Do you hear the silence from the Sarasota County Florida School Board?

When the Miami-Dade School District decided to replace some textbooks, including World History – Patterns of Interaction,  which is a book I own, have read and have judged to have a pro Islam bias, I decided to contact our Sarasota County School Board.

It was a simple inquiry asking: Now that Miami-Dade has chosen to replace this book will the Sarasota School Board do the same?

Did not hear from any board member but did get a reply from the “Communications Director” who sent me information about citizens who proposed replacing this same book three years ago (July 2010).  These citizens lead by Aya Sewell, a parent with two children in the district, challenged, were denied and then went through an appeal process wherein there was a very scholarly written objection to the book, written by Dr. Terry K. Wonder, followed by verbal comments by concerned citizens. Again denied with all school board members voting to retain the textbook.  Then Chairwoman Shirley Brown admitted, “Some of the things we teach our students is biased.” One citizen  expressed the fact that there was no recognition of our Judaic Christian heritage. To which Ms. Brown  then stated that we are not a Judaic Christian nation.

I replied to all that I do not want a challenge or appeal, simply an answer to the Question – Now that Miami-Dade has decided to replace this book, will you vote to replace it. Everyone was copied. Now I wait.

Do you hear the silence of the school board?  I do.

EDITORS NOTE: The author of this column is running for the Sarasota County School Board in District 4.

RELATED COLUMN: Sarasota Textbook Challenge Moves to the Florida Commissioner of Education