Tuesday, June 11, 2013

IL School Board OKs Kids' Demands for Dirty Book

Months ago, when parents in Glen Ellyn, Illinois learned that teachers encouraged middle school students to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower (a novel that includes profanity, homosexuality, bestiality, masturbation, incest, and rape) the school board restricted the book at the parents' request, but after a protest by the children, last night a new school board voted 6 to 1 to reinstate teaching the book.  Teachers, librarians, journalists and of course the kids are all ecstatic.

Here are just a few excerpts from the book -- click to read more excerpts (.PDF):
. . . the boy just talked soft to her about how good she looked and things like that, and she grabbed his penis with her hands and started moving it. . . . the boy pushed the girl's head down, and she started to kiss his penis. She was still crying. Finally, she stopped crying because he put his penis in her mouth, and I don't think you can cry in that position.

"There's no condom. So, what do you think happened?" . . . "They did it doggie style with one of the sandwich bags!"

"What the f**k is wrong with you?"..."And I thought Brad was f**ked-up. Jesus"

. . . one day C.B. got so drunk at a party that he tried to "f**k" the host's dog.
-- From "Near unanimous vote puts 'Wallflower' back in Glen Ellyn classrooms" by Krystyna Slivinski, Special to the Chicago Tribune 6/11/13

During the District 41 school board meeting that packed more than 100 students, parents and concerned citizens into the district offices, supporters wore large purple buttons that said "I read banned books" while others held yellow flowers.  More than 25 people addressed the board, many making emotional pleas on the issue.

Several parents and students also spoke in support of the parents who started the debate when they complained about the mature content in the book.

Several board members agreed that a more detailed policy needs to be in place and will be discussed over the summer by members of the board's Policy Committee. For now, board members approved the language in a revised letter that will go out to parents at the beginning of the school year that describes the kinds of books available as a choice for independent reading.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Controversial book headed back to Glen Ellyn District 41 library shelves" by Christopher Placek, Daily Herald (Suburban Chicago) 6/11/13

Parents would have to sign the letter and return it to school before their child could check out books from the classroom library. They could also comment on the letter if there are texts they do not want their child reading.

The letter states, in part, that some of the books students may select as independent reading options from the classroom library may "address a variety of issues, including, but not limited to sex, drugs, mental illness and violence. Some may include strong language."

A district reconsideration committee primarily composed of teachers and administrators recommended the book be retained for independent reading by eighth-grade students and not be used for instructional purposes, but the school board voted 4-2 April 29 to remove the book from the shelves.

The controversy also got the attention of national groups such as the National Coalition Against Censorship and American Library Association, which sent letters to school board members asking them to overturn the ban.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Glen Ellyn Middle School Embroiled in Book Controversy" by Laurie Higgins, Illinois Family Institute 6/3/13

[Earlier in the school year] . . . Principal Christopher Dransoff proposed the option of teachers in the future sending out permission slips about controversial books prior to allowing students to read them, a compromise parents were willing to accept.

Dransoof soon discovered, however, that the majority of 8th grade literacy teachers would not accept such a compromise, apparently believing that such prior notification and parental permission constituted censorship and an implicit indictment of their expert judgment.

This intransigence on the part of the teachers resulted in parents pursuing the issue with the school board which [on April 29, 2013] voted 4-2 to remove the book from the middle school, which, in turn, intensified the community controversy. . . .

In addition to the arrogant unwillingness of teachers to ask for permission to teach such a controversial book, it is reported that three of the teachers, Lynn Bruno, Ali Tannenbaum, and [Tina] Booth, initiated classroom discussions on the topic, ginning up support for their position among students. It’s reported that Booth suggested to students in her class that the school board vote was unfair, that it was censorship, and that students have a “voice.” Apparently, Booth believes that the voices of 14 year-olds should have greater influence than the voices of parents and school board members. Such use of class time to engage students in a public controversy and attempt to manipulate student opinion is unprofessional and an abuse of their power and role as public servants.

Teachers who teach controversial books like The Perks of Being a Wallflower don’t really care about the feelings, beliefs, or values of conservative parents. They don’t really care about the diminished academic experience of kids who are opted out of reading controversial texts and have to spend time alone in another room reading a different book. They don’t care if they create conflict between conservative parents and their children who may resent being set apart from other kids. And they don’t care how these students feel when isolated.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.



For background, click headlines below of previous articles:

ACLU Sues to Display Books of Lesbians to Kindergartners

Librarians Hail Kids' Homosexual Indoctrination Books

Parents Challenge Books in Schools & Libraries

New Jersey School Pulls Assigned Obscene Books

Illinois School Drops Gay Agenda Books on Bullying

After Parent Complaints, Schools Drop Sexually Explicit Book Studies

Jesus Slammed in New Hampshire School Required Reading