photo by: Photo by Derek Redd

Ohio County Schools Superintendent Kim Miller

WHEELING – The decision as to which books Ohio County elementary school teachers would be able to use in their curriculum stirred up questions and controversy earlier this year from concerned people on both sides of the argument.

A group of concerned Ohio County parents originally approached the county school district worried about the content of some of the books available for students to read, that they weren’t age-level appropriate and contained themes too mature for the age of student they were assigned to.

In response, the district looked at all 113 texts in its “Wit and Wisdom” reading program and decided to find alternative texts for 10 of them. It was which 10 that were picked that later stirred other community members to speak out.

Among the books in question were, “The Story of Ruby Bridges,” a book about a young Black girl’s experiences when she integrated into a New Orleans school in the 1960s, “Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington,” and “Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei.”

Several community members came to a February Ohio County Board of Education meeting to voice their concerns over eliminating certain texts, that it was an attempt to suppress truth or throw a pretty cover over the blemishes of history.

“Sometimes we just don’t want history altered just to seem pretty,” Ron Sinclair said that night.

All books that had been under scrutiny were returned to the curriculum, some as texts to read aloud in class to avoid showing inappropriate images. But there was some disagreement later between Ohio County Education Association President Jenny Craig and Ohio County Schools Student Services Director Raquel McLeod as to the process that occurred.

Craig said that, after the concerned parents group approached the school district, there was a meeting the day before school began to discuss the books again. Then, in February, she said teachers were told to box up the books in question. McLeod said discussions on the appropriateness of the books began in July and there was no directive from the district to box up the books.

The school district said that future textbook adoption processes will be much more like they used to be. The language arts adoption process had to be altered due to COVID-19 concerns. Upcoming textbook adoptions, like for the county’s science curriculum, will allow for the community to participate in the process.

“We will continue to work with teachers, listen to the community, and teach the objectives and standards needed for educating students,” Ohio County Schools Superintendent Kim Miller said. “We do appreciate community input.”

Staff writer Joselyn King contributed to this report.