The White House review of Smithsonian Institution content is prompting concern that classroom materials teachers regularly use could change if the administration pushes the museum to alter the tone and framing of its public-facing work.
High school history teacher Katharina Matro said she often relies on digitized collections and primary documents from the Smithsonian website to build lessons on topics such as genocide and slavery, and she fears a review aimed at removing “divisive or partisan narratives” could limit teachers’ access to vetted historical sources. “We don’t want a partisan history,” said Matro, who teaches in Bethesda, Maryland. "We want the history that’s produced by real historians."
The White House told the Smithsonian last month that its review is meant to "assess tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals," language officials said is consistent with the administration’s drive to "celebrate American exceptionalism." The review is part of a broader push to reshape federal cultural and educational content, and comes as the administration rolls out initiatives tied to national commemoration plans for the country’s 250th anniversary.
The Education Department recently opened the White House's Founders Museum in partnership with PragerU, a conservative nonprofit that produces videos on politics and history. The temporary museum, housed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, offers biographies of Declaration of Independence signers and produced videos that depict the founders speaking. Education Secretary Linda McMahon appears in an introductory PragerU video and said the project is meant to encourage patriotic education by honoring the nation’s founders.
Critics say such projects risk sanitizing the nation’s history by downplaying slavery, genocide, systemic racism and other difficult subjects. Tina Ellsworth, president of the National Council for the Social Studies, said teachers are wary of using sources that appear partisan. "Those are the kinds of things that teachers are really leery of because they don't see partisanship in the sources that we're using as being good educational practice," she said.
Federal museums, archives and institutions, including the Smithsonian, have long been important sources of free classroom materials. An American Historical Association survey last year found more than 80% of history teachers reported using such resources. Teachers and historians say the materials are trusted in part because they are prepared and reviewed by professionals.
Brendan Gillis, director of teaching and learning at the American Historical Association, said federal materials have been among the most influential investments in social studies education over recent decades. For many teachers, digital access to museum collections fills gaps left by out-of-date textbooks and tight school budgets. "I don’t have to figure out ‘is this real? Is this not real?’ I can trust the descriptions of the artifact," Matro said.
Educators and historians described a range of possible consequences if the Smithsonian changes the framing of its exhibits, lesson plans and outreach programs. Russell Jeung, an Asian-American studies professor who took part in a Smithsonian video series about anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic, said he expects materials that address structural discrimination could be shelved or reworked to de-emphasize harm. "I think the story will be told," Jeung said. "But the tragedy again and the loss is that we won’t get the national recognition that we deserve."
Some teachers worry the changes could affect student engagement and career aspirations. Michael Heiman, a longtime social studies teacher in Juneau, Alaska, said he regularly assigns virtual Smithsonian tours and scavenger hunts that include culturally inclusive exhibits. He said a shift away from inclusive content could discourage students of color, including Native American children, from pursuing museum careers or engaging deeply with history. "We are further quieting voices that are important to our country," Heiman said.
Academic collaborations with the Smithsonian have also been a pipeline to federal cultural work. Sam Redman, a history professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, said graduate students who once sought internships and jobs at the Smithsonian have expressed less interest this year amid the review. "This is a pressing concern, no doubt about it," Redman said.
Scholars who have studied the Smithsonian note that education has been part of the institution’s mission since its founding but expanded markedly after World War II, when the museum began producing materials and professional development specifically for classrooms. The Smithsonian organizes workshops, produces worksheets and videos and curates primary-source documents intended for teacher use.
State education policies have also shaped classroom instruction in recent years, as many states adopted guidelines limiting how topics such as racism and sexism are taught. Professional groups representing social studies teachers say educators will continue to adapt and seek reliable primary sources regardless of federal changes, but they contend that professional, nonpartisan vetting of materials is crucial for sound pedagogy.
The White House review of Smithsonian content is ongoing, and the institution has previously cooperated with federal oversight while emphasizing its role as a nonpartisan research and educational organization. Officials at the Smithsonian have not publicly detailed what, if any, changes might be forthcoming to the institution’s curriculum materials, public programs or digital collections.
As the nation approaches its semiquincentennial, educators and historians say the stakes extend beyond exhibits on the Mall: they encompass the materials shaping how a new generation learns about the country’s past and its contested chapters. "Education is always political, so we know that as social studies teachers, it’s our job to navigate that terrain, which we do and we do well," Ellsworth said, while acknowledging the concern that federal shifts could make that navigation more difficult for teachers already stretched by time and resources.
The Associated Press contributed to reporting on this story.