "the full history of our communities and institutions and the experiences of the many Americans who have struggled to achieve a more perfect union throughout our nation's history."
Read the full statement at bit.ly/4rL06wb .