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Board tables adoption of new fourth‑ and fifth‑grade social studies text after public feedback
Summary
After public review of McGraw‑Hill's Impact Social Studies (Maryland edition), the Charles County Board of Education voted to table adoption to request publisher corrections and to review contested lesson content noted by community reviewers.
The Board of Education of Charles County on May 19 tabled a planned adoption vote for a new fourth‑ and fifth‑grade social studies resource after reviewers flagged digital errors, concerns about representation and a role‑play prompt involving the Underground Railroad.
Public review: The district posted McGraw‑Hill’s Impact Social Studies (U.S. History: Making a New Nation, Maryland edition) for public comment from April 28 through May 19 and solicited feedback from parents, community groups, staff and the equity task force. Eighteen respondents provided written comments; nine were district teachers and staff and the remainder were parents, community members and representatives of civic groups.
Feedback summary: Supporters praised the resource for interdisciplinary connections, alignment with Maryland standards and scaffolded supports for multilingual learners. Critics identified typographical and formatting errors in the digital edition — including overlapping images and misplaced quotation marks — and raised concerns that some topics were oversimplified or presented without sufficient context for indigenous or African American historical experiences.
A specific excerpt in the digital resource drew immediate concern: a map activity in which students are prompted to “Imagine you are a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Draw a simple map and plan a route to guide a group of escaped enslaved people.” One reviewer asked whether role‑play prompts on sensitive topics were appropriate for fourth‑ and fifth‑grade lessons.
Publisher response and board action: McGraw‑Hill told the district the misplaced quotation marks around the phrase “enslaved persons/people” were a production error in the digital first printing and that corrections were in process; the publisher said corrected print and online versions would be available for back‑to‑school materials. Board members said they wanted explicit publisher confirmation that problematic prompts could be removed or rewritten and asked staff to request a formal response and to report back at the next meeting. The board then voted to table the adoption so staff can obtain publisher responses and additional review.
Why it matters: Textbook adoptions shape what students are taught and how sensitive historical subjects are framed. Board members and community respondents signaled a desire to ensure accuracy, age‑appropriate instruction methods and inclusive representation before approving widespread classroom use.
What’s next: District staff said they will ask McGraw‑Hill for corrections to the digital and print materials, request clarification about role‑play prompts and collect any additional feedback from educators. The item will return to the board for possible adoption once staff have publisher responses and any revised sample pages.
