Families & the Community News in Brief

S.C. District Nixes Slavery Assignment

By The Associated Press — March 15, 2016 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A South Carolina district has scrapped an assignment asking 3rd graders to pretend to be slaves after a parent complained it wasn’t appropriate for 8-year-olds at Killian Elementary School in Columbia.

The students were to discuss being kidnapped from West Africa, riding on a slave ship, and being sold at auction. School officials say three teachers found the lesson online.

A version of this article appeared in the March 16, 2016 edition of Education Week as S.C. District Nixes Slavery Assignment

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
A Tale of Two School Districts: Forecasting Enrollment
Forecasting enrollment is hard. Here’s how two different districts are navigating times of change with data that considers the whole picture.
Content provided by Zonda Education
Reading & Literacy K-12 Essentials Forum Strategies to Create a Culture of Reading in Schools
Join this free virtual event to learn how teachers and school district leaders ensure students are reading enough.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Families & the Community Webinar
Beyond the Classroom: Extending High-Quality Instruction Into the Home
Your curriculum doesn't have to stop at the classroom door. See how two districts bring families into PreK–3 learning.
Content provided by TalkingPoints

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Families & the Community How Schools Can Help Parents Manage Kids' Screen Time
From bullying to losing sleep, what kids do at home on screens affects their learning.
8 min read
New York School Cellphone Ban 25119009936115
A student uses a cellphone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy in San Mateo, Calif., on Aug. 16, 2024. Experts say schools can give parents valuable advice about how to make sure their children are not spending too much time viewing screens.
Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Families & the Community As ICE Activity Rises, Schools Focus on Family Support
Since 2025, school districts have quickly adapted to shifting effects from federal immigration enforcement.
7 min read
RiverviewDualImmersion017
A staff member from a district school carts away food and household items to donate to student families in St. Paul, Minn., February 23, 2026. Across the Twin cities, teachers and school administrators adapted to support families affected by heightened immigration enforcement.
Tim Evans for Education Week
Families & the Community Lawmakers Grill Superintendents on Transgender Student Policies
The districts' policies around transgender students were repeatedly questioned.
•
5 min read
WASHINGTON,DC - JUNE 10: Dr. Macquline King, Superintendent and CEO of Chicago Public Schools speaks with Mr. Johnathan Smith, Managing Director, Education and Federal Strategic Advocacy, National Center for Youth Law and Dr. Aaron Spence, Superintendent, Loudoun County Public Schools with US Representative Mark Takano, Democrat from California, before a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing titled “Breaking Trust: Attacks On Parental Rights, Inappropriate Content, And Legal Abuses In America’s Schools” on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Chicago Superintendent Macquline King speaks with Johnathan Smith, the managing director for education and federal strategic advocacy at the National Center for Youth Law, and Loudon County, Va. Superintendent Aaron Spence, before a hearing on parents rights in schools on Capitol Hill on June 10, 2026 in Washington.
Jabin Botsford/For Education Week
Families & the Community Quiz QUIZ: Teachers, How Ready Are You for Difficult Parent Conversations?
Test your knowledge of how to approach challenging academic or behavior issues with families.
1 min read
Contemporary art collage of human hand holding dialogue bubble. Concept of communication, news, chat. Dialog importance.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock