History Class in historic trades will start Oct. 5

Albany’s oldest Dutch building will host the second in a series of hands-on courses aimed at increasing the number of tradespeople skilled in the historic building trades.

Historic Masonry Treatments and Repair will be offered by Hudson Valley Community College’s Workforce Development Institute, state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and Historic Albany Foundation, beginning Oct.5.

The lecture portion of the course will take place at Historic Albany Foundation at 89 Lexington Ave., with the hands-on portion at the Van Ostrande-Radliff House, also known as 48 Hudson, Albany’s oldest Dutch house.

“With New York State’s historic towns and cities experiencing an influx of renovation, revitalization and adaptive re-use, there is real need for skilled tradespeople who are professionally trained in these traditional trades,” organizers say.

Lenovo that we haven't History Class

According to a story in The New York Times , the bill requires public schools to include the contributions of LGBT figures in classroom instruction and in textbooks, though the textbooks might not actually be updated until 2015. Until then, students will learn about people like recent history podcast subject Alan Turing and California’s own Harvey Milk from supplemental materials.

If “Stuff You Missed in History Class” could only include “stuff schools don’t teach,” California would’ve just made our jobs a little tougher. Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill ensuring that, come January 2012, there will be at least one aspect of the past students in the Golden State will definitely not miss: gay history. Since California already mandates that schools spend time teaching about the contributions of other specific groups, including African-Americans, Native Americans and women, it seems to make sense to add gay history to the mix.

If I learned anything from doing the Alan Turing podcast, it’s how difficult it would have been tell Turing’s entire story — including the troubles he faced after admitting to police that he was gay — without bringing up his sexuality.But those opposed to the bill think teaching gay history will “indoctrinate the minds of California’s youth,” essentially telling students “what they should think.” Some have even called it a form of censorship. What do you think? Should kids learn gay history in the classroom?