MSDE to enhance instruction about the Holocaust in public schools

SALISBURY, Md. – Maryland State Department of Education officials have announced they’ll be adopting a number of changes to enhance and expand the teaching of the Holocaust in public schools. The planned changes include things like teaching about the roots of anti-Semitism and providing teachers with opportunities to learn from professionals in order to teach about the holocaust with confidence. Officials say this is in response to concerns about Maryland’s Holocaust education requirements that were raised earlier this year by members of the general assembly and the Baltimore Jewish council.

“The changes may add a little bit more of the curriculum in middle schools so they start a little bit earlier and introduce what anti-Semitism is, what begins these sort of atrocities. We can never repeat it so we’ve got to make sure that our children understand the history,” said Delegate Chris Adams (R) District 37B.

The superintendent of schools, Dr. Karen Salmon commented on the new implementations saying “We see the changes that we are making as a substantive improvement over the current objectives and frameworks.”