WICHITA FALLS (KFDX / KJTL) – A controversial task within the WFISD worried some parents on Friday morning.
The Wichita Falls Independent School District released a statement after parents raised concerns about an outreach at Wichita Falls High School.
A parent emailed our newsroom with a picture of his student’s assignment that read, “How to Sell Your Soul to the Devil.”
The parent told the newsroom, “I have no doubt the district will repeat the ‘satirical’ argument. But a more important question is whether it is appropriate in a classroom, which it obviously is not. Common sense should have told the teacher that this is not appropriate for the students. This is also a compelling reason why teachers should not have unrestricted autonomy in class when it comes to reading. “
Photo of the task submitted by the viewer
The Texoma homepage reached out to the district and published the following statement:
The lesson in question was selected from a list of literary satire curriculum resources. This article is from a satirical website and refers to a short story called “The Devil and Tom Walker” written by Washington Irving in 1824. The curriculum options were developed by a committee of district teachers in 2009, and this lesson has been an option since that time.
After reviewing the article, the district determined that this is no longer an appropriate resource. It has been removed from the list of curriculum options, and the Curriculum and Education department will investigate less controversial examples of satire that teachers can choose from.
WFISD supports teachers and their ability to select appropriate resources for their teaching.
Wichita Falls Independent School District