Friday, February 15, 2008

Put the Penguins Back

Author:
Many of you are aware of the controversy surrounding the removal of a children’s book called And Tango Makes Three from the libraries of all Loudoun County public elementary schools. I have read the book, studied our policies and sought the input of the Superintendent and his staff regarding the process that was followed.

I believe And Tango Makes Three should return
to our libraries’ shelves.

Parents determine what is appropriate for their own children and how to guide their children as they learn and grow. The schools should not be an instrument of censorship for parents who want veto power over the judgment of other parents.

After spending the past week investigating the decision, I believe that the Superintendent and every LCPS staff member involved faithfully followed the policies provided by the School Board. I also believe that the policies, last revised in 1993, are deeply flawed and led to a bad decision. I will work to overhaul these policies.

I am researching the best practices for handling book challenges in public school libraries, and have asked the Superintendent’s staff to provide their input. I will present a new set of policies for consideration at the next meeting of the Legislative/Policy committee on March 4th.
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12 comments:

  1. I'd like to thank and commend John Stevens for his outstanding leadership in researching and understanding the diversity that makes Loudoun great! There are so many wonderfully different types of families, and I am proud and pleased to know that the Vice Chairman of the Loudoun County School Board has the insight and the courage to recognize and appreciate the strength that comes from such diversity. Thank you, John, for your outstanding leadership and commitment to genuine public srevice -- that serves everyone!
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  2. I ordered the book, read it, and think the story is cute and affirming of diversity. I'll send my 2nd grader to school with it.

    But the book clearly wants to layer on top of the heart-warming children's story an adult parable about sexual orientation and the natural goodness of homosexuality.

    Imagine if a sequel book written by Dr. Dobson was donated to the library. The plot is that a zookeeper introduces Roy to a female penquin and he abandons Silo the next year to raise a chick with her. (Again based on true story.) A zookeeper "thinks to himself" how wonderful that Roy has finally finally figured out how to have a natural family.

    Someone complains that this hypothetical book teaches kids that gay is a choice that can be "fixed" with a little help from outside. (The outside help is religion which is apparent to parents who read the author's bio.) The book is dangerous, they argue, because if gayness is not innate then society will reject gay rights as a civil rights/equality issue. This is a thinly disguised way to inject a controversial political agenda into the school curriulum, they argue.

    Would you keep this book in the public school library?
    Unless the answer is yes, then "and tango makes three" shouldn't go back on the shelf either.

    I think the adult parable in both stories are completely missed by children. However, public schools should not symbolically throw support to one moral viewpoint or one politcal movement regarding sexuality by banning the others.
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  3. David WeintraubFeb 17, 2008 12:04 PM
    Ed:

    The answer is yes. Banning books because they contain an idea we disagree with is wrong. I have said all along that I have no problem with a parent explaining to their child that they disagree with the message of the book. That is their right. It is not their right to make it unavailable to other children.
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  4. We, too, would like to thank John Stevens for his leadership. Although our children have graduated from LCPS, we believe that in elementary school they would have viewed this as an interesting story about penquins, a favorite family animal, and perhaps a tale of adoption, as adoption played a big part in the formation of our family.
    We do wonder why the superintendent is allowed to override the decision of the appeal committee when parents/citizens have no appeal rights to the decisions of either the appeal committee or, in situations like this one, the override of the superintendent.
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  5. David,
    Many say they are for free speech but ultimately it comes down to the power to set the curriculum. If a book is refused for inclusion in the library it is always for curricular reasons and not because the deciders are opposed to the viewpoint (wink wink.)

    This phenomena is very prevalent. I encourage my children to select unpopular and controversial viewpoints for their classroom assignments whenever they are given a chance. Teachers always review and reject them as inappropriate for the assignment. The only success we had bypassing the curricular review was to submit an optional science fair project (that wasn't graded) without teacher review. The teacher initially refused to display the project and relented only when threatened with legal action. (I'm sure now the rules have been changed so that projects not submitted for review are ineligible for display.)

    When LCPS is faced with a choice of continuing expression they prefer over opening up and allowing the presentation of a viewpoint they oppose the choice is almost always restriction of speech.

    I have at least a half-dozen personal examples of this clearly documented.

    It simply isn't fair to allow only one side of controversial topics to be presented to a captive audience like public school students.


    The solution then is not to remove a book, but allow the parent a chance to donate a book more to their liking? I'd certainly prefer that but I don't think that is going to happen.
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  6. David WeintraubFeb 18, 2008 12:28 PM
    Ed,

    I think your suggested solution is exactly right. If you don't agree with an idea, fine - present the counterpoint to it. I'm sure this parent could have found a suitable book that expressed her point of view about families, and asked that it be added to the collection. That could have been her choice, but it wasn't. I think I know why that was; what do you think?
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  7. John,

    Thanks so much for the link to your blog. I'm glad to know my paranoia was unfounded ;)
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  8. Ed,

    This assumption "because if gayness is not innate then society will reject gay rights as a civil rights/equality issue." is not a valid one. You cannot discriminate on the basis of religion and it is definitely a choice, not an innate trait. So it is irrelevant if sexual orientation is a matter of choice or not.
    -darth
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  9. This book affirms my world view, therefore keep it! If I oppose it, then ban it! Ed Myers has it exactly right: "Public schools should not symbolically throw support to one moral viewpoint or one political movement regarding sexuality by banning the others." Right on. We don't want to be lectured to by this county's growing lefty clatch. Save your proseletyzing for your lefty churches, your lefty publications, and your lefty private groups. Same with the conservatives here. We don't want to hear your silliness either. Again, more "diversity." This term is used often around here, lately. To justify all sorts of bad behavior. Thanks John, for having the courage to confront this here.
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  10. Nobody is BANNING BOOKS! Would you stop with that already? We are talking about content for a SCHOOL library!! These are children. Keep your identity politics out of my schools. OUT. This is so easy to argue. For instance: Let's say I want my library to place books on its shelves about how great the free market is, or how great NAFTA is, or how evil abortion is. How many "anti censorship" commenters here would stand for that? None? Hmmm. Wonder why? Folks, again, keep your politics out of the schools. Indoctrinate your little ones AT HOME.
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  11. The book should be pulled from the shelves. Our schools are no place for you to push your liberal agenda. I pray for you and the people who wrote this book. Childern are in school to learn their ABC’s, leave the morality for the parent to be taught at home and in the church.
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  12. David WeintraubFeb 22, 2008 07:26 PM
    Actually, the selection objectives for LCPS library materials include the following:

    e. To provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues in order that students may develop under guidance the practice of
    critical reading, viewing, listening, and thinking

    f. To provide materials that realistically represent our pluralistic society and reflect the contributions made by various groups and individuals to our American heritage

    g. To place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice to assure a comprehensive media collection of high quality appropriate for the students who use it.

    I'm afraid we all have to accept that libraries will contain ideas with which we disagree. No one is unique in that regard.
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