"I will teach the textbook and only the textbook... I'm not doing all the paperwork. 21st Century Learning is a crock."
-- Nitro High teacher Steve Shamblin, responding to a new Kanawha County school board policy spurred by complaints over his assigning of Pat Conroy novels in class, as reported by The Charleston Gazette.
22 February 2008
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4 comments:
I guess it's too difficult to pick a book which doesn't contain graphic violence and sex. There are certainly appropriate books out there if you're not too lazy to look.
Yes by all means let us read only what the fundies think we should.
If you took out every book that had something that someone found offensive, you'd end up left only with Dr. Seuss and Sesame Street. No, those would probably upset somebody, too.
You wouldn't be left with much, though. Conroy's books are amazing stuff -- extremely well-written, poignant, and with great character development. I would have no problems letting my own children read these books in AP English.
I bet nobody who complains about kids having to read these books checks their kids' iPods for inappropriate music or disallows them to watch inappropriate shows on TV or at the movies. I guess art is only really offensive if it's presented by a teacher.
rebecca, the difference is that students were being forced to endure the graphic violence and sex in order to participate in the class. Nobody is forcing the kids to have or listen to inappropriate music on their iPods.
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