School Department: Passage about IDF was removedmonths ago

School Department: Passage about IDF was removedmonths ago

2012 JUNE 28

tags: Newton Public Schools, School Committee

by Chloe Gotsis

Despite School Department reassurances that a controversial passage was removed from the curriculum at the citys two high schools, a small contingent of activists continue to claim Newton Public Schools are teaching a radical Islamic agenda.

The group of Newton residents has hurled accusations of anti-Semitism at Newton Public School administrators and School Committee membersmany of whom are Jewish themselveseven after School Superintendent David Fleishmans announcement at the Nov. 14 School Committee meeting that Newton South administrators have removed the article from the curriculum after determining it didnt meet the learning goals of the class.

from School Committee

19 Responses leave one

David Harris PERMALINK

June 28, 2012, 4:33 PM

Didnt meet the learning goals of the class = holy crap we screwed up

Lisap PERMALINK

June 28, 2012, 5:09 PM

Im actually feeling sorry for the school committee now . . . how many times do they have to say the offending pages are gone, removed, deleted, eliminated, withdrawn, taken away, done away with, and eradicated.

Joanne PERMALINK

June 28, 2012, 10:48 PM

Have they met privately with the Superintendent and Chair of the SC to discuss this?

Ariella PERMALINK

June 29, 2012, 12:39 PM

Although the single excerpt containing anti-semitic statements was removed, other parts of the Arab World Studies Notebook are still in use. These sections contain significant mis-statements of fact and have been deemed unworthy of use by studies and reports written by a former deputy director of the Massachusetts Department of Education, the Textbook Council, the American Jewish Congress, and many other organizations (Google Arab World Studies Notebook you will see that six of the top ten results are critical studies). THIS is what the the activists are complaining about. They have had several meetings with teachers, history department heads, and principals during the past month.

It would be great if School Committee members and Superintendent Fleischman actually had a clue what was going on, but apparently they dont.

Chloe Gotsis PERMALINK

June 29, 2012, 1:39 PM

@Ariella At the June 11 meeting School Committee Chairwoman Claire Sokoloff said that Superintendent David Fleishman has said that the entire Arab World Notebook was never used. At the Nov. 14 meeting Fleishman said the passage was used to teach students about Islam and women in particular not about the Arab Israeli conflict. He also said at the meeting on Nov. 14 that the article was removed from the curriculum after it was reviewed by department heads.

Ariella PERMALINK

July 1, 2012, 5:01 PM

@Chloe I can assure you that the Arab World Studies Notebook (the correct name) was used in Newton schools; I have copies of excerpts of the Notebook given to me by Newton students. Have you asked any students, teachers, or principals about this, or just relied on the word of the Superintendents office?

Supt. Fleischman was wrong as well when he stated that 9th grade students dont use textbooks. They use a textbook called World History: Human Legacy published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Again, if you dont believe me please speak with the principals at both high schools.

Also, its ridiculous to claim that a false anti-Israel claim was used to teach students about Islam and women in particular. There was nothing relating either to Islam or women in that passage.

Its lazy journalism to rely on only one source. Please speak with some people who actually had children in the classes. Do you really think that Tony Pagliuso and his daughter are just making this whole thing up, which is what Ms. Sokoloff implies?

Lisap PERMALINK

July 2, 2012, 1:23 PM

Ariella Are you claiming that the entire Arab World Studies Notebook book was used in 9th grade world history, or just experts? According to Chloes post, the Superintendent stated that the entire book was never used. Do you disagree with Fleishmans claim that the book was not used in its entirety?

Lisap PERMALINK

July 2, 2012, 2:05 PM

Meant excerpts not experts.

Janet Sterman PERMALINK

July 2, 2012, 7:33 PM

As disturbing as teaching Islam (or any religion) in Newton public schools is the practice is being defended by both the Superintendent and School Committee Chair (who both have Jewish sounding names).

Ted Hess-Mahan PERMALINK

July 3, 2012, 7:30 AM

Janet, there is a difference between teaching religion and teaching about religion. I dont think it is possible to fully understand the literature and history of Western Civilization without some knowledge of religion. For instance, how does one elide any reference to Christianity, Judaism or

Islam from the history of the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, or King Henry VIII of England? These were all historical, pivotal events in European history.

For that matter, I would give a failing grade to any student who answered the question of why the Pilgrims came to America without reference to their religious beliefs. Indeed, one cannot understand the reasons for including the First Amendment exercise of free religion and anti-establishment clauses in our Bill of Rights without also understanding the context of the times, which included religious wars throughout Europe. I think your objections to teaching about Islam may be blinding you to the crucial importance of the history of religion in world history. Pretending religion does not exist is a revisionist history that has no place in our public schools.

BTW, I dont dispute that the materials referred to lacked context and should not have been included in the curriculum. That is why they were removed. But it seems some people would now like to throw the baby out with the bathwater. And that I do not understand.

Lisap PERMALINK

July 3, 2012, 1:19 PM

As a parent I am really at a loss to understand why this is an ongoing matter. An issue relating to a specific article was raised, appropriately addressed and resolved many months ago. As Ted very eloquently wrote above, one must not confuse teaching religion or conducting classes or exercises that are religious in nature with teaching about religion and yes, even when that teaching includes using direct sources such as the Bible, the Torah or the Koran in an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like. Stone v. Graham, 449 U.S. 39 (1980). 9th grade world history covers the period 300-1815 (A.D. or C.E.) and to again quote the Supreme Court, the history of man is inseparable from the history of religion. How can a student be expected to understand the role of ancient Chinese philosophies in the development of China without an understanding of those philosophies? How does one address the Reformation without reference to Martin Luther, his beliefs and the reaction of the Catholic Church to the Reformation? Similarly, how would one be expected to teach about the development of India without reference to Buddhism and Hinduism? Though public schools may not teach religion they are not required to teach history in a vacuum.

Ariella PERMALINK

July 4, 2012, 2:03 PM

No one is objecting to teaching about religion. The objection is to using material that is full of factual errors. Have you actually seen the material? I think you will think very differently after you read it.

Ariella PERMALINK

July 4, 2012, 2:08 PM

Im a bit confused about the throwing the baby out with the bathwater remark. I have not heard anyone object to teaching about religion, and I have been following the issue closely including attending several School Committee meetings. Nor have I heard anyone say that School Committee members or administrators are antisemitic. Can anyone provide examples of when these things supposedly occurred?

Chloe Gotsis PERMALINK

July 5, 2012, 12:02 PM

@Ariella Helga Lustig repeatedly told the School Committee and School Superintendent David Fleishman that she felt as though she was in Nazi Germany before Hitler came to power because her comments were limited to three minutes per person per meeting.

Ariella PERMALINK

July 6, 2012, 8:16 AM

Whats your point, Chloe? She was speaking about indoctrination, not saying that school officials were Nazis. Its ridiculous to claim that her comments were tantamount to hurling accusations of antisemitism. And does Helga speak for all of those activists who want school materials to be accurate?

Ariella PERMALINK

July 6, 2012, 8:22 AM

Take a look at the website Fairness in Newton Education (www.newtonfine.org). One of the articles read by students actually claims that the Catholic Church is reconsidering polygamy as a Christian option (Im not making this up). I really dont think the activists are out of line in wanting this material out of school classrooms.

Lisap PERMALINK

July 6, 2012, 12:12 PM

@Ariella Do you happen to know which article mentions that because Im having trouble locating it and I would love a little direction if you know it off hand. (By the way, I am aware that a book was written a number of years ago by a Catholic priest entitled Polygamy Reconsidered: African Plural Marriages and the Christian Churches. Father Hillman spent 18 years working as a missionary in Africa, and its my understanding that he was challenging the Catholic Churchs opposition to polygamy in countries where it was traditionally practiced.)

ad PERMALINK

July 6, 2012, 1:48 PM

@Lisap Easy to find:

HTTP://WWW.NEWTONFINE.ORG/CONTACT/HOME

Just click on About Us link.

One excerpt from the book A Muslim Primer, distributed to 9th graders, claims that the Roman Catholic church is being forced to reconsider polygamy as a Christian option. A handout titled Where Womanhood Reigns Supreme is a virtual ode to the burka; describing how female modesty (ie. veiling) means liberation, not oppression. ..

Ariella PERMALINK

July 6, 2012, 4:33 PM

The full text of the articles are also on the website look at the section Material used in 9th grade history class. They are both on the first page.