A Guide to the Our Virginia: Past and Present Collection, 2010-2013 Our Virginia Past: and Present Collection SC 0076

A Guide to the Our Virginia: Past and Present Collection, 2010-2013

A Collection in the
Thomas Balch Library
Collection Number SC 0076


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Thomas Balch Library

Thomas Balch Library
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Leesburg, Virginia 20176
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Phone: (703) 737-7195
Fax: (703) 737-7195
Email: balchlib@leesburgva.gov
URL: http://www.leesburgva.gov/departments/thomas-balch-library/

© 2006 By Thomas Balch Library. All rights reserved.

Processed by: Rebecca K. Ottinger

Repository
Thomas Balch Library
Collection number
SC 0076
Title
Our Virginia: Past and Present Collection 2010-2013
Physical Characteristics
Creator
Five Ponds Press, Virginia Beach, VA.
Language
English
Abstract
This collection includes a copy of the 4th grade textbook, Our Virginia: Past and Present by Joy Masoff, and several press releases and articles expressing concern about errors and omissions in the text. It also includes the report submitted to the Virginia Department of Education by the three independent reviewers: Dr. Ronald Heinemann, Retired, Hampden-Sydney College; Dr. Lauranett Lee, Curator of African American History, Virginia Historical Society; and Dr. Brent Tarter, retired, Library of Virginia. In addition, there is a rebuttal to criticism from Dr. Peter Wallenstein, one of the experts charged with revising the first edition of Our Virginia. Dr. Wallenstein published his response the Virginian-Pilot as a guest editorial on 11 October 2011, and discussed criticism of the text and his response in the plenary session of the Virginia Forum on 21 March 2013.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Use Restrictions

No physical characteristics affect use of this material.

Preferred Citation

Our Virginia: Past and Present Collection, 2010-2013 (SC 0076), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

Five Ponds Press, Virginia Beach, VA.

Alternative Form Available

None

Accruals

2011.0067

Processing Information

Rebecca K. Ottinger, 25 July 2011; Updated 27 March 2013

Historical Information

Our Virginia: Past and Present written by Joy Masoff (1951-) and published by Five Ponds Press was adopted as a fourth grade social studies textbook for students in Virginia's public schools in 2010. Soon after its distribution to schools, Carol Sheriff, professor of history at the College of William & Mary, detected errors in her daughter's textbook. These errors referred to black soldiers fighting for the Confederacy during the Civil War. A report by three independent reviewers-Dr. Ronald Heinemann, Retired, Hampden-Sydney College; Dr. Lauranett Lee, Curator of African American History, Virginia Historical Society; and Dr. Brent Tarter (1948-), retired, Library of Virginia-done for the Virginia Department of Education in December 2010 cites numerous omissions as well as additional factual and grammatical errors in the book. The publishing company offered labels making the corrections which could be affixed over the misinformation and hired historians, including Dr. Peter Wallenstein of Virginia Tech, to edit and revise the text for a second edition. The Virginia Board of Education announced on 24 March 2011 that it withdrew approval of that text and a fifth grade history text, entitled Our America to 1865, also published by Five Ponds Press. On 21 October 2011 Wyade Byard, spokesman for Loudoun County Public Schools, announced that these books had been withdrawn from Loudoun County's classrooms.

At the same time The Virginia Board of Education announced that it had adopted a revised text book review and adoption process which requires that future texts be reviewed by qualified experts before being submitted to the Department of Education for possible adoption in Virginia's classrooms.

Scope and Content

This collection includes a copy of the 4th grade textbook, Our Virginia: Past and Present by Joy Masoff, and several press releases and articles expressing concern about errors and omissions in the text. It also includes the report submitted to the Virginia Department of Education by the three independent reviewers: Dr. Ronald Heinemann, Retired, Hampden-Sydney College; Dr. Lauranett Lee, Curator of African American History, Virginia Historical Society; and Dr. Brent Tarter, retired, Library of Virginia. In addition, there is a rebuttal to criticism from Dr. Peter Wallenstein, one of the experts charged with revising the first edition of Our Virginia. Dr. Wallenstein published his response the Virginian-Pilot as a guest editorial on 11 October 2011, and discussed criticism of the text and his response in the plenary session of the Virginia Forum on 21 March 2013.

Arrangement

Folder

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Bibliography

Leesburg Today , "History Texts Pulled from Schools," 21 October 2011.
Massoff, Joy, Our Virginia: Past and Present , Five Ponds Press, 2010.
The Washington Post , "Virginia 4th-grade textbook criticized over claims on black Confederate soldiers," 20 October 2010.
The Library of Congress Authorities, http://authorities.loc.gov/cgibin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First (accessed 25 July 2011).
The Virginia Gazette , "WJC will use stickers to cover flawed textbook," 21 October 2010.
Virginia Department of Education, Independent Reviews of Our Virginia: Past and Present, December 2010.
Virginia Department of Education News , "Board of Education Weighs Textbook Remedies," 13 January 2011.
Virginia Department of Education News , "Board of Education Withdraws Approval of Two Textbooks," 24 March 2011.

Other Finding Aid

None


Technical Requirements

None

Other Finding Aid

None


Bibliography

Leesburg Today , "History Texts Pulled from Schools," 21 October 2011.
Massoff, Joy, Our Virginia: Past and Present , Five Ponds Press, 2010.
The Washington Post , "Virginia 4th-grade textbook criticized over claims on black Confederate soldiers," 20 October 2010.
The Library of Congress Authorities, http://authorities.loc.gov/cgibin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First (accessed 25 July 2011).
The Virginia Gazette , "WJC will use stickers to cover flawed textbook," 21 October 2010.
Virginia Department of Education, Independent Reviews of Our Virginia: Past and Present, December 2010.
Virginia Department of Education News , "Board of Education Weighs Textbook Remedies," 13 January 2011.
Virginia Department of Education News , "Board of Education Withdraws Approval of Two Textbooks," 24 March 2011.

Contents List

Folder 1: Our Virginia: Past and Present
Folder 2: Report of Virginia Department of Education, Independent Reviewers
Folder 3: Newspaper articles and press releases
Folder 3: Materials from Virginia Forum, 2013