Parents shouldn’t need the help of Congress to see their children’s school curriculum
Philadelphia parents encountered difficulties accessing their children's social studies materials, leading to a congressional investigation revealing controversial content.
Philadelphia parents noticed troubling signs in their children's social studies curriculum and requested to see all materials but faced significant obstacles in accessing them. The situation escalated when a congressional investigation revealed how a small group of school personnel transformed the curriculum into a platform for extremist causes.
Controversial Curriculum Content
According to the congressional report, a world history assignment asked students to honor resistance movements, including the Great March of Return, a campaign supported by Hamas that involved violent confrontations along the Gaza-Israel border. Another exercise instructed students to identify the United States and Israel as terrorist states.
The author argues that while students should study various political movements, asking them to 'honor' particular movements crosses the line from studying to celebrating violent organizations.
District Response
Philadelphia superintendent Tony Watlington maintained that the curriculum did not indoctrinate students, though he admitted to investigators he was unaware it contained materials from the Racial Justice Organizing Committee, an ideological group led by district employees.
The district announced it would stop having teachers and administrators write social studies curricula, instead standardizing instruction with national experts. They also placed social studies director Ismael Jimenez, who had celebrated the Oct. 7 massacres, in termination proceedings.
This is an important first step. But replacing personnel with qualified experts will accomplish little in the long run if the curriculum remains shielded from public view.
Transparency Concerns
The article highlights that parents shouldn't need an insider, advocacy organization, and congressional investigators to access curriculum materials. A teacher reportedly shared materials with NAVI only after requesting anonymity, indicating fear of repercussions.
Bernstein argues that schools should publish curriculum guides, reading lists, assignments, and supplementary resources on searchable websites, identifying outside organizations providing content and officials responsible for approval. This transparency would allow informed oversight without giving parents veto power over teaching.
The author concludes that most materials already exist electronically and could be made accessible without elaborate new reports, emphasizing that access will produce disagreements but is essential for public accountability.
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