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materials they create
rather than one of his
so subtly that apoliti-
more recent critical per-
cal teachers are
spectives on Islam,
unlikely to spot them."
Stotsky said. Petzen could
Among the materi-
not be reached for com-
als Stotsky cites is The
ment.
Arab World Studies
Stotsky was further
Notebook, which has
shocked when she saw
been widely criticized
the lesson plans created
Sandra St otsky
for bias, inaccuracies
by some of the seminar
and proselytizing. Two
participants. One, which
school districts have banned the
required the students to learn an
book, and the American Jewish
Islamic prayer and design a
Committee has urged others to
prayer rug to simulate a mosque
follow suit.
in the classroom, crossed the
Audrey Shabbas, editor of the
line. "It's really indoctrination to
notebook, rejects the criticism.
have students do such religious
"We're providing the Arab point
things:' she said.
of view:' she said.
While there is no way to know
Responding to criticism that
the extent to which the teachers,
the material paints an overly rosy from 20 Massachusetts schools,
picture of Islam, she said, "My
ultimately incorporated their
task is not to defend what
proposed lessons into the class-
Muslims do in the world" but to
room, the assumption of the
focus on the "difference between
education department, which
what people call themselves and
paid for the seminar, "is that the
what they do:'
teachers use the material they
learned:' Stotsky said.
In New York City, Schools
Chancellor Joel Klein has barred
The Impetus
the head of Columbia
Experts say the materials are
University's Middle East Institute
popular because they're recom-
from lecturing to city teachers
mended by the national resource
enrolled in professional develop-
centers of prestigious universi-
ment courses on the Middle East.
ties.
Klein's move in February
In the summer of 2002, after
against Rashid Khalidi, who
the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the
holds the Edward Said chair at
Massachusetts Department of
Columbia, was in response to "a
Education decided to offer a
seminar on Islam and the Middle number of things he's said in the
past:' said Michael Best, the
East for area teachers. They
department's general counsel,
accepted a proposal from
according to the New York Times.
Harvard's Center for Middle
Eastern Studies that "looked very Khalidi declined to comment on
promising:' One of the organizers the issue.
For Stotsky, a major problem
of the seminar was Barbara
with the teacher-training semi-
Petzen, the center's outreach
nars is the lack of oversight.
coordinator.
"What teacher or principal is
But when Stotsky and other
going
to challenge" material that
officials saw the syllabus, which
comes
"with the sterling creden-
included The Arab World Studies
tials
of
Harvard?" she said.
Notebook, they requested that the
While
she doesn't claim to
course present a more balanced
have
all
the
answers, Stotsky rec-
view of Islam. Officials wanted at
ommends
halting
public funding
least to include a book by
for
professional
development
Bernard Lewis, a Princeton
until there is "strong evidence
University professor emeritus
that
most history teachers learn
who is considered one of the pre-
something
useful from a majori-
eminent authorities on Islam.
ty
of
workshops
they attend." ❑
But Petzen and her colleague
"ducked recent history" by agree-
JTA Editor Lisa Hostein was among
ing only to include one of Lewis'
the contributors to this report.
older books from the 1970s,

sTiran4.7

November 17 2005

as