Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
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Discussion of censorship, equity, and other concerns.
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Entire District To Lose Access to New Books After School Board Member Misreads Kindergarten Book
he Kat..."
So Morgan Calhound is ignorant of basic grammar rules regarding singular and plural, obviously cannot spell and somehow got elected as being an "educational" trustee.
At the very least, ALL books should be made available again and Morgan Calhoun needs to lose her position and be given a mandate to "shut up"
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Glad the Canadian government has issued a travel advisory, but sad that so many US states are morphing into Nazi Germany.
A breakdown of Texas 1 year later https://cjtackett.medium.com/one-year...
Houston ISD superintendent Mike Miles reportedly doesn't think librarians are necessary. Reported on social media so... who knows
https://twitter.com/houstonisdwatch/s...
His day will be done soon.
Houston parents push back against the state’s school takeover
Parents in the Houston Independent School District are fighting back against whirlwind changes to the district set in motion by new superintendent Mike Miles.
In March, following a yearslong court battle, the state’s public education entity, the Texas Education Agency, took control of the school district from its elected board. The following month, the state appointed Mike Miles as superintendent and he soon instituted a plan called the New Education System, an initiative to reform a district plagued by low reading levels and standardized test scores. According to the HISD website, NES schools will implement several reforms, including a more rigorous instruction, in an effort to improve academic outcomes. The schools in the new system largely serve Black, Latino and low-income students.
Since NES came into being, critics have complained about the numerous changes being introduced, such as eliminating nearly two dozen special education contracting jobs, changing dual language programs and converting at least 28 school libraries into discipline areas called “team centers,” where students with behavioral issues can attend classes virtually.
Library changes are part of Miles’ New Education System. As part of the plan, several librarians will transition to other, unspecified positions within the district, HISD spokesperson Jose A. Irizarry said in a statement. Earlier this month, parents and children read books during an HISD school board meeting to protest the changes.
Cheryl Hensley is one of those displaced librarians, having lost her job after nearly 40 years at HISD. Hensley said she has not yet accepted a new position.
“That was hurtful,” she said of the change. The Texas Library Association awarded Hensley the 2023 Siddie Joe Johnson Award for her dedication to children’s book access.
Sam, the HISD spokesperson, told NBC News earlier this month that the district will cut the special education contract jobs, including disability experts, to focus on hiring full-time special education employees. There are currently more than 30 open special education positions, according to the district website. Critics have said having contractors as additional support staff has been crucial for diagnosing children with special needs and getting them the resources they need.
The tension can even be felt in teachers like Aurelia Wagner, who has spent eight years teaching elementary students. She said she was excited to sign onto Miles’ NES plan with hopes of making more money and having more resources for her students.
“I did not sign up to have libraries closed down for them to be used for potential discipline centers,” she lamented. She said she’s not looking forward to a new, rigid school structure that focuses on instruction and makes little time for play and creativity.
“I’m nervous for the kids,” Wagner said. “The first day or two of school used to be ‘getting to know you’ activities … we’re not doing that anymore. First day of school, bell-to-bell instruction is what we were told. I’m concerned for the children that they’re going to lose their love of learning, lose their love of coming to school. School is supposed to be a safe place and I think that for some children school is now going to be a place of drill and kill.” “Drill and kill” is a phrase often used in educational circles to mean that by drilling a student with educational information you will kill their excitement and motivation to learn.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/h...
Last one of the night comes from AlabamaDale Co. residents plead with commission to not pull funding from library amid potential moving of LGBTQ books
DALE COUNTY, Ala. (WDHN) — Ozark Mayor Mark Blankenship posted on Facebook on Friday saying he wants the Ozark-Dale County Library to remove all LGBTQ books from the shelves of the young adult section. That section is for children ages 12-17.
The mayor even said that if the library does not remove the books then the city will pull funding from the library.
That threat drew people to the Dale County Commission Meeting, where they are asking for the commission to not pull funding.
“He thinks that just because of his position he will just be able to make a request and that it immediately gets catered to,” Concerned Dale County resident, Brittany Galland said.
Currently, LGBTQ books make up less than 5% of the young adult section, which is 80 books out of more than 1,600.
The mayor says he’s asked them to put the books before, but the library feels they are age-appropriate.
Young people aged 12-17 have to get permission from a parent or guardian to get a library card, but they’re allowed to enter the library and check out books on their own. Some feel it’s the library board’s job to decide what content goes where.
“There has been a suggestion that the content of these books is inappropriate for the young adults,” Concerned Dale County resident, Adam Kamerer said. “We just ask that the library board be allowed to do the job that the city council and the county commission have appointed them to do.”
Dale County Commissioners agree with the mayor and want LGBTQ books moved away from the young adult section, but they don’t want funding taken away from the library.
“I don’t think there’s going to be any way that we are not going to fund the library,” Dale County Commission Chairman, Steve McKinnon said. “I am not a voting member. I am the chairman. We don’t want to defund them. It’s a viable asset to the county used by a lot of people and kids.”
At the beginning of the meeting, commissioners went into executive session for about 20 minutes to discuss the matter away from the public,
They decided to hold off on discussing funding and the budget as a whole until after the library board meets in a special meeting on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. to deal with this.
https://www.wdhn.com/news/local-news/...
Lots of news came through last night.The good:
Papillion-La Vista Nebraska school board rejects attempt to remove book from library
All Boys Aren't Blue stays at the HS
On Monday, the board upheld earlier decisions by the district’s American Civic and Curriculum Committee as well as Superintendent Andrew Rikli after a full review of the book.
https://www.wowt.com/2023/08/29/papio...
Little Rock church takes stand on teaching of controversial AP African American course in featured podcast
Pastor Preston Clegg of Second Baptist Church downtown Little Rock said part of their church history involves truth-telling. He said amid the advanced placement African American studies controversy, he believes school districts should be allowed to continue teaching the course.
According to Clegg, they address the positive things they've accomplished in their existence and some of the not-so-shining moments, all while professing the faith that they proclaim. He said their congregation didn't always make the best decisions in the past. Clegg said they were a Southern Baptist church for most of their history. He claimed they are a proud cooperative Baptist fellowship church.
Clegg said the timing of the podcast, which was released last week, aligns with the current situation around the AP African-American class conversation. He said he's worried about the pushback to keep Arkansas students from staying in that class is a prime example.
"I'm very concerned about movements in our broader culture that has to do with books and libraries," he said. "An unwillingness to tell the truth about the racial history of our city and state and country because those efforts divert and hinder the real work of reconciliation. They don't assist it."
https://katv.com/news/local/little-ro...
The bad:Library That Kicked Out Moms for Liberty Group Suffers Third Bomb Threat
After a library in California kicked out a Moms for Liberty chapter when speakers invited to conduct a talk at the library failed to respect the institution’s code of conduct by continually misgendering transgender people, a series of bomb threats forced its evacuation. Several nearby schools have also been put on alert due to the threats.
In response to a bomb threat, the library was evacuated Monday morning. The threat was ladden with anti-LGBTQ+ slurs. Students at the local high school and elementary school were put on lockdown and sheltered in place, the Sacramento Bee reports.
There have been two previous bomb threats to the library in one week.
Police officials said Monday’s bomb threat was made in an email containing anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech, similar to the threat made on August 21 and one made Friday.
Beckwith and Yolo County sheriff’s officials were reported Monday afternoon to have received three threats since August 20, the date of what deputies referred to as a “heated meeting held at the library,” which includes comparable messages that “revolve around the mentioned meeting.”
“It seems likely that these events are related,” Beckwith told reporters on Monday. “They are similar in nature.”
The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office said Monday’s bomb threat was similar to those sent last week to KTXL, the Sacramento Fox affiliate, targeting the library.
An earlier statement from Harmon communicated that the first threat contained repugnant verbiage aimed at LGBTQ+ people.
Due to a virtual private network’s ability to allow email to be sent from anywhere, Harmon said the FBI is investigating the incident.
A forum hosted by Moms for Liberty in Yolo County led to dozens of attendees attending a discussion on “Fair and Safe Sports for Girls” at the library. An official asked a speaker at the library to leave after repeatedly referring to transgender female youth athletes as “biological males.”
https://news.yahoo.com/library-kicked...
Scroll down for more horrendous incidents in schools
Schools on the outskirts of Tulsa, Oklahoma, are being harassed with repeated bomb threats, which began the day the state’s superintendent shared a post from the right-wing account Libs of TikTok targeting a librarian in the Union Public Schools district.
On August 22, State Superintendent Ryan Walters, a Republican, quote-tweeted a video posted by right-wing social media account Libs of TikTok targeting a Tulsa-area elementary school librarian. The librarian’s video, originally posted on TikTok, included the text: “POV: teachers in your state are dropping like flies but you are still just not quite finished pushing your woke agenda at the public school.”
In the caption of the video, the librarian added: “my radical liberal agenda is teaching kids to love books and be kind hbu?? I think I’m going to make one of these every year until I die or end my teaching era #teachersoftiktok #schoollibrarian #liberalagenda #scandal #okpolitics.” (The caption was not included in the post by Libs of TikTok, which is operated by right-wing influencer Chaya Raichik.
Walters amplified Raichik, writing on X (formerly known as Twitter) that “Democrats say it doesn’t exist. The liberal media denies the issue. Even some Republicans hide from it. Woke ideology is real and I am here to stop it.”
The threats against the schools began the morning of Walters tweet, and specifically referenced the teacher.
[cue hateful messages]
Another threat, which also referenced the educator, demanded the schools “stop pushing this woke ideology or we will bomb every school in the union district.”
In response, Democrats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives have called for an evaluation of impeachment charges against Walters.
“Due to his consistent pattern of inflammatory language aimed at our public education teachers, outright lies and targeted attacks on local control, along with the continued criminal investigations into the potential financial mismanagement of ODE funds and continued refusal to cooperate in good faith with lawmakers, we believe it is now time for us to use the authority afforded to us by House Rules and the Oklahoma Constitution,” state House Democrats wrote in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Walters responded in a statement, accusing Democrats of posing a “direct threat to our democracy,” in seeking to remove a “popularly elected constitutional officer” from office. Earlier this week, Walters celebrated his successful ouster of Tulsa Superintendent Deborah Gist, an elected officer. Gist stepped down in order to ward off a state takeover of her district threatened by Walters.
“I would advise Tulsa Public Schools and their leadership: Do not test me,” Walters had said.
https://news.yahoo.com/tulsa-school-d...
Georgia School District Canceled an Author’s Talks After He Said ‘Gay’An elementary school principal in Forsyth County emailed parents to apologize last week after Marc Tyler Nobleman used the word in a presentation about the origins of Batman.
The principal of a Georgia elementary school apologized to parents last week after a guest author who was discussing his research into a co-creator of Batman told a group of fifth graders that the co-creator’s son was gay.
The author, Marc Tyler Nobleman, said the principals of two other elementary schools in the district where he was speaking had asked him to stick to “appropriate” material and omit that detail of his research. When he refused, his remaining presentations were canceled.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/29/us...
Penn. is at it again.Controversial Curriculum Plan Approved By Pennridge School Board
Hundreds turn out to object to school board's social studies curriculum improvement plan.
The Pennridge School Board this week voted 5 to 4 to approve a controversial social studies curriculum improvement plan for the district's elementary school that some say promotes an extremist right-wing view of history.
On Monday night, hundreds packed the auditorium of the Pennridge High School to urge the board to vote down the curriculum plan, which was developed with assistance from Vermillion Education and its CEO, Jordan Adams.
Adams has become a lightning rod in the district's curriculum debate because of his background as a graduate and former employee of Hillsdale College, a conservative, Christian school in Michigan that created the 1776 curriculum plan. The 1776 curriculum plan has been accused of "whitewashing" American history by liberals.
Adams has said Vermilion Education has no ties to Hillsdale College.
Prior to the vote, board members sparred over the curriculum plan with one member calling it "partisan and political" and another saying it will allow students to become "critical thinkers."
"Typically our teachers and superintendent write the curriculum and bring it to us. Instead, this is curriculum written by an outsider with no experience in public education. On top of that our teachers and administrators are vehemently opposed to it," said board member Ronald Wurz. "The community is united against Vermillion and Mr. Adams on both sides of the aisle. We need to listen to our community.
"I hear over and over again how we want to remove bias from the curriculum. That is obviously a lie if we pass this tonight," said Wurz. "The Hillsdale College curriculum has not garnered any endorsements from any history, civics or educational professionals. It is important that we build our curriculum on a sound foundation rather than polarizing ideology ... Tonight we have an opportunity to change our school board to one that respects our community. Please do the right thing and vote no."
Board member Megan Banis-Clemens, who voted with the majority in favor of the curriculum change, said it was the administration who brought the request to update the social studies curriculum to the board two years ago. They were looking for a "consistent" curriculum across the district, she said. "We brought in Jordan Adams to help with that process," she said.
"There seems to be more comments about the person rather than the substance of the curriculum," she said during comments at the meeting. "Whether people like him or not, he is not the issue. The school code in Pennsylvania literally gives full authority to the school district on curriculum writing with the only requirement being that it covers the standards. He's qualified," she said. "And most of you who are complaining about his qualifications are saying the teachers should be writing the curriculum when the teachers don't have the qualifications that he has. He's also been director of curriculum elsewhere.
"A board member mentioned at the last meeting that we need to be teaching all perspectives and views. I disagree," she said. "We need to be teaching the facts and encouraging students to formulate their own views and think critically for themselves, not memorize a liberal or conservative perspective," she said. "We should be encouraging kids to dissect the information in all different ways and not memorize other people's takeaways."
Banis-Clemons said it's not "whitewashing American history" to have students draw conclusions on their own. "It's creating critical thinkers who will go on to solve the problems everyone else will miss," she said.
In a series of motions, the board approved a plan to incorporate the ninth grade curriculum into this upcoming school year and passed changes to the elementary curriculum, but postponed them until next year.
https://patch.com/pennsylvania/doyles...
Florida Reviewers Wanted ‘Opposing' Views Of Slavery Before Rejecting New AP CourseFlorida officials tasked with reviewing a new Advanced Placement course on African American Studies raised multiple concerns the curriculum didn’t offer any “opposing viewpoints” or “other perspectives” of slavery before the state rejected the program earlier this year, the Miami Herald reported Tuesday.
In one lesson, the AP curriculum focuses on how enslaved Africans were removed from the continent and taken to plantations on Portuguese colonies that later became “a model for slave-based economy in the Americas.”
State reviewers said they were concerned the lesson “may not address the internal slave trade/system within Africa” and “may only present one side of this issue.” In a separate lesson that discussed how Europeans benefited from the slave trade, state reviewers claimed the curriculum “may lead to a viewpoint of an ‘oppressor vs. oppressed’ based solely on race or ethnicity.”
In yet another case, a reviewer said a unit about abolitionists that worked to free slaves was not “factually inclusive or balanced.” The curriculum, the reviewer said, would be more accurate if the word “owners” was used rather than enslavers. ["owners" is now considered outdated and offensive]
The documents noted there were many times reviewers said the course should include perspectives from “the other side,” but didn’t add any detail as to what perspectives they meant.
The Herald notes one of the reviewers was linked to conservative groups including the Civics Alliance, which seeks to bar “woke” standards from teaching curriculum. Many of the comments in the document were not attributed to specific individuals.
The College Board told the Miami Herald that it didn’t fully understand the critiques of the course, as Florida officials didn’t share the full findings of their review. Officials at the board admitted it had tried to coordinate with the governor’s team to see the program offered to as many students as possible, but later said it would revise the course to better reflect “this dynamic discipline.”
“In embarking on this effort, access was our driving principle — both access to a discipline that has not been widely available to high school students, and access for as many of those students as possible,” the College Board wrote in April. “Regrettably, along the way those dual access goals have come into conflict.”
The organization plans to submit the final version of the AP course for approval in November, but it’s unclear if Florida’s laws will allow it to be offered.
https://news.yahoo.com/florida-review...
Back to Penn.Telford woman threatened with arrest after criticizing local Moms for Liberty members
Telford Police sent a letter to the woman alleging that she was “harassing” members online. The ACLU of Pa. said law enforcement is violating her freedom of speech.
Natalie Cimonetti says she doesn’t feel safe.
The Telford Police Department is threatening to arrest her for criticizing online local members of Moms for Liberty, a conservative “parental-rights” group.
“It makes me feel like I’m not safe in my own town from the police,” Cimonetti, 47, said.
Vic Walczak, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, and his colleagues have reviewed Cimonetti’s online posts and activity. He said nothing comes anywhere close to a criminal violation.
“Threats of criminal prosecution from any law enforcement entity is going to scare people and it is that kind of behavior that totalitarian governments use to maintain control,” Walczak said.
Telford Police Chief Randall Floyd sent a letter to Cimonetti in July stating his department received reports of her “maliciously harassing” Moms for Liberty (M4L) members “through a campaign of internet stalking and doxing.”
“Reportedly, as part of this endeavor, you posted personal information of certain M4L members, along with photos and negative commentary,” Floyd wrote. Without evidence, Floyd also accused Cimonetti of including minor children of M4L members.
Cimonetti was previously mailed a cease-and-desist letter from the organization in March. Floyd referenced that letter and said that Cimonetti continued to “disregard legal warning.”
“In consultation with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office concerning this complaint, it was concluded that criminal charges are warranted,” Floyd wrote.
Floyd’s letter was intended as a warning that future “harassment” will result in charges.
Cimonetti said the letter confused her so she called the police department in hopes of speaking to the chief. She couldn’t reach Floyd, but spoke with a detective, who told her: “Stop harassing Moms for Liberty.’”
“That was all he told me,” Cimonetti said.
The ACLU got involved and sent a letter to the Telford Police Department and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
“What we asked was for clarification on what it is that she posted that might be criminal,” Walczak said. “And if they couldn’t provide that, asked them to formally let Natalie know that she’s not being watched here and we haven’t heard back.”
In regards to the event that sparked the cease-and-desist letter, Cimonetti said it stems from a link to a Montgomery County Moms for Liberty membership list floating around online.
She initially reposted the link in a private Facebook group for Pennsylvania Stop Moms for Liberty.
“I didn’t leave it up for very long, [because] someone told me that might be against the terms of service to share private group information between groups or whatever, so I deleted it,” Cimonetti said.
A few weeks later in March, Cimonetti received a cease-and-desist letter from legal counsel for Moms for Liberty. Similar letters were sent to the administrator of the Facebook group and the founder of Stop Moms for Liberty
Moms for Liberty and its attorney from their law firm Fisher Broyles did not respond to a request for comment.
Cimonetti is unsure what caused the Telford police to intervene. She recently started working with Red Wine & Blue, a progressive group that seeks to politically engage suburban women.
When the national Moms for Liberty Summit came to Philadelphia in June and July, Cimonetti said she attended some counter events.
“The ACLU’s primary concern here is that you’ve got government officials, especially law enforcement, who are trying to put their thumbs on the scale of a political debate,” Walczak said. “Obviously, there are different views of what America should be in this country and certainly how our schools should operate. Natalie and Moms for Liberty are on opposite sides of that. That’s good in a democracy to have that kind of debate. It’s not good when you have law enforcement trying to intimidate one side into silence.”
Walczak said the threat of arrest has had a chilling effect on Cimonetti’s constitutionally protected political activity and free speech.
https://whyy.org/articles/pa-telford-...
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Library That Kicked Out Moms for Liberty Group Suffers Third Bomb Threat
After a library in California kicked out a Moms for Liberty chapter when speakers invited to conduct a talk at th..."
Sick, but I bet that the Florida, the Texas and the Nebraska governors are cheering and likely would support anyone actually threatening violence against book banning opponents.
MORE bomb threatsNone of these threats are normal, and each of them is a federal crime.
Post-threat, libraries are seeing themselves targeted in other ways, too. Right-wingers are submitting FOIA requests to acquire information about those who work in the library, demanding information such as their qualifications to be working in those facilities.
https://literaryactivism.substack.com...
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Florida officials tasked with reviewing a new Advanced Placement course on African American Studies raised multi..."
In MY opinion, ANYONE (politician or otherwise) wanting opposing views on slavery or suggesting that slavery was justified is akin to Holocaust deniers and should be facing serious charges and also perhaps time in jail.
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Telford woman threatened with arrest after criticizing local Moms for Liberty members
Telford Police sent a letter to the woman alleging that she was “harassing” members online. The ..."
What caused to police to intervene is that unfortunately Moms (Nazis) for Liberty have a lot of friends amongst law enforcement and which is really frightening as that is one step ahead of the Gestapo or the Stasi.
Manybooks wrote: "What caused to police to intervene is that unfortunately Moms (Nazis) for Liberty have a lot of friends amongst law enforcement and which is really frightening as that is one step ahead of the Gestapo or the Stasi.Yes and reportedly Trump vows to arrest his political enemies once he's reelected President, books are being banned because they're misinterpreted and there's not an opposing viewpoint. I think at this point literally everyone knows slavery was bad, the Holocaust was bad. Kids know what's fair and what's not fair.
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Yeah, Trump vowing to arrest those critical of him is definitely NAZI like (as Hitler did exactly the same thing in 1933, not only with regard to Socialists, with regard to leftists but also with regard to artists, conservatives with different ideas, basically targeting pretty much ANYONE both officially and unofficially against him). So honestly, if you support Donald Trump, you are basically supporting an Adolf Hitler clone.
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Glad the LOWLIFE was arrested, but why not also offer public identification??
I'm impressed the RCMP arrested an anti-drag queen story hour protestor. The police do little on that front here in the lower 48. People have taken it upon themselves to sing, hold rainbow umbrellas and protect the kids from seeing the ugliness. Still, every day these story hours are threatened and cancelled. To kids, it's just a woman in a dress reading and singing songs about acceptance, kindness and empathy. If you don't like THAT, (what DO you like?) then don't go. Lots more news came through my feed today.
GOOD news is Federal judge bars Texas from enforcing book rating law | The Texas Tribune
"House Bill 900 requires book vendors to rate all their materials based on their depictions or references to sex before selling them to schools. Vendors say the law aims to regulate protected speech with “vague and over broad” terms.
A federal judge said Thursday he will stop a new Texas law aimed at keeping sexually explicit materials off of school library shelves on the eve of the law going into effect, according to state attorneys and lawyers for a group who sued over the proposal.
District Judge Alan D. Albright indicated during a hearing that he will grant a temporary injunction sought by a group of book groups and sellers, including two Texas bookstores, who sued the state over House Bill 900 in July, the group’s lawyers said in a statement. Albright will issue a written order in one to two weeks; in the meantime, the state cannot enforce the law, according to the statement.
Despite the concerns, HB 900 sailed through the legislative process before Gov. Greg Abbott signed it in June. It was set to go into effect Friday; however, the law’s language suggests the new requirements won’t have to be fulfilled immediately.
Most, if not all, of the state’s roughly 5.4 million public schoolchildren have already begun the 2024-2025 school year.
The lawsuit’s plaintiffs include two bookstores, Austin’s BookPeople and West Houston’s Blue Willow Bookshop, as well as the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
The Texas Attorney General’s office said Thursday it would move to reverse the injunction and appeal the judge’s decision. The office had not received the judge’s written order or decision by Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson said.
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/...
John Green on Hamilton East Public Library moving ‘The Fault in Our Stars'""We never would have been in this situation if the majority of the board had listened to librarians and their constituents," he said in an interview with the IndyStar. "There were people sounding the alarm about this long before I did. For whatever reason my sounding the alarm got a lot of attention.""
""I really dislike having people read my work out of context or any work of fiction out of context," Green told IndyStar. "To read a single page from a 280-page book and claim that page can somehow exist outside of the context of the novel when it will only ever be read by teenagers inside the context of the novel is really troubling to me. That really upsets me.""
""It's really hard to do your job as a teacher or a librarian when a significant minority of people are accusing you of abusing children because of the books that you're shelving. It's unfair and it's inaccurate. I'm quite confident that my books are not pornography, but I'm also very confident that many of the books on that list are not p___phy because I've read them.”"
""There is a chilling effect that accompanies this level of book banning that we’re seeing in the United States today. It makes it harder to reach young readers on every imaginable level.""
Summary:
(It's stupid, why now when the book and movie have been popular for years and no one's ever brought up being harmed by the story.)
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/l...
LUBBOCK, Texas — Lubbock folks like Coltin Foster are eagerly awaiting September 1, so House Bill 900 can take effect. “It’s not that we’re banning books, it’s that we’re just trying to get the [s___] explicit content out of public education,” said Foster.
He and others who support the law believe it will help protect children from mature content in books at school, but folks like Desiree Freyburger with the non-profit organization, Friends of the Library, believe otherwise.
“In my mind, it’s more about control,” said Freyburger. “Wanting to control people’s access to ideas, and the problem with that, again, is fear. You know, it’s these uncomfortable topics that parents don’t want to deal with.”
House Bill 900 will require public schools to take books deemed ‘patently offensive’ off the shelves, and book vendors will have to assign ratings based on references to sexual content among other duties. But another big part of the debate is the role of parental rights in education.
“I believe that parents should have the information of what’s going on in our public education, and so we really need that transparency, and that’s what 900 focuses on,” said Foster. “It focuses on the catalogs [that] need to be transparent online and book companies that sell the books also have to rate their books, so the schools know what the books are before they purchase them.”
Parental rights have been in Texas law since the 1990s, and is something all these folks support but in different ways.
“Parents absolutely have a right to control what their children read, but you have a right to control what your children read, not what my children read and the First Amendment guarantees that,” said Freyburger. “You need to have these discussions with your children about uncomfortable topics. They need to get the information from you, not from YouTube, not from TikTok, not from the kids on the playground.
“Read, become informed and discuss it with your children because I guarantee you they’re going to get that information,” said Freyburger. “They’re exposed to this everywhere you look, taking the books out of the library is not what’s needed.”
https://www.everythinglubbock.com/new...
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It is cheering that the police in most Canadian provinces will arrest homophobic nasties and will also take seriously vandalism and theft of Pride flags (of course, that may change if the political climate becomes increasingly like much of the USA and in particular if social conservative politicians try to strong-arm law the RCMP and/or provincial police forces).
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfou...
Fight over LGBTQ books in Ozark library divides Alabama community[Hateful rhetoric disguised as religious convictions by Cheryl Bass]
A meeting Wednesday over a call for the Ozark-Dale County public library to remove books with LGBTQ characters and themes drew over 100 people and led to fierce arguments over parental rights and censorship.
The meeting came after the library received complaints about two books in the library’s young adult section from Dale County Commission Adam Enfinger, who did not speak at Wednesday’s meeting. But Ozark Mayor Mark Blankenship, who has campaigned on the issue on his Facebook page, told the meeting said that he had requested the books be removed months ago, and he did not believe that he had to do anything else.
“I’m telling you, it is terrible when you read this stuff, and we do not need them in this library,” he said.
The official reason for the meeting was to discuss the library’s process of reviewing books. The library had received two official complaints from Enfinger. But the crowd was also discussing public social media posts from the mayor that focused on LGBTQ+ books in the young adult section.
The Mirror Season
Only Mostly Devastated
The attempt to remove the books brought strong pushback from other attendees of the meeting.
“This government must represent all of the people of Ozark, not just the majority,” said Alden Rocha, an adult library volunteer who identified herself as a conservative Christian. “People in the LGBTQ community are taxpayers too, and they should have access to the books that they and their kids request.”
The tense gathering Wednesday lasted three-and-a-half hours, with some speakers getting cut off for personal attacks and one sharing the results of Open Records requests about the controversy. The large doors of the meeting room had to be opened to the outside had to be opened to abide by occupancy codes, and board members and attendees fanned themselves with paper due to the heart. At least five armed law enforcement officers and an EMT were present.
Mike Cairns, the vice-chair of the library’s Board of Trustees and moderator for most of the meeting, said that the initial informal complaint was about pictures of the stickers used to mark LGBTQ books.
People on both sides of the debate saw their time cut for violating rules of order established by the Board of Trustees.
Adam Kamerer, who started a Facebook group that opposed the moving of books, began reading messages between the mayor and board members that he received through a records request, saying it would give context “about the conversations that were made.”
Karen Speck, library director, identified one of the text messages as from her. The text messages show Mayor Blankenship asking about the removal of books and sending pictures of stickers that said LGBTQ+ on them with a rainbow sticker.
The reading of the messages led to an uproar from the crowd, with some attendees shouting that it was a personal attack, and the Board left a few minutes early for lunch. When the board returned, they said they had voted at lunch, not publicly, that Kamerer’s comments were personal attacks, and he would not receive his time back. Kamerer has posted the FOIA messages publicly on his Facebook page.
Liz Delaney, the chair of the Ozark-Dale County Library’s Board of Trustees, said the library board places books in sections the publisher specifies, such as children or young adult.
The book remains there unless someone fills out a reconsideration form that would lead to a review by an independent committee, which decides whether to keep the book in place or move it to a different age bracket.
Jim Hill, the first speaker at the meeting, said he would prefer to remove the books, but asked that they be moved to a monitored section.
“I did not remove this stove from our home to keep our children from getting burned,” he said. “We simply kept an eye on them.”
Amanda Hirschman, who said she moved to Ozark a few years ago, said that parents are the “moral authority” for children, but it ends with the family. She said she didn’t want the books removed but moved to the adult section or their own section, and suggested people who complain about a book read it first.
“Having these books moved to maybe an adult section or a section on their own seems a very reasonable workaround for some of the outrage that’s been going on,” she said.
Hillary Miles, who said her mother used to be the children’s librarian, said that she was “extremely appalled” at the government having control over the books she and her children could access.
“If you cannot separate your religious beliefs from that civic duty, then you lack the ethical foundation representative of a community leader,” she said.
She said that the banning of the books was unconstitutional. She said that there are books in the library she might not let her children read but that is her decision as the parent.
“I would also like to propose that it be required in your policy that anyone submitting any book for review have a valid library card,” she said.
Other censors:
Trustee Monica Carroll "Filth"
Christina Faulkner, secretary of the board, said that she did not believe in censorship, but she also doesn’t believe that the passage ready by Carrol should be read by young adults. The library defines young adult as 12-17.
Faulkner proposed at the end of the meeting a process where parents could potentially sign a waiver that would allow those under 18 to access books that could have “mature” content.
“They can check out those materials but other children whose parents don’t agree with them, checking out those materials and feel like then those materials would be beyond their ability to check out and that parents also sign an agreement understanding that if they’re concerned about the children’s ability to access materials in our library that they need to be with their children to monitor what their children have access to,” she said.
The board plans to discuss the idea with their lawyer prior to their next meeting on Sept. 20.
https://www.al.com/news/2023/08/fight...
MORE threats, this time Indian River County, Florida"Threats investigated after contentious Indian River County school board meeting involving books
The Indian River County Sheriff's Office is investigating a death threat and other threatening calls and emails to school board members.
The threats follow a contentious meeting over books that critics said don't belong in school libraries.
A sheriff's office spokesman told WPTV that someone left a threatening message on the school district office's answering machine the day after the contentious board meeting.
During the meeting, the group "Moms for Liberty" read from books they want removed from school libraries.
After a few speakers continued to read passages from the books that they questioned, the school board chair noted children might be watching via livestream.
"If you don't think it's appropriate, please don't read it," school board chair Peggy Jones said.
However, the last speaker at the meeting didn't stop when asked, prompting a school official to remove the microphone as the speaker read a passage from a book he called p___ic.
Deputies escorted the man, who said he was a pastor, out of the meeting.
For some, hard feelings lingered the day after the meeting.
Indian River School Superintendent David Moore said in an email that "the escalation of this issue resulted in our board members receiving threatening emails and calls."
[M4L does not condone the threats.]
The sheriff's office continues to try to find out who sent the threatening messages and emails to school board members.
https://www.wptv.com/news/education/t...
A new podcast focuses on books banned at schools across the country hosted by MSNBC host Ali Velshi. Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/...
Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5aNexow...
Book ban protest inspires new book by Toledo Ohio area author"A local children’s author is making the most of her experience after a Pennsylvania school district banned her debut book. Now, the ordeal, and the students who protested the ban of her book, are the inspiration for her newest publication."
The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale
https://www.13abc.com/2023/08/30/book...
Mod
Manybooks wrote: "In my opinion, one reason that death threats are so increasingly common is that many seem to consider anonymous threats (whether online or not) as either simply "venting" or "freedom of expression" when death threats should be considered the same as physical violence and without exception result in criminal charges and if found guilty a lengthy jail sentence and a criminal record.."Yes they claim free speech but death threats ARE illegal and the police ARE taking this seriously. I just heard on TV about contestants on reality dating shows who have gotten death threats on social media! A stupid TV show! Sadly, the person I heard interviewed didn't know what to do about it! Sickening.
Mod
It is sickening indeed.
Book Riot has a lot of news today.How to alert your school board to Right-Wing bad actors and examples of success stories.
https://literaryactivism.substack.com...
a longform piece from PBS Wisconsin that draws together how queer panic emerged from the pandemic and how it turned to book challenges…which led to far more extreme-right behaviors in a small Wisconsin town.
https://bookriot.com/book-censorship-...
Gender Queer: A Memoir under fire by town selectman in Greenwich, Conn. (figures...)The Greenwich Library said it has received “two messages noting concern” about “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe, a young adult graphic novel on its shelves, even as social media posts criticized the book and called for its removal.
First Selectman Fred Camillo brought up the issue in his weekly e-blast to residents on July 29, saying that “some residents are offended by a very graphic young adult book available at our library,” adding that [hateful language] (view spoiler)
Camillo said he became aware of residents’ objections to the book on social media and pointed to a post on Instagram about “Gender Queer” from the anonymous account “Mask Choice Greenwich.”
“So I’m not for banning books. I think that’s wrong. But, in my personal opinion, ‘Gender Queer’ should not be in the young adult graphic novel section at the Greenwich Library,” the post said.
People responded to the post stating that the presence of the book in the library was “awful” and “insanity” and one even calling it “child abuse” while others questioned “How did this get into our library?” and said “It should be removed from the library ASAP.”
However, another post noted the book’s critical acclaim and awards while stressing it was not in the children’s section, but for teens and young adults.
“Many parents have found it useful to read when their children came to them and told them they are non binary or asexual,” the post said. “Not gay. Not straight. There is nothing ‘sexual’ about this book nor it is porno.”
Despite the posts on social media, the library has not received a formal request to remove the memoir from its shelves.
The library has received “two messages noting concern but no requests for removal” of the graphic novel, said Kate Petrov, public relations officer at Greenwich Library.
Camillo said in his e-blast that his office “does not oversee operations at the library” and said the Greenwich Library’s director and Board of Trustees handles such complaints.
“There are thousands and thousands of books there,” Camillo said. “There may be something that somebody finds objectionable. So if there is some merit to it at least there is a process. Rather than going online and getting people fired up about it, people know now there is a process and you can directly do it and talk with the library.”
Under the library policy, anyone who objects to a book can file a request for consideration, which is reviewed by the library director and responded to in writing. The decision can be appealed to the Board of Trustees, which has the final decision.
“The library is guided by the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read statement. The library recognizes that some resources may be controversial and that any given item may offend some individuals,” the policy says. “Only the individual can determine what is most appropriate for him or her. Parents, caregivers, and legal guardians have the responsibility for their children’s use of library collections and access to the internet through the library’s computers.”
https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/ar...
Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan in New Jersey All Boys Aren't Blue has earned the ire of some Bergen County parents, and the mayor of a nearby town, who are demanding that it be removed from their school's summer reading list.
Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan is the latest school to come under fire in connection with the book. The North Jersey school serving around 1,100 students, according to US News, is a five-minute drive from the New York state border.
NVRHS District Superintendent James Santana told New Jersey 101.5 in a statement that the book is not on a list provided by the district. Santana added that "all summer reading is based on student choice."
"I am aware that some parents in a few NV communities are concerned about a book that is available to young adults around the world," Santana said. "What I have learned is that a lot of the parental concerns brought to my attention related to our summer reading list are based on misinformation."
The superintendent recommended that parents talk with their children about reading choices.
"As requested by parents in the past, the district does provide information about where to find award-winning young adult/teen books," Santana said. "It, along with hundreds of other books, may appear on those award-winning lists not curated by the district."
One such award-winning list is the Young Adult Library Services Association's Teens Top Ten. "All Boys Aren’t Blue" won the number one spot on that list last year after voting by readers ages 12 through 18 years old.
Woodcliff Mayor Carlos Rendo, a Republican and a former candidate for lieutenant governor, is calling for parents to go to school board meetings and call for the book's removal.
"It’s time that we take a stand! This is the agenda that Democrats are pushing," Rendo said on social media Wednesday. Rendo raised the alarm after receiving an email from a concerned parent.
"Please consider attending the BOE meeting tonight to let the administration know that sexually grooming children one way or another is deplorable and unacceptable behavior in our district," Rendo added.
However, North Valley schools don't serve students from Woodcliff. Instead, they attend Pascack Hills High School in Montvale.
"I’m not sure why a mayor from a town not associated with our district would be publicly raising concerns about something in the Northern Valley schools without first reaching out to the Chief School Administrator," Santana said.
Read More: Parents demand sexually explicit book banned from NJ school | https://nj1015.com/parents-demand-sex...
In Pinellas County Schools (FL) After their review, the committee members agreed to recommend removing five books from circulationTricks
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health
It’s Perfectly Normal, written for young readers, is apparently not appropriate for young readers. The other book is “dated.”
https://www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
Queer books are under fire in the Victoria Public Library (TX) and county commissioners threatened to evict the library from its building if they do not remove material. The mayor says that cannot happen.
"With several citizens speaking about the library to the Victoria City Council, Mayor Jeff Bauknight addressed the comments from the Victoria County Commissioners Court’s Monday meeting and assured those in attendance the library wasn’t at risk of eviction. Bauknight also said the city council would discuss possible solutions at the next meeting.
Citizens’ comments included praise for the library for creating an inclusive environment, requests to tone down the rhetoric around the controversial books as decisions are made and concerns for what children are exposed to at the library. Some citizens said parents should be responsible for what their kids read in the library.
“There is zero interest in evicting the city or the library,” Bauknight said, noting County Judge Ben Zeller talked to city officials that morning saying the county would not be evicting the library from the building. “The county was just made aware of these books yesterday and feeling impudent. I’m sure heated comments were made.”
In 2021, 44 books were requested to be banned from the Victoria Public Library, including 21 reevaluated by the library’s advisory board. A group of parents attended the July 19 city council meeting, complaining that some LGBTQ books at the Victoria Public Library were "graphic" and harmful to children.
A group of Victoria residents had originally submitted 43 formal citizen request forms for reevaluation of library materials in the summer of 2021. The library’s director denied the requests to remove the materials or move them to a designated area in the library.
All of the books held by the library require a child’s parents to sign them out, Victoria Library Director Dayna Williams-Capone previously said. She said the library needs to retain such books because they are written for often-marginalized communities in Victoria.
The council will discuss possible solutions to address the controversial books at their next meeting, Bauknight said.
One solution Bauknight would like to see discussed is an updated policy on books categorized in sections for readers 17 years and younger with library staff developing and presenting it to the library advisory board, he said.
Bauknight had no standing opinion on Tuesday but suggested there be an updated policy in place by the end of September. If that time frame is not met, Bauknight said the council could consider a resolution to freeze additions to the library’s collection.
“We can all decide on what’s appropriate or not, and we may have differing opinions on that, but we still need a written definition on what those books mean,” he said. “We also have to make sure we don’t trample over First Amendment rights, but we need to do it in a manner that protects our children. That’s what this is about — being the adult in the room and providing guidance and protecting children.”
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/prem...
In Forsyth County, GA - "Mama Bears" A censorship-friendly hate group in Forsyth County, Georgia, modeled after Moms For Liberty, is suing the district for having their First Amendment rights squashed."The lawsuit was filed in federal court on July 25 by two members of the group Mama Bears of Forsyth County, an unincorporated association whose mission is to organize, educate and empower parents to defend their parental rights.
It states “protecting the innocence of Forsyth County’s children” is central to Mama Bears and its members, primarily by barring the availability of “pornographic materials” in school libraries.
The lawsuit stems from a meeting in March in which Forsyth County Board of Education Chairman Wes McCall called for a recess after repeatedly asking a parent, Alison Hair, to stop reading sexually explicit excerpts from school library books. The board’s policy prohibits profane remarks.
While individuals were allowed to re-enter the room after the break, the lawsuit states Hair left altogether because of “concerns that she might be arrested.”
Court documents show McCall sent Hair a letter, dated March 17, prohibiting her from attending future meetings until she submitted a statement in writing agreeing to follow the board’s public participation rules and his directives as chairman.
Hair received a second letter May 11, signed by McCall, Vice Chairwoman Kristin Morrissey and board members Lindsey Adams, Tom Cleveland and Darla Light, again prohibiting her from attending meetings until she agreed to the stipulation. The lawsuit states Hair had already stopped attending board meetings for fear of retaliation.
Hair, a member of Mama Bears, and group Chairwoman Cindy Martin filed the lawsuit against all five School Board members in federal court on July 25. Hair’s child is no longer a student in the district, but Martin’s is, it states.
In the lawsuit, Hair and Martin accuse the board of seven violations, including to their right to free speech, right to petition, vagueness, overbreadth and prior restraint.
It asks the court to issue an order preventing Forsyth County Schools and board officials from enforcing the ban against Hair’s participation in board meetings and “several unconstitutional provisions” of its public participation policy.
These include requirements that speakers refrain from comments deemed by the meeting’s presiding officer to be “personal attacks,” “rude,” “uncivil,” “defamatory” or “profane.” The lawsuit also seeks an order permanently enjoining the defendants from discriminating on the basis of viewpoint in providing access to School Board meetings.
Hair said the suit is not about any one parent or group but about making sure all resident’s rights are respected at meetings.
That amount is in recognition of the year 1791, the same year the First Amendment guaranteeing the right to free speech was ratified. The lawsuit in Forsyth County also seeks $17.91 in nominal damages and attorneys’ fees.
Martha Astor, attorney at the Institute for Free Speech, says that even though the Forsyth County Board of Education may think Hair and Martin’s speech is offensive, it is a constitutional right.
“School officials cannot censor or ban parents from repeating ‘inappropriate’ language at board meetings, especially when they quote from relevant school materials and library books,” Astor said.
https://www.appenmedia.com/schools/ma...
Ironic how when THEIR voices are silenced, it's Unconstitutional but when THEY want to silence voices they disagree with, it's OK?!
It the Coeur d’Alene (ID) public library, where “Kootenai County Regan Republicans” have been following the Heather Scott book ban playbook.At a meeting of the Kootenai County Regan Republicans on Thursday, Marianna Cochran led a presentation about what she called “toxic” books available to children and teens through the Community Library Network.
Cochran, of Rathdrum, is one of several community members who have objected to certain materials, especially books that relate to race or the LGBTQ community.
Minutes from library trustee meetings over the last six months show that much of the criticism delivered via public comment has come from the same people, including Cochran.
During meetings where more than a handful of people spoke, public comment was split between those who support removing certain books from libraries and those who want the books to stay.
Cochran criticized some library services, including the online catalogue that allows library card holders to search for books, find more books related to topics of interest and put books on hold.
After that, patrons can have their desired book sent to the library closest to them, where they can pick it up and check it out via a kiosk, without interacting with a librarian.
Cochran said she thinks the service makes it too easy for children and teens to access books their parents don’t want them to read.
Note minors can’t get a library card without parental permission.
At the meeting, Cochran distributed a flyer that included a link to a list of more than 600 “books to avoid,” which labeled the books based on content.
The labels are: “abortion, anti-police, bisexual, drugs, gay, gender identity or fluid, occult, racism, rape, sex, trans.” Some books received multiple labels. The list gives no additional information or context about the content of the books.
Cochran said she believes that library books are “grooming” children into identifying as gay or transgender.
Not Quite Narwhal
Cochran also provided a smaller list of recommended books, many of which are in the library’s collection.
Community members can request that certain material be reconsidered. Such material undergoes review by library staff, who read it in full, research it and consider whether it meets the library’s material selection policy.
The Community Library Network uses several criteria to determine which items to add to the collection, including usefulness or lasting value, popularity and user demand and representation of trends, subjects or genres of local or national interest.
Robert Fish, a former library trustee who attended the Thursday meeting, said library directors work hard to respond to the needs of the community and acquire relevant books.
“People who work in libraries are really huge on freedom of speech,” he said. “Any legitimate book can be in the library. If we don’t have it, we can find it for you.”
When a book is reconsidered, several outcomes are possible.
For example, a book originally placed in the children’s section might be moved to the teen section. It might also remain in its original section.
The least likely outcome is for a book to be removed from the collection.
“That’s much more rare, partially because of the public library’s role in upholding the First Amendment,” Rodda said.
Some who object to the contents of public libraries have stopped patronizing them entirely.
Teresa Roth said she hasn’t set foot inside a public library in 15 years due to her objections about the books they keep in their collections.
She said she’s curated a personal library of children’s books, which she shares with parents who homeschool their kids.
“I’m not interested in compromising with these people,” Roth said. “My solution has been to go around them.”
https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news...
In Sanibel Island, Florida the debate over LGBTQ+ books continuesThe initial complaints came from a group of parents who expressed concern to library staff after finding books with LGBTQ+ subject matter on display in the youth section during Pride Month. The books, written for ages 3 to 8, address topics such as being non-binary and transgender. While board members say they recognize some library materials chosen may be offensive, shocking or simply boring to certain sensibilities, they also recognize the same can be meaningful and affirming to others.
It was announced that Margaret Mohundro, executive director for the library, would be absent from the 9 a.m. public meeting due to a tragic accident resulting in the death of two family members.
“The board has tabled the discussion of the LGBTQ+ topics in the children’s section for the meeting on Thursday,” said Cathy Cameron, office manager for the Sanibel Public Library. “Margaret Mohundro, our executive director, was in the process of reviewing policy and procedures regarding the youth collection to present options and recommendations to the board… the board will listen to public comment, but will table any further discussion or decisions until Margaret’s return.”
Some argue that libraries are an accessible way for the public to reach a wealth of information regardless of class or technological connection, so the LGBTQ+ books should stay, as parents can choose what they want to read to their child, anyway. The library’s board says it has listened to people on both sides of the discussion.
“I do feel like children should be given the chance to kind of develop their ideas on their own and not be put in a situation where it’s in their face, and it’s almost too accessible, in my mind, for it to be there at this point, at that age group,” said Sanibel resident Candy Duke. “I just think that it’s too young for a library to stack those kinds of books.”
Other neighbors told WINK News they “don’t see an issue” with the books being in the youth section, and think it’s important that children in that age group are able to read books discussing LGBTQ+ topics that may pertain to them and their families.
One board member told the public that the library is an independent tax entity, and she thinks it shouldn’t be censored. Sanibel Mayor Holly Smith likewise emphasized to WINK News the library’s independent status, saying it falls outside the city’s jurisdiction.
A reverend, an atheist, a physician, and several parents spoke in favor of keeping the books not only in the library but specifically in the youth section, saying it’s important for children’s mental, physical and emotional well-being.
Other parents in favor of the books staying said representation matters: They have family members who didn’t come out until they were adults because they never saw themselves represented in books, history or elsewhere, and taking books like this away sets us back.
“You’re not gonna read a book about a trans person or a gay person and say ‘Ew I caught it’ it’s measles it’s mumps it’s a cold,” one parent said at the meeting.
“Oh and here is a book that’s on the shelf, I did not take any books out of the library this is for ages 8-12 see if you think that’s appropriate for that age group,” another person at the meeting said.
Parents who are against the books staying in the library said they don’t necessarily want the books removed, but at least moved to another section of the library, maybe the adult section. They said they want to feel comfortable allowing their children to go to the library and pick up books in the youth kids section without having to worry about the content.
One man said that just because a book is labeled a children’s book doesn’t mean the content is actually suitable for children.
Other parents against the books staying said children have open minds, and they believe books that discuss children transitioning could very well cause a young child to be confused.
https://winknews.com/2022/07/28/sanib...
When Aidan Became A Brother
Jack
In Utah, The Alpine School Board announced that they will not be removing the 52 books from their school libraries, in recognition of students’ free speech rights. Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said in response: “For now, the Board will be “temporarily restricting” the books in areas of libraries, where parents can elect to opt-in their children to read and take them out. While this still constitutes a barrier to the books, and questions remain about how these particular books were evaluated for this restriction, the Board has taken a step in the right direction, recognizing students’ rights and the need to follow considered processes.”https://pen.org/press-release/ban-on-...
Abilene Public Library (TX) is forming a committee to determine the fate of Let’s Talk About It, but the group of citizens complaining about that title aren’t done. “This group of Abilene residents also made an appearance to tackle another issue: 100 or more books many feel should be removed from the Children and Young Adult sections, and moved to its own section focused on sexualityLet's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human
“The book has stuff not even I would look at. I believe is very vulgar, explicit in content. Not only just in description, but also in pictures,” said concerned parent and organizer, James Sargent.
“A lot of it depicts the distribution of that to minors,” Sargent explained. “So if it’s Texas law, why is it different for the Abilene public library?”
Others argued at Monday’s meeting that books like this one should be available for certain age groups, to foster a healthy view on sex as they mature.
“The human body is not something that we need to be shy about, and that’s information that kids need to know… There are some older teens that that would not be appropriate for. It’s a matter of maturity level,” said concerned parent and former Abilene teacher Monica Warn-Walker.
After hearing comment from both sides, the advisory board voted unanimously to create a three-person committee to put the book under review. That committee will be appointed at a later date.
https://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/ne...
Better news in Miami, Reversing a Reversal, Miami School Board Accepts Sex Ed Books It Had Rejected
The decision, part of a battle over school curriculums in Florida and elsewhere, saved students in Miami-Dade County from going months without sex education.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/28/us...
Gilbert Public Schools (AZ) A parent last week asked the Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board for more transparency when it comes to the materials teachers use in the classroom.At issue was the district’s English Language Arts program from Savvas Learning Co. for grades 7-12, which comes with a supplemental reading list.
“I want to address the issue of transparency – or rather some holes in the transparency – in GPS,” said Chad Thompson, a small-business owner who’s running for one of the three open GPS board seats in November. “There’s no place where parents can go and see exactly what materials their children’s teachers are using in the classroom.”
According to the dad of four GPS students, Savvas offers technical capabilities to aid teacher success but he said, “there are very questionable supplemental materials within this office curriculum that are inappropriate and potentially damaging to the developing minds of our students.”
Looking for Alaska and The Perks of Being a Wallflower
“The novels specifically referenced by a speaker at the Governing Board meeting on July 26 are not part of the GPS curriculum and are not used in our classrooms,” district spokeswoman Dawn Antestenis said in an email the following day.
Thompson said GPS has amazing teachers and he didn’t think they would do anything intentionally to negatively affect pupils or infringe on parental rights.
The district did experience an inadvertent use of questionable material in December 2021.
Eighth-grade math students at Mesquite Junior High School were handed an assignment by a substitute teacher that included multiple choice questions involving child sexual assault and prostitution.
GPS at the time stated it resolved the issue and noted that the assignment was not part of the district’s adopted curriculum or on any approved supplemental materials.
Thompson, who has been critical of the board’s decision to close schools and force a mask mandate during the pandemic, is a proponent of parental rights.
His campaign platform includes a promise “to be an unwavering voice against the onslaught of politically biased and divisive programs trying to indoctrinate our children.”
Thompson also is endorsed by Purple for Parents, a conservative group formed in 2018, touting itself as a vehicle for parents to air their frustrations with teacher strikes, school closures, and the politicization of K-12 classrooms.
“Supplement materials like this and the lack of transparency leaves opportunities for some of these very questionable materials finding their way into the classroom without parental knowledge or consent,” Thompson said “I would think complete transparency would benefit and protect teachers as much as it would students.”
He said the district could create a portal for parents to click to see what materials their child’s teacher was planning to use in the upcoming weeks and update throughout the school year.
“Everyone, including parents will know exactly what is being taught and what materials are being used,” Thompson said. “This would require minimal effort on the part of teachers and the benefits would be enormous. I encourage this board to find ways to be more transparent with parents so trust can be maintained and even increased.”
Board President Lori Wood said she would like for the district to address Thompson’s concern and asked if it could be presented at the next meeting. Because Thompson’s issue was not on the agenda the board under state law was prohibited from discussing it last week.
Superintendent Dr. Shane McCord said he would first like to talk with Assistant Superintendent Dr. Barbara Newman, who oversees teaching and learning, before responding to Wood.
“When the 7-12 My Perspectives curriculum was adopted, no new novels were approved nor included in the adoption,” Antestenis explained. “Only novels that are currently on the GPS approved novel list are used.”
Antestenis said that all GPS curriculum adoptions go through a formal approval process.
The process includes review by a committee of teachers, parents, school and district administrators, an evaluation process and pilot implementation, as well as Governing Board meeting presentations and a 90-day public review period as required by law, according to Antestenis.
With regard to the use of novels that have already been approved and used for learning, a process is in place where students and families have the opportunity to opt-out of reading a particular novel, Antestenis said.
“At that time, the student and family would work with the teacher to identify an alternative novel to ensure it is matched to the learning outcome,” she said.
https://www.gilbertsunnews.com/news/p...
In Sparta, New Jersey, parents sound off on sex ed https://www.tapinto.net/towns/sparta/...
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Tara Rossi updated board of education members and the public on the progress of incorporating the new health standards created by the New Jersey Department of Education into the Sparta school’s curriculum. She said her comments were a follow-up to the parent forum held in June and progress report on the work being done by district staff to create the grade level curriculum incorporating the new state standard on health.
“Our goal has been and continues to be focused on handling this curriculum and the content included in a reasonable and considerate way where families are partnering with our district and our stakeholders to ensure that there are choices provided that will allow them to select what makes sense for the families,” Rossi said. She explained they are working to provide a draft curriculum, “not something we have done before” but are doing it in this case in “recognition of the importance of being transparent.”
The standards are concepts that the state says must be taught by specific benchmark dates in the students’ educational experience-by the end of second grade for example. Rossi then works with teams of Sparta teachers to create the curriculum or lessons and select resources such as books, articles and videos to support the lessons in the classroom.
While parents will have the option of allowing their students to remain in the room or not while the new standards are being taught Rossi said they will be “using inclusive language” that “expresses the overall feel for what we are trying to achieve in the community.” She said “instead of words like ‘opt in or opt out’” they will “provide families with options” that will “include participation in family life lessons or participating in extended health lessons.” She would like parents to make their selection at the beginning of the school year as part of the start of the year paperwork. Regardless of the words she chooses to use, parents will be allowed to opt into having their children taught the new health standards or opt out and have their student get an expanded lesson on other health related topics.
Rossi said the second-grade curriculum will be sent home for parents to discuss with their children. Board members Kim Bragg and Kurt Morris asked for Rossi and Beck to consider the same accommodations for the eighth-grade curriculum.
Leigh McMichael said after attending the presentation of “Always Jane” and found it to be “wonderful” she went home and looked at the Diversity Council’s webpage on the Sparta school district’s website. She went to look up the recommended reading list posted by the club’s advisor Scott Kercher. One of the books on the list, which she purchased following links from Kercher’s “Librarything.com” list. She said the “least of her concerns about the book was the explicit, vulgar sexual content.” She said she had planned to read some excerpts but decided not to because the board of education’s vice president’s young children were in the audience. She asked if Niamh Grano, the chair of the curriculum committee or Rossi had “vetted” all the 51 books on Kercher’s list.
Christina Korines was next to the microphone and said she was going to read the concerning content and was admonished by the board of education’s attorney Marc Zitomer to consider “out of respect” there were “very young children in the audience.” She chose not to read the quotes but did tell Rossi she knew there were teachers who were not comfortable teaching the new health “sex” curriculum.
Brad Prol called on the board of education members to reject the new standards. He also chastised them for voting to grant Kercher tenure they “failed the students” when they now see what he is “promoting as good literature.”
Jen Hamilton said the new health curriculum was “divisive” and there were parents who wanted their children to learn these standards from the school district and others who would want to teach them at home.
Dana Gulino said Kercher’s “tenure is completely separate from the sex education curriculum” and that “might be a little confusing” to people who had not done research as she had done. ”We don’t have control over the standards” and the superintendent oversees “very educated and experienced staff” who create the curriculum that she has not yet even seen.
Walter Knapp commented about the “apoplectic reaction” to having people try to read information that is available on the district’s website to children of all ages, because there were children in the room. He also said the board of education did not have to follow the state’s [standards]. “I was sitting here laughing at how quickly you reacted to the material that was going to be read when this is the material that’s being pushed out to the children. I hope you think about that.”
One woman objected to the “unbelievable disgusting” educational subjects “our children are being indoctrinated with.” She contrasted the statements that the new standards are purported to be inclusive while autistic children are not being treated inclusively. She did not like the “sex education” curriculum. “It’s not your duty. That’s something that parents should be talking to their children about.” She was concerned about interference with families’ ability to have faith-based discussions with their children on the topics. She pointed out while children need to know about diseases and pregnancy, other topics are not necessary for young children. “They have a right to an innocent childhood.”
Frieda Lewis said she was concerned about the “shared lesson plan" allowing the new standards to be taught at home. She said, “We don’t share physics. We don’t share history. I don’t think there’s a place for that because it’s a slippery slope.” She said it was okay for second grade but not middle school. She did not agree that parents should be able to teach their children. “Sometimes parents are not aware, are not educated.”
Board of education member Kim Bragg said, “I just pulled up the book [that was discussed]. I’m going to ask Dr. Beck and Mrs. Rossi to please take a very close look at this book.” She referenced a chapter in the book that was “so explicit it was discussed in a college class back in the day.” She carefully picked out topics from the book.
She said there is “certainly some good information in here but on the whole this section on p____raphy is no curriculum I ever signed off on.” Bragg said she was “furious” that there was a “link on our website that our children can access… that is being recommended to our students.” She asked for the administrators to review the book and how the link was put on the district website.
Rossi said the list represents books that are on the shelves in the high school media center and did not know how long they had been there. She said she did not know when the recommended reading list was created.
Bragg said, in her opinion it should not be in the district’s library. “If there was a Penthouse magazine made it into our library there would be an uproar and so I ask you to look at it.”
Grano asked Beck to “look through those again” review books that are not part of the curriculum but are suggested readings and “bring them to the agenda for our next curriculum meeting.”
Board of education member Kurt Morris asked for the process of approving a book for the library or on the website for recommended reading. Bragg also asked the Communication committee to review the website because “there has been stuff that has landed on our website before that shouldn’t be there.”
One of the issues with the link to Librarythings.com is that it takes the reader off the district’s website platform. The district’s website has filters that preclude most inappropriate material from being available to students.
The discussion returned to the state health standards. Morris continued to press Rossi and Beck about the idea of opting out at all levels; opting out to adopting the standards, families opting their students out from learning the standards in school and even teachers who “said they didn’t sign up to teach these topics.”
“We want to be able to meet the needs of whatever your family practices, beliefs, values maybe, our goal isn’t to replace that,” Rossi said. “It is to provide options.” She said “high achieving districts” are teaching the new standards.
Several districts have resolved not to teach the 2020 health standards.
others have announced creative ways or “work arounds” to present these topics in the most sensitive way. Some districts have announced the standards will be taught at home and others have said they will teach them on the last day of school or both.
The New Jersey Board of Education Vice-President and Sparta resident Andrew Mulvihill has questioned the new standards and supported their review at the state level. In May he coauthored a letter asking for a robust review of the standards and the potentially divisive impacts of having students opt-out.
GOOD newshe opt-in policy Polk County Schools (FL) planned to implement for books is now reversed, meaning that by default, the books will be available.
https://twitter.com/FLFreedomRead/sta...
The crazyPennridge school board (Penn.) could limit student expression, employee 'advocacy,' books
The Pennridge School Board is revising district policies on academic freedom, student expression, and the selection of library books.
Such measures are necessary to protect students from educators who advance social and political causes, said some board members during a four-hour meeting Monday. Other policies are needed to protect students from "age-inappropriate content," said Joan Cullen, school board president.
Yet if adopted, the proposed language of the policies would "doubtless" violate of the freedoms of speech for both students and employees at Pennridge, said Witold Walczak, legal director of the Pennsylvania ACLU.
The Pennsylvania State Education Association teachers union declined comment on the proposals. Recently, the Central Bucks School District passed a similar measure related to library materials, which some critics labelled a book ban.
Walczak said the policies posted on Pennridge's website could be ruled "void for vagueness" because they do not define inappropriate conduct or content. “The uncertainty is going to translate into self-censorship and citizens will steer clear of anything that might upset the people in power,” he said.
“This is what we see in totalitarian countries,” Walczak added.
Board member Ron Wurz said residents didn’t understand the intent. “It’s not about the board restricting speech in the classroom,” Wurz said. “It’s about making sure that divisive issues such as religion, gender, sexuality, abortion and politics, are represented from a neutral perspective.”
At one point, Cullen compared books to e-cigarettes. Book publishers are secretly pushing agendas, she said.
"Publishers are deliberately creating content that they know full well is inappropriate for children and putting it in a [shipment] of a thousand books.”
No specific book or other content was referenced during the meeting.
During the hearing, Cullen also questioned whether it was appropriate for a Pennridge teacher to wear a symbol in support of the LGBTQ community. Such symbols could make Christian students uncomfortable, she said.
“If you have a rainbow, do you also have a Christian cross to make sure that you are welcoming to students of that faith?” asked Cullen.
A Christian student might worry that a teacher, who supports gay rights, is going to treat that student more harshly, Cullen said. “Is she [the teacher] going to hold that against me if she is going to advocate for something that is anti-Christian?”
The ACLU said it would immediately bring a lawsuit, if Pennridge tries to stop a student or teacher from wearing an LGBTQ symbol in schools. "If you’re going to tell kid a kid she can’t wear a pride flag, then I’ll see you in federal court," Walczak said. "This case is dead on arrival."
No policy was approved Monday. Changes could be approved at a future meeting of the school board.
https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/new...
Teachers in Kettle Moraine School District are forbidden from using pronouns in email signatures, nor may they display LGBTQ+ Pride symbols.In an English curriculum, students learn about pronouns as parts of speech. But teachers in a southeastern Wisconsin school district are now forbidden from using their pronouns in their email signatures, displaying Pride flags in their classrooms, or wearing rainbow attire, due to a perceived discomfort those may cause others.
According to Superintendent Stephen Plum, expressing identity is political, uncomfortable, and thus prohibited at Kettle Moraine School District, Milwaukee's ABC affiliate WISN reports.
"The expectation is that teachers and administration will not have political flags or religious messaging in their classroom or on their person. This expectation includes Pride flags," Plum said at a school board meeting last week, according to the outlet. He also prohibited displays of Black Lives Matter, Back the Badge, and Make America Great Again.
For Plum, the policy includes pronouns in teachers' email signatures, suggesting that the district isn't as concerned with how students perceive "political" messages as they are with how parents respond.
... the Kettle Moraine school board [previously] voted on the policy, with proponents stating that schools should not allow political or religious messages.
"We're in a world where politics are highlighted," Plum said. "It just puts people in uncomfortable positions."
https://www.advocate.com/news/2022/8/...
In Savannah, GA This academic year, educators must also contend with Georgia’s newly enacted divisive concepts law, which prohibits teachers from interjecting their personal and political beliefs into a classroom setting.
Passed in April, the legislation prohibits educators from espousing comments that insinuate one race is superior to the other or that the United States in an inherently racist country, among other race and gender-related subject matter.
School districts do have discretion in implementing the law in terms of complaint reporting and procedures.
“We will now be working with our curriculum and instruction team, and others to actually prepare training for teachers to provide support for them,” said Bernadette Ball-Oliver, the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System's associate superintendent of secondary governance.
“So, knowing that it's new, we’re still formulating those plans, but making sure that we have a general plan in place that will address that and provide support to our teachers and our leaders.” Ball-Oliver said part of that plan includes ongoing training with teachers on how to handle race and gender-related issues in their classrooms.
Several board members expressed concerns about how the law would affect English and social studies teachers whose subject matters often include such “divisive concepts.”
“I don’t know how you teach about reconstruction, Jim Crow laws...red-lining, sundown laws that were based in law, identified by law and without someone feeling that there is race scapegoating,” District 2 representative Dionne Hoskins-Brown said during the workshop. “Even if you say 'Here’s the book,' that book has material there that indicates our national history is problematic.”
During the workshop, Dennison said the law does give the district some leeway as far as who can report a concern about divisive concepts and what the disciplinary process would be.
For the complaints process, the school district is using the model language provided by the Georgia School Board Association to establish their guidance for divisive concepts.
Once enacted, only the parents whose child or children attend the school in which the divisive concept incident occurred may file a complaint to the principal of that school, Hetager said.
“It doesn’t prohibit divisive concept conversation from an education standpoint,” he said, adding the school district policies already covered what the law instructed school districts to do with regard to anti-discrimination policies and a process for complaints.
“Some of it (the Georgia law) is redundant, but it provides a definition on divisive concepts.”
Superintendent Ann Levett said the district will talk with teachers now that it’s signed into law and what it means.
“We have few instances where teachers deliberately say something that causes offense to someone else,” she said at the July school board workshop. “I believe that there are intelligent teachers who are paying attention and raising concerns with us.”
https://www.savannahnow.com/story/new...
Amherst County Public Schools (VA) are in the process of developing a committee to create their library materials policy. They want to base their new policy off Roanoke schools.
“A new policy for school library book purchases requires that two elementary school librarians must now read and write a review for each book in order to consider it for the library’s collection. For a book being considered for the middle school or high school level, the policy appears to acknowledge the greater lengths of those books, as only one librarian is required to read and write a review. After the reviews are written, all librarians at all levels must approve of the book for the purchase to go forward.”
https://roanoke.com/opinion/editorial...
in Houston County, Alabama:"There’s a new push to ban some books with LGBTQ themes from the children’s section of the public library has come to Houston County. On Monday morning, WDHN got an e-mail from the chairman of the Houston County Commission, Brandon Shoupe, saying public institutions like our libraries are being 'Infiltrated by political extremists,' something he calls a deeply disturbing trend. His email began with a red sign reading: 'No Woke Zone.'"
“Woke to me is that far-fringe left that is trying to do things like trying to push sexuality on our children,” Shoupe said.
Shoupe says he contacted the local library board and director after hearing about controversies at two Alabama libraries: one in Shelby County, where some parents tried to move a pride-month display from the children’s section. It featured some children’s books with LGBTQ themes.
The library director said the materials were age-appropriate about themes of love, kindness, being yourself, and LGBTQ history. The board voted to keep the display.
Here in Houston County, Shoupe contacted the library staff and says they did a thorough review of their inventory.
“There are books related to sexuality and things like that probably some libraries have in their children’s section. Our libraries do not,” Shoupe said.
In his email, Chairman Shoupe says Houston County libraries will not host children’s pride events; will not have explicit books in the children’s section; and will not have displays targeting our children with “inappropriate themes.”
Chairman Shoupe says the library board and staff share his concern about the erosion of traditional values.
He says he does not think any government should censor books, but it’s easy to draw the line, and if someone does cross that line, he says they will likely lose funding from the Houston County Commission, which provides about $350,000 a year to the library.
https://www.wkrg.com/alabama-news/ala...
Good news:St. Joseph County Public Library (IN) will not be removing two LGBTQ+ books from the teen section, despite the right-wingers calling for it.
In Montgomery County, Maryland, a judge has ruled (rightly!) that parents cannot demand removal of their children from the classroom because lessons might involve LGBTQ+ storybook.
There's another lawsuit in Escambia County, Florida over book banning, this time from the authors of And Tango Makes Three.
The teachers union for educators at Prince William County Schools (VA) talks about the massive list of texts parents can demand exemption of their student from and how it is directly impacting teachers. the bulk of the books contain LGBTQ+ people or content.https://wtop.com/education/2023/08/pr...
Children's Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Out of the Blue (other topics)The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink (other topics)
My Rainbow (other topics)
Butt or Face? Volume 3: Super Gross Butts (other topics)
The Day the Books Disappeared (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jodi Picoult (other topics)Sarah J. Maas (other topics)
Ellen Hopkins (other topics)
Jodi Picoult (other topics)
Scott Stuart (other topics)
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Entire District To Lose Access to New Books After School Board Member Misreads Kindergarten Book
he Katy Independent School District is taking center stage for halting all access to books before the school year begins. This means all new books must be reviewed and reassessed before children can read them. According to the Houston Chronicle, incoming book orders will be placed into storage until the board ensures they contain no explicit sexual content. The project reportedly began when “newly elected trustee Morgan Calhoun said she’s seen books in elementary schools that ‘support sexually alternative lifestyles.'”
Calhoun was one of three new board members elected with backing from the conservative PAC called “Texans for Educational Freedom.” The stay-at-home mom turned board member said another parent recently approached her with concerns about a book at the school libraries.
Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn
Yup. A little pink kitty who wants to be a unicorn!
According to Calhoun, there was a secret, sinister message... Apparently, Calhoun thinks it’s all an attempt to turn kids transgender. Responding to a parent on social media asking for her reasoning, Calhoun said, “[T]he main character does want to transform into something they are obviously not.”
She continued with “[T]he book also use[sic] pronoun terminology in reference to ‘they’ instead of ‘he or she’, while talking about a single character.”
Katy ISD mom Anne Russey came with receipts. The thread contains screenshots of Calhoun’s argument and spells out exactly why Calhoun is way out of line. Calhoun’s reference to using “they” for a single character was incorrect. If you actually read the book, the “they” referred to are two characters (hence the plural) who had been naysaying the kitty.
https://www.themarysue.com/entire-dis...