San Antonio school apologizes after class slavery assignment

Middle school students at Great Hearts Monte Vista in San Antonio were asked to weigh the “positive” and “negative” aspects of slavery for an assignment.

Great Hearts Monte Vista, a San Antonio charter school, confirmed an 8th-grade American history class was assigned a worksheet titled “The Life of Slaves: A Balanced View.” The assignment was posted on social media Wednesday by a parent.

The post was shared with other parents at the school and has garnered growing concern from members of the community, including U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, who asked the parent to send him a copy of the assignment.

Great Hearts Texas Superintendent Aaron Kindel addressed the issue in a statement Thursday. He said the assignment was used only at the school’s Monte Vista North campus and it “was very inappropriate and entirely inconsistent” with the school’s “philosophy and culture.”

“To be clear, there is no debate about slavery. It is immoral and a crime against humanity,” Kindel wrote in the statement. “It was a clear mistake and we sincerely apologize for the insensitive nature of this offense.”

Kindel said the teacher was placed on leave while “all the facts” surrounding the issue were assessed. The textbook for the course, “Prentice Hall Classics: A History of the United States,” was removed from use and will be audited.

“If we deem this textbook imprudent, we will permanently remove it and replace it with a history book that accurately reflects our values,” Kindel’s statement reads.

In addition, administrators and teachers will meet with students who were assigned the worksheet to explain the “mistake” and “engage them in lessons that are more thoughtful about this period,” according to the statement.