Media Response for Controversial Excerpt
Some of you may be aware of a private social media post regarding a book used in one of our middle school classes. In response to that post and other comments, we wanted to provide some additional information.
Hopewell City Public Schools strives to implement curricula that promotes authentic engagement and rigor among our culturally diverse students. We have in our book collection titles from critically acclaimed authors that are used to teach students about character. The book On the Come Up by Angie Thomas was not assigned as a required reading. However, an excerpt from the book was used in a lesson to teach how authors establish voice and tone. The excerpt was chosen in good faith, but we realize that it contained language that is offensive and not age appropriate. Please be assured that we in Hopewell Schools are working to establish protocols to ensure that future excerpts will be age appropriate while also considering the diverse cultures and opinions of our school community. Thank you for your continued support.