Racine Schools and Obama Textbook

Real Debate Wisconsin uncovers Barack Obama indoctrination Racine Unified School District-style.

A concerned parent sent the following e-mail to RDW:

My 8th grade son is in an advanced English class at a public middle school here in Racine, Wisconsin. I just found out that my son's new (copyright 2008) Wisconsin - McDougal Littell Literature book has 15 pages covering Barack Obama.

I was shocked - No John McCain, no Hillary Clinton, no George Bush - Just Barack Obama. I'm wondering how it is that Obama's story gets put into an 8th grade literature book? It would be one thing, if it was just the tidbit about his boyhood days, but 15 pages, and they talk about his "Life of Service". Honestly, what has Obama really done to be included in this book? Not only that, but on page 847 there is a photo of Obama at the 2004 Democratic Convention with at least 8 Obama signs in the background! Front & center is an http://www.obama2004.com/ sign.

Now I understand that many teachers are liberals, but does the school have the right to shove Obama down our kid's throats? All the kids grouped together and read the story. After that, they discussed it... I guess it appears that Obama is planning ahead. If he doesn't get his coveted Presidency, Obama is going to make sure, that the younger generations know all about him, and his "life of service".

If you would like to see the 15 page story on Obama, it appears that you can order this book online. There is a note in the book that says, For more on Barack Obama, visit the Literature Center at http://www.classzone.com/ The book is: Wisconsin - 8th grade - McDougal Littell Literature - copyright 2008. The Obama story starts on page 830. I hope you will take the time to look at this book. I'm really angry about this - In fact, I would love to rip the pages right out of this book.

By the way, you might find this interesting: I did a little checking on McDougal Littell, and it appears that MCDOUGAL, ALFRED L CHICAGO , IL 60611 - N/A/RETIRED has been making contributions to Barack Obama's campaign!

I found that information on this website.
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=IL&last=MCDOUGAL&first=ALFRED
Now I'm not an expert at these things (just a PTA mom), but It looks to me like Alfred McDougal is connected to McDougal Littell the same company that publishes the 8th grade textbook that has 15 pages on Obama. Like I said, I'm not an expert, but I'm sure you have someone who can delve into the dirty little details.

I guess my question is: Is it ethical for an Obama supporter to publish an educational book which has a 15 page Barrack Obama story in it? If the tax payers are paying for these books, why is it okay for McDougal Littell to promote Obama? This really bothers me. I would have no problem with it, if Obama had actually done something important. Why is Obama being put up on a pedestal, before he actually wins the pedestal? All I can say, is we can thank the liberal media, and now the liberal book publishers. Thanks to them, I'm sure there are probably thousands of these books all across the United States.

Real Debate concludes: "Great question, and the answer is no, it is not ethical."

I agree.

Here's the DIRECT RESPONSE from the Racine Unified School District.

The Journal Times addresses the issue.

An eighth-grade literature textbook that includes an excerpt from a book by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. has angered at least one Racine Unified parent enough that they complained to a local conservative blogger.

Note to Paul Sloth of the Journal Times: The local conservative blogger is Fred Dooley. The blog is Real Debate Wisconsin.

Try being more thorough in your reporting, Mr. Sloth.

Unified officials know of no parent concerns about the textbook, which was adopted last year and has been in eighth-grade classrooms since the fall of 2007.

With Obama running for President against Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the textbook has become an issue here in Racine.

The district was one of the first in Wisconsin to use the book, according to Jeff Weiss, Unified’s director of curriculum and instruction. The book is published by McDougal Littell, a division of Holt McDougal.

The selection that mentions Obama is from the unit on community, Weiss said.

“We want to find materials that reflect our student body, a diverse student body,” Weiss said. “The goal of this is definitely not to endorse one political candidate or to endorse one political party over another.”

The book was in classrooms before Obama had been selected to run as the Democratic candidate for President. Weiss isn’t sure about the timing of the book’s publication in relation to Obama’s announcement of his candidacy in February 2007.

The book was chosen by a committee comprised of parents, teachers and administrators and was selected because the newest addition was written especially for Wisconsin students and aligned with the state’s standardized tests, Weiss said.

Weiss said he has received no complaints about the textbook and did not know there was any issue. Weiss said he was listening to a local radio station 620 WTMJ when he heard someone say “hear what they’re handing out in eighth-grade classrooms in Racine.” The station is the home of conservative talk show host Charlie Sykes.

The story started on a local conservative blog and has apparently spread. Now Unified officials say they are fielding calls from Fox News and the conservative Web site www.worldnetdaily.com, said Stephanie Hayden, Unified’s spokeswoman.

Yes, that's how things work in the Age of the Internet.

There are watchdogs now. There are ways to get a story out and have it be known across the nation as quick as a click.

Weiss' comment, "We want to find materials that reflect our student body, a diverse student body," doesn't fly.

Diversity?

What does "diverse student body" mean?

Is that code?

I think so, but I suppose it's a good kind of liberal code.

If diversity, meaning "the fact or quality of being diverse; difference," is truly the goal, I think it would be appropriate to expose the student body to an excerpt from one of John McCain's books.

He has a life story that I'm sure would inspire the "diverse student body."