Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

theanti_girl OP t1_jdvobee wrote

Full discretion: I have not read this book.

What I’m most intrigued by is… the parent had the syllabus at the beginning of the course and signed off on it. I guarantee it listed the specific books. Their objection is “I assumed it was approved by the district.” Why does that change anything?

And second, they reference Common Sense Media’s rating of the book as 17+. This class is an elective only open to 11th and 12th graders, so generally that audience.

“There is such a high rate of mental health issues with kids these days,” the parent said. “Kids shouldn’t have to read this.” No one has to. It’s an elective. Don’t take the class if you don’t want to read it.

58

Guyincognito4269 t1_jdvprw8 wrote

Yes, because what's better than exploring mental health issues? Pretending they don't exist. That will solve everything!

57

Civil-Crew-1611 t1_jdxzyzq wrote

The new CRT is SEL, people are so angered by children learning about social/emotional regulation and learning. It’s bananas!

5

VectorPunk t1_jdwlzof wrote

I had the teacher in question 15+ years ago. She was a damn good teacher and it is horrible that some entitled parent did this.

30

Leftbehind25 t1_jdwoao6 wrote

Yes! I had her too, many years ago, and she was amazing

15

VectorPunk t1_jdwoo4y wrote

I 100% failed her English class bc I didn’t do anything, but I have fond memories of the Great Gatsby party we did in her class. She was also dope as hell when I took her for drama the following year.

15

Leftbehind25 t1_jdxf75z wrote

Did do the GG, but we did the Oddsey, Crucible and Iliad. She did lead drama club which was a hoot

7

clambo14 t1_jdxd7yy wrote

She would probably appreciate hearing from you and the others (below). Just a quick email.

11

ABeeLoo5 t1_jdx8gsp wrote

Same here! She was super engaging. As a kid, I didn’t know what I had!

6

vdhsnfbdg t1_jdyjzed wrote

She got me into poetry memorization & recitation! Tough teacher but love her

3

bardown87 t1_jdxl7bl wrote

She was a fantastic teacher, and the books she taught in class were the only ones I actually read in high school.

2

Dances_With_Cheese t1_jdwe0v9 wrote

If you’re concerned at all about this then get involved with your school committee. They’re elected positions and they aren’t usually competitive races. In EP one Ward had a candidate who was part of the Gaspee project and had spoken at events discussing subverting school boards and also featuring Proudboys as speakers. She was beaten because she was outed and an organized resistance put up. Fight now, not later.

29

Reward_Antique t1_jdw17j2 wrote

That's one of the best books of the US 20th c. I am so sickened by this censorship, here. I read it at 16 or so and it was just so wonderfully written, in a very unusual 1st person plural voice- an extraordinary piece of literature. I hope the kids will all read it now, even the ones who hasn't explicitly signed up for a dark literature course

Ediited because I was too upset to spell.

26

Cobrawine66 t1_je5kpph wrote

I'm reading a Jodie Picolt that was banned in some places in Florida. It's very clear to me that for this book, it offended holocaust deniers.

3

waheifilmguy t1_jdw72by wrote

WAs hoping this bullshit wouldn't make its way to Rhody, but here we are. I guess it was inevitable. Interesting how people want to keep their kids "innocent" until they are adults...how the F are they going to function in a world they have no conception of?

26

LibraryGoddess t1_jdwa5m0 wrote

It's already in RI. From the public spectacles at the NK School Committee meetings over the graphic novel Gender Queer, that same book's banning in Lincoln, to the Smithfield School Committee meeting that tried to have 3 children's books removed from the elementary libraries, it's already here.

21

VectorPunk t1_jdxezqo wrote

This happening throughout the country. There is no longer a “blue-red” state divide but rather a rural, poorly educated and suburban/urban educated divide.

4

askme_if_im_a_chair t1_jdvsqx6 wrote

Is this backwards southern fascist shit making its way up north?

22

beerspeaks t1_jdx4vlv wrote

It's not southern.

Make your way 15 minutes outside of pretty much any city in the country and your encounter this backwards behavior.

10

VectorPunk t1_jdxg4ss wrote

Go to scituate or bville or literally any rural mostly white town in the USA and then tell me.

5

BitterStatus9 t1_jdw33vx wrote

Luckily, now none of the kids can read it on their own, and will never see it or know what is in it. Whew! OK kids, back on TikTok, there's a new fat shaming video that is SO HILARIOUS!

/s

19

AhChingados t1_jdwtz5d wrote

What’s next? Shakespeare, kids might be stabbing each other and saying “Et Tu Brute?”

11

spundnix32 t1_jdx7xxj wrote

I just finished reading it. WTF the issues in the book are exactly what needs to be discussed with young people today!

10

Imaginary_Kangaroo80 t1_jdwnyes wrote

How the hell is this book a “how to kill yourself” book.

9

i_nobes_what_i_nobes t1_jdwpr9n wrote

Because the person who opposes it is a moron.

And I would be beyond embarrassed if this was my parent.

15

TheOldestMillenial1 t1_jdxou8x wrote

It's a masterfully written story about teen suicide and the shadows the young deaths cast on their families and community. One of my favorite books of all time.

9

FourAM t1_jdxw3fd wrote

Let me guess, was it that woman who keeps trying up school districts in the state with hundreds and hundreds of FOIA requests for all syllabus and course materials?

2

theanti_girl OP t1_jdxxhql wrote

Nah, that’s North Kingstown. This apparently is an actual district parent. An idiot, but a real parent.

2

dpez1111 t1_je39mrq wrote

Same people mad at this are ok with banning Dr. Seuss books.

2