In the 2006-07 school year, Nyssa School District made controversial headlines with an in-depth study of Islam for middle-school history students.

Nyssa’s seventh-grade social studies teachers Pam Wood and Jim Casad were criticized for teaching “in detail” the five pillars of Islam, which involves a confession for becoming Muslim.

Parental complaints began the sounding of alarms that reverberated in media coverage, and school district leaders were soon fending off heated criticism of the program.

Nyssa schools superintendant Don Grotting said the criticism did not resurface in the 2007-08 school year, and it is not likely to be a problem again.

“We have spent considerable amounts of time making sure both sides of issues are brought out and there is balance,” Grotting told CAN News.

He said the classroom discussion of modern day issues, a minor part of the unit, is open and includes critical views on Islam’s impact in the world.

“I consider myself to be patriotic, I am a veteran, and I am also a Christian – I take exception to some of the past reporting that I think has not been accurate,” Grotting said.

“It should be understood, we are a conservative community, equally large Protestant and Catholic people, I’d say close to half Hispanic. People here would not put up with Islamic religious indoctrination,” he added.

“I would not put up with it. I want it to be perfectly clear on that point, it just is not happening. But the more our students, and parents for that matter, can recognize different cultures, the better off we are – understanding their history and development.”

Grotting, and Nyssa Middle School Principal Jana Iverson, said the curriculum for class follows closely the textbook, Journey Across Time, which includes programs on all religions.

“It doesn’t teach how to become a Muslim,” Iverson said, though it does explain what a Muslim believes – hence the “Five Pillars.”

“I don’t think any of these kids would have any idea how to become a Muslim, and I don’t get that at all either from my own reading of the text,” she added.

“It’s all factual, what they believe, and it is balanced with the beliefs of other religions. There’s absolutely no proselytism, no indication at all of it being a better thing to believe…no favoritism of one faith above another.”

Some prior reports indicated criticism over the amount of time devoted to Islam as well as some class activities like dressing as Muslims and trying Islamic-national foods.

Grotting and Iverson said the dress-up, and voluntary sharing of food dishes, involved parents and included extra-credit – there were no requirements for participation.

Grotting said the previous school year might have had a time imbalance. “I guess there could have been some [criticism] about balance on that,” he said.

“We have had individuals who have had extensive contact with Islamic culture, and we had some speakers come in, but I think both sides of many issues about Islam were brought out.”

He added the pool of potential guests includes U.S. Military service men and women who have their own impressions from their time in Middle-Eastern regions and cultural contact.

Iverson said she is always prepared to accommodate any complaints, and most every parent agrees their curriculum on history has been balanced.

“Basically, we’ve only had one parent complain, and this particular parent was very vocal,” Iverson said, adding of the 2007-08 school year, “We haven’t heard a thing. It was kind of quiet this year.”

History curricula have come under strong criticism by the American Textbook Counsel for intentional misinformation on Islam pandering to heavily-funded Islamic advocacy groups.

A review of five offending junior high and five high school textbooks under fire by the counsel did not include “Journey Across Time.”