The Report Card: Pearson Forced to Reprint Islam-Biased Textbook in Florida

The new 2013 high-school history book, “World History,” was slated for delivery to Palm Beach County (PBC) students for use at the beginning of the current school year. CFNS documented Islam bias and misinformation in a report co-authored by Dr. Saxton and Report Card Publisher William Korach. That 92-page report, published February 2012, documented Islam-biased errors and misinformation in 25 textbooks in Florida.

 

CFNS participated in a marathon meeting with PBC curriculum specialists and a Pearson representative to delineate their concerns and recommend corrections. Following that, Dr. Saxton testified about the book’s bias before the PBC School Board. After further review, the Board concurred with the CFNS position, and determined that much of the textbook’s contentious language be revised, consistent with CFNS’s recommendations, as a condition for purchase.

 

Because the textbook had to be reprinted, students didn’t have a world history text until well into last fall. But now, at least, the textbook will be accurate.

Palm Beach County is the 11th largest school district in the country. Getting the agenda-driven content removed was undoubtedly a huge win. Of even greater significance, however, is the precedent that CFNS has now established for others in Florida, and nationwide, for dealing with these tainted textbooks. The Report Card has forwarded the results of the Palm Beach County decision to St. Johns and Clay County school districts strongly recommending Pearson “recall” World History in those counties.

As you may recall, CFNS had previously spearheaded the rejection of another egregious textbook in PBC, “World History: Patterns of Interaction,” published by Houghton-Mifflin. And we were a major player in correcting the content of a similarly flawed McGraw-Hill geography textbook, “World Geography and Cultures,” intended for the district.

The rest of the story…