Tennessee school system to change its language about slavery

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – A school system in Tennessee is changing how it teaches about slavery and the history of black people in the United States.

The Tennessean reports the changes set to roll out in August for Williamson County Schools comes as the district is being criticized for homework assignments about slavery.

One February assignment asked students to pretend to be slave owners and brainstorm expectations for their slaves. An assignment last month asked students to list the pros and cons of enslaving people.

The former assignment led to the resignation of two social studies teachers. It’s unclear if the teacher involved in the latter assignment faced disciplinary action.

The new curriculum will be exclusively online. Superintendent Mike Looney says inclusion is a priority and teachers will get “extensive training” on sensitive topics.

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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com