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NACS board approves three math textbooks, rejects one due to "inappropriate content"

The Northwest Allen County Schools board of trustees gathered on Monday, May 9, 2022, to discuss several topics, including a few textbooks that have been banned in other districts outside of Indiana.
NORTHWEST ALLEN COUNTY SCHOOLS / YOUTUBE
The Northwest Allen County Schools board of trustees gathered on Monday, May 9, 2022, to discuss several topics, including a few textbooks that have been banned in other districts outside of Indiana.

On Monday, the Northwest Allen County Schools Board approved three math textbooks they had wanted to take a closer look at, but chose not to approve the fourth.

At a previous board meeting on April 25, board member Kent Somers expressed concerns over four of the textbooks presented to the board, due to them being banned in other districts, most publicly Florida.

Somers asked for time to review the books and praised three for the techniques they used, but questioned the author’s intent in the fourth book, saying he may have been “cagey” in the presentation, or the extrapolation of data was off.

“I think we need to understand a little bit more what the intent here is, because it seems, you know, we’re talking about divorce rates by education levels and we’re talking about interracial marriages by such-and-such," Somers said. "These are topics we’re adding into story problems that really aren’t part of mathematics.”

Somers said he wasn’t looking for mathematical content, but story problems with “inappropriate content.” Board member Elizabeth Hathaway also reviewed the books and agreed some of the problems did have a “different bend to them.”

The board approved the recommendations unanimously and will be presented with a second recommendation for the rejected book.

Ella Abbott is a multimedia reporter for 89.1 WBOI. She is a strong believer in the ways audio storytelling can engage an audience and create a sensory experience.
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