BRADENTON, Fla. — A controversial homework assignment covering biases has left some middle school parents in Bradenton feeling outraged Thursday night.
What began as a homework assignment has now led Manatee County School leaders to investigate and review future homework lessons assigned at Nolan Middle School, the district said.
It began when sixth grade students were given an assignment the district says was based on a chapter in the state-approved textbook, "Discovering Our Past—A History of the World Early Ages.”
A parent said the assignment focuses on bias and includes the following sentences:
"The media is often biased and will add words that persuade you to think one way over another. Read these two statements made by reporters after the 2020 election. President Trump made claims that the 2020 election was stolen. President Trump made false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. The first sentence is just giving you information, while the second sentence leads you to believe he is wrong before you have all of the facts."
10 Tampa Bay spoke with parents who witnessed the written text in the book. One father said he was unhappy with the teachings of political biases.
"...the way this question is phrased would lead a student to believe that the media was incorrect in their assessment that the president's claims were false," he said. "I'm also unhappy that at a time when Florida is imposing so many draconian restrictions on what teachers cannot say, they would think teaching this political bias is acceptable."
Another mother said, "The political rhetoric should stay out of the classroom. This is extremely disturbing and egregious to think our kids are being subjected to the teacher’s opinions being presented as facts."
The Manatee County School District issued a statement in response to the homework assignment.
"This homework assignment does not meet the expectations of the School District of Manatee County. A thorough review of future homework lessons in this course is taking place and remaining issues related to this assignment will be addressed."