Rockland County parents say kids' social studies homework assignment missed the mark
WEST NYACK, Rockland County (WABC) -- Parents in one community say their children's middle school homework assignment missed the mark.
Joe Diaz's daughter is in 6th grade at Felix Festa Middle School in West Nyack.
On Monday, she had an extra credit assignment for her social studies class that was focused on political parties and constitutional amendments.
He said he only objected to the last page -- a series of statements asking students to indicate who would be more likely to say them: a republican or a democrat.
One example was: "If I want to buy a gun, it is my constitutional right and I should not have to wait five days to get it."
The teacher has 28 years of experience.
Some parents took to social media to react: One said the assignment was taken out of context and another said the defamation of the teacher for a single page of an assignment was troubling.
"The assignment has been given out for multiple years, so I think something would have come up sooner if it was really that bad," parent Shalamar Eagel said.
But Diaz says well-intentioned or not, the wording of the questions is what bordered on indoctrination.
Martin Cox, the Superintend of Schools for Clarkstown Central School District released the following statement:
"The District has received communications expressing concern about an extra credit assignment. The District's goal is to educate our students, including informing them about the political process, the political parties and related matters. However, it is not our intention to politicize or to encourage students to agree or identify with a particular party or position. We are reviewing the assignment with respect to its educational purpose, impact and effectiveness."
Diaz said he doesn't want the teacher to be disciplined or reprimanded.
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