

The Northwest Allen County Schools board member who wanted extra time to review four proposed math textbooks praised three titles Monday, but he criticized the other for including story problems about "inappropriate" topics including interracial marriage.
The five-member board unanimously approved the K-12 textbook adoption for next academic year except for a pre-calculus book.
The textbook adoption was delayed two weeks because Kent Somers, board vice president, said on April 25 he was concerned that four of the proposed titles "have been identified in other districts or other places."
On April 15, the Florida Department of Education announced 54 of the 132 submitted textbooks didn't make the state's initial adoption list for math instructional materials.
The Florida agency said it rejected 28 books because they incorporate prohibited topics or unsolicited strategies, including critical race theory, and it excluded 12 because they don't properly align to state standards. For 14 books, both reasons applied.
Somers on Monday said three of the four books he reviewed are "outstanding," but the author of the other book is "a little bit cagey in how he's presented materials." Somers also criticized the author's extrapolation of data and questioned the author's intent.
"Are we talking about divorce rates by education levels? Are we talking about interracial marriages by such-and-such?" Somers said. "These are topics we're adding into story problems that really aren't part of mathematics ... probably just a few too many of those."
Somers' statements quickly encountered public pushback.
After the meeting, an audience member pressed him about his problems with the book, and a NACS community member emailed the board, asking the group to condemn his comments.
Administrators, teachers and parents participated in the textbook selection process.
The district will continue to research options for the pre-calculus book, and an alternative will be brought to the board, spokeswoman Lizette Downey said.
In other business, the board approved Daniel Lestinsky's promotion to Carroll High School assistant principal. Lestinsky, a Carroll Middle School teacher, will fill the vacancy created by Cleve Million's promotion to Carroll High School principal.
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