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| Exactly Who's In Charge Here?? |
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 AP "A committee in northern Idaho that reviews school library books will recommend that high school students be allowed to check out two novels without first receiving permission from parents, some of whom find the books offensive."
Just another example of how other people, who don't love your child, want to usurp parental authority. Why do they have such a need to supersede a parent's right to protect their child from inappropriate material? If a person outside the educational community tried that, they'd be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, or something like that. Who gave educators the right to make decisions that affect our children? There are some pretty fine teachers out there who are doing a great job, but dolts like these make them all look bad. |
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| So, why are these offensive novels even IN the school library? What kind of higher learning are they going for here? Wouldn't it be more appropriate in the public library? Another reason why parental involvement is so important. Always know what is in your kid's backpack and what they are working on for home work. |
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The simple answer is that we have given them that authority...we allow them to make decisions for our children that are not good for them. Most of us complain and then don't do anything. (Soozanne, I am not saying you fall in that category. I don't know you well enough to say such a thing about you, so please don't take this offensively. I am talking about the people I know.) They love to complain, but when faced with the options - homeschooling, private schools, or just spending more time involved in the public schools, we choose to walk away. The sacrifice is too great, so we sacrifice our kids.
It is so sad. Soozanne, thank you so much for posting this and keeping us all aware. We, as the body of Christ, need to take a stand for what is right. Becoming aware is the first step. |
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Voice, I'm not offended. I'm in full agreement with you. I have had my children in public school, co-operative school, homeschool, a charter school and now in private school and been actively involved with the "powers that be" in every one of those paradigms. I have spoken to principals and teachers until I'm blue in the face about who is in charge of my children. I even fight that battle in private school! I'll continue to advocate for my children and for my authority as their parent until...well...until they are adults, I guess.
I have found the best defense against this garbage is keeping my relationship with my kids strong and the communication lines always open. I don't hesitate to point out anything I don't like and praise those things I appreciate. When my daughter was in second grade, the teacher decided to show a movie Rachel knew I would not approve. She told the teacher and asked to be sent to the library until the movie was over. It made me feel great to know my daughter felt she had the power to say no and used that power to respect my wishes for her. Man, I have great kids! |
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Rosie |
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August 19, 2007 at 6:03am |
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| Voice i so agree with you that we have failed the children by allowing these things to take place i went to school and stood my ground but there are so many parents who just don't "have the time" to take a stand and it can't be done by just one. I had my son go to the library when things were presented that i didn't approve of. BUT as christians we need to bomb bard heaven on behave of all children ours and others...................(it's funny though it only took one woman to get prayer out of school and yet thousands of christians can't get it back in......why is that???????????) |
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Kathy |
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August 19, 2007 at 2:06pm |
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Soozanne, thanks for a post that got my educator blood boiling! Please realize that my passionate response here is not in opposition to your words or to any commenter. Just my own passion about this type of issue in general.
The only part of this story that offends me is that this was an issue to begin with. In this particular case no one was forcing these students to check out or read these books. The issue is that they merely be available in the library for those who want to read them. And we are not talking about pornographic texts here, or how to build a bomb! We are talking about these:
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0553279378/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_top/102-1183805-2671303?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books#customerReviews I would be elated if my child chose to check this book out of the library!
Fallen Angels (Walter Dean Myers)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0590409433/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_top/102-1183805-2671303?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books#customerReviews Too violent, the protesters say. It's about the Vietnam War, for goodness sake!
The other books in question are listed in the article (Soozanne gave us the link.) Google them for yourself. If these issues are too heavy for my child, then I can make those decisions at home (and it's doubtful he/she who even think of checking them out in the first place), but why should I fight to prohibit other teens for becoming well-rounded citizens and beginning to understand the complexities of the world they are about to be cast into? This is not an issue of the school overstepping parents' authority. The school makes valuable literature available. The parents can say no if they so choose.
Without a doubt there are times when we need to step in and fight "the system," whichever system that may be at the time, but we need to be careful to personally evaluate each situtation before we jump on the bandwagon. Every book written is offensive to someone.
See my blog about schools: Let's Not Put Prayer Back into the Schools |
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Kathy, I see your point, but I think we're looking at this issue from different perspectives. I agree with your point about these particular books. Honestly, the books mentioned in the article don't bother me, either. For me, the subject matter of the book is less relevant than marginalizing parental authority. These kids are minors. If I, as their parent, do not want them to read something, watch something, or hear about something, it should be my right as a parent to decline participation of my child in these activities. When books include controversial material, I would like to know about it. If my daughter were to read the books mentioned, I'd be fine with it. I would, however, like to be able to review the class reading list and have the right to say no to books I do find objectionable. For example, The Bluest Eye (WARNING:Offensive Content) was on the reading list of an AP English class in our area. Over my dead body would my child read that. If, as an adult, she wanted to read that book (for whatever reason), she could choose to read it then.
For me, it is primarily an issue of respecting the authority of the parent. If they want controversial books on the reading list, that's fine; this is America. I just want to have the right to say, "No, thank you." Not for anyone else's child, just for mine. The suspicious side of me is curious as to why they would make a point of not having parents be informed that these books were being used in the school curriculum. I'd really like to believe educators don't have a hidden agenda, but why would they feel need to hide important information if that were true?
What it comes down to, for me, is this: God entrusted these children, His children, to me to raise to adulthood. I believe I will be held accountable for that, so I take my role very seriously.
I LOVE your blog about not putting prayer back into schools, by the way!!
Thank you for sharing your perspective as an educator. It makes me see that this issue isn't as cut-and-dried as I thought. |
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Sarah |
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August 22, 2007 at 8:38pm |
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I'm not sure the details of this situation, since I didn't read the article, but I hope you are aware that children at all levels can check out any book they wish from the school library without parental permission. The issue here is not parental authority with regards to checking out the books, but instead what books are being held in the school's library. And who makes that decision? And what input do parents have with regards to that?
I have never known of any "permission slip" going home for library use. At my school kids can check out whatever they want. Parents would never know. I never filled out anything like that for my own kids, have you?
I also agree that the key is butting in your kids business - always. Check their backpacks, know where they are and what they are doing. Talk with them all the time about everything. Then you don't have to worry because you know what's going on.
Thats all I have to say about that. |
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Sarah |
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August 22, 2007 at 9:07pm |
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I really don't think it was any different when we were kids. I remember the school library having a wide variety of books and even then you would hear about people who wanted to burn books because they personally disagreed with the content. Isn't it a good thing if your kids are exposed to different viewpoints that help them to see how the world really is so that they can figure out how they want to change it? I would be more concerned with the stuff kids write on practically any surface around town.
mr. slushy |
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Cal Thomas wrote a great book years ago called Book Burning which puts the proper spin on censorship. Actually, government schools and librairies are the big censors in fact. Read the Book. As to authority, when kids are given over to the state schools the teachers serve in the place of parents (in loco parentis). In fact, the kids have been given over to their authority. This is, in fact, one reason that teachers CAN spank, the right to corporal punishment has been given over to them. The parents have, in essence, relinquished their rights to the kids for those amounts of the day. THIS was the intention of the unitarians from day one with the forming of the government school systems. This is a major reason (not the only one) why government schools are dangerous to the health of your children no matter the intentions of a few "good" teachers. It is so refreshing to see an increasing minority of parents putting action to their complaints and following the clear commands of Deut. 6 and educating their children as God clearly commands. |
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Communication, communication, communication. I agree. I also know there are a myriad of books I would cringe to know about sitting on library shelves, just waiting for curious kids to explore. I can deal with that. It is my job as a parent to know what sorts of books my kids are bringing home or reading at school. It's just that whole I-know-better-about-what-your-kids-need-than-you-do mentality that I sometimes encounter that hits me like fingernails on a chalkboard.
The fact is, some educators are far superior to me when it comes to their ability to communicate information, access to resources, or they simply have more knowledge on some subjects than I could ever hope to have. These people are assets in my life and enrich the minds of my kids, which opens up whole new avenues of opportunity they would never know about otherwise. I appreciate the sacrifices these people make to challenge my kids to grow more knowledgable and able to apply that knowledge to their lives. You, Shlush, are definitely in that category!
I remember finding a shocking book on the shelves in our library when I was in high school (it depicted scenes of graphic abusive sexuality). I told my parents about it, mainly because I had never expected to find something like that in a high school library - we were all minors, after all. If I had found it in a public library, I would have just rolled my eyes and put it back. The title and cover made it look like a non-fiction research book on the bias against women in the workforce, which I was very interested in at the time. Wrong! They contacted the principal who checked out the book for herself and promptly removed it from the library. On the last day of school, the librarian cornered me and chewed me out for telling my parents about it and not discussing it with her first. She told me what an "important" book it was and how dare I go behind her back to remove from the library. Total nutjob, in my opinion. That probably set my bias about this very early on. It's that whole "parent's don't need to know" attitude that gets my goat. It's not about permission slips as much as it is about disregarding my desires and expectations as a parent. Just because this stuff happens now and has happened in the past doesn't mean I have to like it.
I only posted this in the first place because the Pollyanna in me thinks educators and parents should be working together to provide the best education in the best environment possible for children. It is articles like this one that point out the difficulty in achieving such an environment. First I get mad and usually say something wrong. If I did in my earlier posts, I hope you can forgive the rantings of an involved mom. Eventually, I calm down, then I'm just bummed. At this point, I'm past bummed and moving on to using this article as a reminder to constantly keep the lines of communication open with my kids.
We all have our stuff to deal with and this is one of mine. I hope you can love me anyway, Shlushys. I love you guys!
recon, I am speechless. |
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