Fox News, MSNBC, Bloggers and national websites are weighing in on a Freshman AP World Geography lesson a Lumberton high school teacher taught last week.
The criticism is centered on several elements of the lesson:
What some call the use of material from C-SCOPE, a resource made available to teachers from regional education service centers across Texas.
Some critics say certain lessons in C-SCOPE are biased even anti-American. They say districts are forced to use C-SCOPE and that it removes local control from education.
Perhaps more than anything, a picture of students wearing burqas in the class has made the criticism go viral.
Some people who are upset about the lesson say the clothing was treated as a fashion accessory not as a symbol of oppression of women. They claim the lesson was entirely about Islam and that the teacher said Muslim terrorists are freedom fighters.
The Superintendent says he's getting negative calls from across the country from people he says are getting bad information about what really happened in the class.
The Superintendent gave us permission to make a surprise visit to the high school. We spoke with students who are in the class. They said they support their teacher and refute what they call mis-information.
Bayleigh Smith and Noelle Davis are freshmen at Lumberton high school.
And when it comes to a favorite teacher, they agree on one.
"She really loves what she teaches, she's really out going, she's great with the students and she always teaches us what we need to know...you can tell she likes what she does," said Noelle Davis.
They enjoy the hands on learning they receive in the AP World Geography class.
"It's definitely a lot more fun than some of the other classes I have taken...it's not drab, "said Davis
Smith and Davis are learning about different cultures, religions, and customs from across the world.
Last week, the class spent two days learning about the Middle East.
"We recently tried on the different types of barbs in middle east; we were all very excited to do that," said Davis.
The students say the teacher gave them the option of whether to put on burqas.
Many who did took pictures. Now, the picture and the lesson are in the national spotlight.
"It's disappointing to me to see people up in arms to something that are inconsequential," said Davis.
"Heartbreaking to see a good teacher attacked like this," said Bayleigh Smith.
Islam isn't the only religion the students have studied. They've also studied Judaism, Christianity, and right now they're studying the culture of South Africa.
We can't teach everything as black and white, right and wrong. We have to let the students learn what is going on in the world," said John Valastro.
John Valastro is the Lumberton school Superintendent. He says the teacher has taught the same lesson for a long time in her decades-long career, long before C-SCOPE was in the classrooms.
He says the lesson and students allowed to try on burqas are nothing new.
"Our teachers do a good job, unfortunately they are caught in between a struggle of what one group thinks is inappropriate and what the state is trying to teach," said Valastro.
Valastro says if the state wants to change the curriculum, the district will do what's necessary. In the meantime...the two students we spoke with support the lesson, the teacher, and deny she tried to influence their opinion about the Middle East or any region they study in world geography.
"I love my teacher and I love her class and I enjoy it," said Davis.
State Lawmaker Dan Patrick of Houston is looking into the lesson and the Texas Board of Education is investigating the use of C-SCOPE.
Again, the superintendent says that resource was used for only a small portion of the lesson.