Scholastic is now backtracking on its support for the tv show. Though they're trying to cut the baby in half. First, they say their study guide is flawed and will be thrown out.
?After a thorough review of the original guide that we offered online to about 25,000 high school teachers, we determined that the materials did not meet our high standards for dealing with controversial issues,? said Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic.Then they say that they still think kids should watch the tv show, and that they've created a new study guide to go along with the show, apparently in an effort to prompt a discussion about the merits of presenting false information to children.
First off, where does Scholastic get off saying "oops" after they've already sent the study guide to 25,000 teachers (Disney/ABC said it was more like 100,000 teachers)? Only now Scholastic does a "thorough review" of their teaching materials? Isn't that a bit like editing a paper only after you get an F on it?
But even worse, where does Scholastic get off suggesting that it's a good thing there's controversyry about the tv show being a disaster, and we need kids to discuss this too. Well, uh, maybe. But you don't show kids the disaster and then say "really kids, some of it wasn't true, let's talk." If that's the case, then let's give the kids a version of the tv show where Bush and Cheney were behind the 9/11 attacks. Sure, it's not true, but hey it would prompt a lively discussion.
Scholastic is trying to have its cake and eat it too. Either is supports giving our children fictitious political propaganda disguised as truth or it does not. Which one is it?
