WJCC Will Continue to Use Inaccurate Textbooks for Graphics

By Amber Lester Kennedy Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Williamsburg-James City County Schools will continue to use textbooks deemed “highly inaccurate” by the Virginia Department of Education for graphics and photos, but not for content, according to a letter sent to parents on Tuesday.

The division will not use the inaccurate textbooks for the rest of its lessons. WJCC will be using last year's textbooks for content, according to a letter from WJCC's Coordinator of Social Studies Theresa Redd.

In her letter, Redd said she met with teachers last week and the group came to a consensus to continue to use the inaccurate books for their pictures and graphics, but pull material from the revised editions available electronically and last year's textbooks. The teachers also will receive interactive materials that will align with the Virginia SOLs.

Connecticut-based publisher Five Ponds Press produced the books, a fourth-grade textbook called “Our Virginia: Past and Present” and sixth-grade textbook “Our America: To 1865.” The books have been scrutinized since October, when The Washington Post published a story highlighting errors in “Our Virginia” that were discovered by William and Mary Professor Carol Sheriff. Her daughter, a student in a WJCC school, had brought the textbook home. Sheriff found that it erroneously stated the Confederacy had two battalions of black soldiers that were commanded by Gen. Stonewall Jackson.

Following the discovery, the Virginia Department of Education asked a team of historians to review the books, and numerous factual, grammatical and spelling errors were found. Earlier this month, Five Ponds Press Publisher Lou Scolnik pledged to replace all copies of both books for free this summer, while updating the electronic versions this semester; WJCC purchased the books last summer for $88,825.

Shortly after Scolnik’s announcement, the Virginia Board of Education tasked the Department of Education to improve its textbook review process; they plan to ask publishers to produce evidence each book has been reviewed for accuracy by a credentialed expert.

In her letter to parents, Redd said students were not exposed to misinformation. “We are fortunate to have dedicated teachers who pride themselves in providing excellent instruction for our children,” she said. “The textbook errors have not interrupted your child’s social studies education.”

She invited anyone with questions or concerns to contact her via e-mail.