Concerns Over Social Studies Curriculum Arise At Hillsborough School Board Meeting

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Concerns over the Social Studies curriculum arose at the recent Hillsborough Board of Education meeting almost causing a delay in its implementation.

At the Sept. 19 meeting, Board member John Oliver requested that 10.3 Motion to Approve Revised Curriculum should be tabled until the Oct. 10 meeting as he said he had questions and "some concerns with some of the content."

"There are a couple of topics that I found on there to be a little bit controversial, a little bit offensive. I don’t have... I haven't had a chance to really go through it and look at it but my point is to hold this off to give the public a little more chance to review this and give them an opportunity to weigh in as well," said Oliver.

Board member Cynthia Nurse said she was in favor of tabling the motion to give people more time to review it and be comfortable voting on it.

Board Member Gregory Gillette said it was difficult to vote yes on the revised curriculum without seeing the teachers' lessons plans.

"This is literally hundreds of pages. I am already on page 2 of the 8th-grade curriculum and there is already outrageous stuff," said Gillette.

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Dr. Kim Feltre noted the curriculum maps and guides are labeled as such to help teachers guide and map out their lesson plans according to the state standards.

"A board will never see individual worksheets because that's not what... that's up to the teachers. The teachers take the guide and they turn it into what goes on in the classroom and that's where they are the professionals," said Feltre.

"Thank you for clarifying that. That it is up to the teachers for what kids learn. Thank you. I am sure the parents in Hillsborough and the other taxpayers and residents will be happy to know that," said Gillette.

The Board voted to table the motion until Oct. 19 and then heard from the public.

Amy Salinger, a teacher at Auten Road School, expressed her "disappointment" in the tabling of the motion noting that her colleagues worked very diligently over the summer to adhere to the state standards.

"That was very disappointing. I don't think I have ever been at a Board meeting where I saw that happen. They were anticipating this to be passed tonight," said Salinger.

President of the Hillsborough Education Association, Henry Goodhue, added that this tabling of the curriculum shouldn't have happened as there were multiple meetings leading up to the vote addressing it.

"When we come out here after all of the work our members have done and we are telling them this is something they are going to implement and because there was information missing or reading wasn't done. Frankly, that is unacceptable. And then to tie that into vitriol and make comments directed towards the teachers that imply that they are moving on to teach something that is not in the curriculum that you approved with oversight from the administrators that you employ that’s reprehensible," said Goodhue.

"There is enough anger and just negativity directed toward public educators right now and for any of that to come out. I'm sorry I take exception as a taxpayer, parent, and educator," said Goodhue.

Following public comment, Gillette asked the Board to vote on 10.3 instead of tabling the motion.

Oliver continued to say he was uncomfortable voting on the curriculum when he still had questions.

Board member Elaine Jackson also said she had questions.

"I think there are questions on the actual substance in there as to how certain people are now viewed historically. Things like that, I think it was too much and too short of time. I apologize to the teachers I didn’t know that they spent that long. But we had hundreds of pages to view not realizing it was going to be that much and how quickly a vote would come up," said Jackson.

Ultimately, the Board voted to untable the motion and then voted to pass the curriculum, which was not unanimous.

Board members Gillette, Jackson, and Oliver all voted no for the revised curriculum while Allison Laning-Beder, Jean Trujillo, Nurse, and Paul Marini all voted yes.

To view the curriculum in question click here.

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