A forthcoming workshop titled ‘Teaching Palestine’, organized by the Beaverton Education Association, has sparked significant debate regarding the inclusion of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Oregon’s public school classrooms.
Scheduled for April 28, the workshop will feature retired teacher Bill Bigelow, who aims to provide educators with a comprehensive history of Palestine to help them navigate complex questions raised by students about ongoing events in the region.
Beaverton Education Association’s president, Lindsay Ray, emphasized the workshop’s goal, mentioning that Bigelow has delivered similar presentations at statewide and national gatherings of social studies teachers.
However, the workshop has drawn criticism from several parents, teachers within the Beaverton School District, and leaders from the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, who argue that the material risks being one-sided and might portray Israel and its Jewish population exclusively as oppressors.
Concerned parent Liz Terzo expressed apprehension about the potential implications of the workshop on classroom discussions, fearing it could lead to the normalization of antisemitism and incite hateful attitudes among students.
Terzo recounted disturbing incidents where her child faced jokes about the Holocaust and experienced a dismissive attitude from a teacher towards Jewish American Heritage Month, which was characterized as ‘boring.’
In February, Bigelow and his co-editors, including Grant High School social studies teacher Suzanna Kassouf, published a teaching guide titled ‘Teaching Palestine’, affiliated with Rethinking Schools, which specializes in social justice educational materials.
The authors argue that questioning Zionism, the belief in a Jewish right to Israel as a homeland, does not equate to antisemitism, and they encourage students to critically engage with terms like apartheid and settler colonialism in relation to Israel’s history.
Bigelow plans to conduct a role-playing exercise in the workshop called ‘Teaching the Seeds of Violence in Palestine-Israel’, focusing on historical events between 1882 and 1922, when waves of Jewish immigrants fled violence in their home countries to seek refuge in Palestine.
A concerned Jewish teacher from Beaverton, who reviewed the ‘Teaching Palestine’ guide, noted that it neglects the ancient Jewish historical connections to the land that now encompasses Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip.
The teacher pointed out that the curricula fail to acknowledge the Jewish origin in Judea, their historical expulsion, and the significance of archaeological evidence supporting their connection to the land.
The workshop’s material echoes content found in lesson plans shared on the Portland Association of Teachers’ website last June, which were subsequently removed after intense backlash regarding their perceived bias.
Critics of those plans argued that while they highlighted suffering endured by Palestinians over the past 18 months, they overlooked Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, which involved civilian casualties and hostage-taking, leading to accusations of indoctrination and endangering Jewish students’ feelings of safety.
This workshop occurs just three weeks prior to school board elections throughout Oregon, including Beaverton, which is the state’s third-largest school district.
Typically quieter than neighboring Portland, the school board elections in Beaverton are hotly contested, with unions in both districts actively endorsing candidates aligning with their educational philosophies.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reached out to candidates in the Beaverton school board elections regarding their stance on integrating the ‘Teaching Palestine’ guide materials into the district’s social studies curriculum.
Of the four candidates who responded by the deadline, they expressed reliance on the district’s comprehensive vetting process for proposed curricula.
Andy DeMars, a software sales executive and Beaverton parent, emphasized the importance of encouraging critical thinking and presenting multiple narratives, while noting the necessity for information to be delivered without bias.
Educational consultant Vân Truong echoed this sentiment, underscoring that community input is integral to the district’s analysis and decision-making processes regarding curriculum adoption.
Syed Qasim, a technology consultant and parent advocating for district transparency, stated he had not examined the specific content closely but believed in collaborative engagement from the community to derive solutions benefiting all students.
Shellie Bailey-Shah, a spokesperson for the district, indicated that Beaverton last updated its social studies curriculum during the 2021-2022 school years and is not scheduled for another update until 2027.
She noted that current units of study already address Middle Eastern current events, including the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, and that teachers are permitted to expand on the approved curriculum within guidelines that require principal review of additional materials.
Additionally, the district will host a separate professional development event on May 8, featuring discussions aimed at addressing antisemitism and Islamophobia in schools, featuring representatives from both the Islamic Community and the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.
A Jewish educator from Beaverton expressed concern over the union’s scheduling of the workshop, feeling there was little demand among educators for such training, and noted his lack of communication with the union regarding his inquiries about it.
He articulated the complexity and sensitivity of the issue, stressing the need for an approach that ensures all voices are heard and everyone feels safe and respected in classroom discussions surrounding these topics.
image source from：https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2025/04/a-union-sponsored-teaching-palestine-training-draws-pointed-questions-in-beaverton.html
