If books are required reading or if they’re being read to kindergartners then they are being forced. You’re also assuming that opt-out is an option.
1 Like
AP classes are college courses/equivalents, enough to skip the course when you enroll in college if you do well enough on the exam. Now you want to drag them into this? LOL.
2 Likes
I believe that parents can always opt their child out of anything they don’t like. It requires a lot of helicopter parenting, but it’s your right.
2 Likes
This isn’t accurate. The groups and individuals (including the group who produced the list in the OP and others discussed in this thread) are looking to remove existing books like Maus, Beloved, and The Kite Runner from the shelves of school libraries.
It is no coincidence that the majority of the targeted books reflect the experiences of marginalized groups.
8 Likes
Look closely, I was commenting on your post that introduced AP into the conversation. The only thing I want to drag into this is a little common sense, because I think everyone can agree that when it comes to classes that there are always sources (books) that will be acceptable to all. But instead of trying to find a solution, most seem to tightly hang on to their “my way or the highway” position. Parents are not taking that any longer. Bravo!
3 Likes
@jonri My teenage daughter is an avid reader. I do not police what books she checks out from her school library (and yes, apparently according to what I’ve read here, she is an anomaly that she actually checks books out of her school library for "pleasure reading). If I was the type of parent that felt I had to go down to her school and tell them she wasn’t allowed to check out certain books I objected to, there is nothing stopping her from going to Barnes and Noble and buying them with her own money or stopping at our public library and checking them out there.
How do these parents who object to their kids reading certain books from their school library prevent them from getting them elsewhere?
2 Likes
I am also supportive of this. You have a voice in your own child’s education, which means being able to restrict what they read if it concerns you. What I object to is you asking to restrict the rest of the kids from accessing certain books.
7 Likes
That is a really good question - particularly since parents (here and elsewhere) are suggesting that they are not stopping students from finding/reading the book elsewhere, just removing it from the school. Interestingly, in opposition to this trend of removing books, some public libraries are issuing e-cards to students/young adults - outside their normal circulation region - who want books and don’t have access. For many of these books, it would be (free) e-access so copies for some would be unlimited. I can only imagine the (legal?) battles that are coming.
This brings me back to a basic concept - parenting. If I didn’t want my kids doing something I told them they weren’t allowed. Naive? Perhaps. Did they ever do anything they weren’t allowed? I’m sure they did. But even here, if a kid wants to read that unavailable book, they will find a way - go to Barnes and Noble, get a free e-card, find an online version, borrow from a friend, etc. etc. I am certain I am going to “get beaten up for this,” but I find it a bit disconcerting that the way we - as a society - are now controlling our kids’ behavior is removing temptation/opportunity rather than setting rules and holding them accountable if they don’t follow them. We’re not talking about babies; we’re talking about young adults. I was not one of those parents who removed all alcohol from my house. I didn’t even lock it up. I view books and other things the same way.
7 Likes
Parents don’t prevent their children from reading or accessing the books. They just prevent school funds from being used to buy them. Read whatever you want, just don’t ask me to buy you the book. A copy, particularly digital, at the public library is sufficient.
1 Like
I think the easiest thing for those parents to do would have been to go to the school and ask. I always found asking my teacher something was the quickest way to have things resolved. I think many of these “concerned parents” have no idea how school or the library work. The thing is, before they ran to the school board, did they even bother to ask? I’m wondering how much research they even did to see if the books were in the school? I’m sure the list was one of many passed around by certain groups. I’m not even sure they are all parents. That’s what I liked about the guy in the article I posted he actually went the school and looked for the books.
I’m surprised you were not given the list of books by your teachers. At parents night we were always given a list. Maybe it’s because we requested to buy some of the books! Maybe if you had a problem, the teacher would have told you there could be an alternate assignment.
I didn’t limit or question books the kids were assigned either. I didn’t always love what they read or things that their teachers said. I told my kids that even if they didn’t agree or didn’t like something that was presented in class they needed to have tolerance. Not everything is going to be exactly the way they believed it should be.
2 Likes
Given internet access, I think the idea we are moving towards controlling our kids’ behavior isn’t reality. We didn’t lock alcohol up either when our kids were living at home; we don’t have any in the house. To each his/her own.
2 Likes
If you don’t want your child to swim, do you ask that all the public pools be closed? This is the same logic.
10 Likes
Well that could prove very very difficult. If the kid has a kindle or an iPad or phone, they could get most books using their library card and have the book sent to the device. T
hat would be tough to police. Seems like parents might be able to restrict the reading list K-4. After that, it’s likely a kid would be able to procure almost anything available in the school/public library.
Where i live, and in my hometown, kids who live outside the city limits do not have access to the public library.
2 Likes
It is no coincidence that majority of the targeted books deal with the experiences of marginalized groups. Many Americans don’t want their kids learning about the experiences of and challenges faced (presently or historically) by LGBTQ+ Americans, Black Americans, Muslim Americans, immigrants, etc. That is why jurisdictions, from school boards to states, are banning books and topics that they fear might normalize LGBTQ+ issues, or might make them or their children feel bad about race issues.
If we adopt your approach and only accept that which is acceptable to all, then these books and topics would be excluded from literature, history, science, etc. Some kids would be further marginalized, and many would get a whitewashed, ahistorical, unscientific education. In public school.
10 Likes
We’re talking about k-12 education. I think that everything that is covered in k-12 education can be accomplished using source material that is acceptable to all within any given community. Material used in San Francisco CA could be different from that used in Budda TX but still fulfill requirements.
3 Likes
Historically that did not work out so well for certain kinds of people.
5 Likes
Oh, I thought we were talking about removing what already is there. Not future purchases.
Here’s a cool link to the history of Town meetings. The town meeting has been called the most democratic of events. Yes, in the 1600’s only land owners voted. But that changed quickly. And it has been way ahead of other options. No poll tax, no literacy test. Really pretty powerful. IMO, it’s the best of what has been available over the centuries.
Even kids participate and speak. Everyone gets a voice and citizens get a vote. There can often be 100 warrants for a single town. Can take hours to get through and people have opinions. Here’s the link:
1 Like