In response to the article “Elementary Students Ends Columbus Day at Potsdam Central School” which appeared Nov. 27-Dec. 3 issue of North Country This Week: After reading this article I wonder what the Potsdam Central Board of Education is doing?

The article gives the views of 7-year old students who read “Encounters” then made a presentation at a public PCS School Board meeting and got Columbus Day changed to Indigenous Peoples’ Day for 2020.

The school district still gets the day off, so union contracts, I guess, are not an issue.

Who approved this book for reading? Did the school board, maybe a PCS reading review committee or just one teacher?

What is next? Maybe a teacher who does not believe that World Wars I or II were not right, or maybe a teacher who believes that the Holocaust never occurred or feels that Sept. 11, 2001 didn’t happen, can find a book (there are many on the internet).

Then, bring the book into a seven-year old classroom spending as much time discussing the topic and make a presentation to a sleeping school board. Having seven-year olds making a presentation at a school board meeting gives everyone a “happy/feel-good feeling”, doesn’t it?

Let be careful here.

We are presently in the mists of a very politically divided country. Teachers need a more open mind than most of us. It’s mentioned in their contracts. They know that they are not supposed to influence their personal beliefs in teaching our children…this article is one example that the system has failed.

Bob Haggett

Norwood