zinn
2022-08-23 07:09:15 UTC
Students at the Keller Independent School District outside Fort Worth,
Texas, went back to school Wednesday. But instead of the focus being on
their return, much of the attention has been heaped on an email that was
sent out the day before, instructing school staff to pull all copies of a
list of more than 40 books from classrooms and school libraries.
The books that were pulled include the graphic novel adaptation of Anne
Frank's diary, all versions of the Bible and numerous books with LGBTQ+
themes or characters. The School Board did not say why the Bible and the
Anne Frank book were removed, but parents had objected to them, according
to the list.
The books on the list have been challenged at the district in the past and
while some have been reviewed and put back on shelves, they must all
undergo another review under new criteria set by the school board, the
school district said in a statement to NPR.
"Right now, Keller ISD's administration is asking our campus staff and
librarians to review books that were challenged last year to determine if
they meet the requirements of the new policy," it said.
"All of the books included in Tuesday's email have been included on Keller
ISD's Book Challenge list over the past year. Books that meet the new
guidelines will be returned to the libraries as soon as it is confirmed
they comply with the new policy."
Some of the school board's new members were backed by Patriot Mobile
Action, a conservative Christian political action committee, the PAC said
in a news release.
How the new policy will work is not completely clear to parents, they told
NPR. The Texas Tribune reports that the new Keller ISD policies are based
on a model from the Texas Education Agency, and that, ultimately, school
board members have the ability to accept or reject any material.
Some parents worry about banning books for everyone
Laney Hawes is a parent to four children in the district ranging from
first to ninth grade. She said she understands and agrees with parents who
don't want their children to read material that is inappropriate for their
age. But she doesn't think this is the right way to go about it.
"All of our children are capable and able and ready for different
materials," Hawes said. "Not everyone is ready for the same. I agree with
that, and I think that those decisions should be made by parents for their
own children specifically. I don't think that certain materials that you
don't feel like are appropriate for your children should be withheld from
my children, too."
Hawes is one of a group of parents who have become more involved with the
district in recent years. Hawes and another parent, Gretchen Veling, both
volunteered to be part of the group that reviewed books when they were
challenged.
Some of the books were already reviewed and put back on shelves under the
old policy
Hawes was involved in the review of Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic
Adaptation, while Veling was in the group that reviewed Flamer, the semi-
autobiographical graphic novel by Mike Curato.
Both books were discussed within the last year by parents, librarians and
teachers who all chose to keep the books on the shelves. But with the
books under review again, there are no guarantees they will made available
to students.
Veling said she first got involved in the book review committee when she
realized that many of the titles being challenged were LGBTQ+ books. She
said both her sons are openly gay and when they want to read a book, she
typically buys it for them. But her concern is for kids who might not have
that same support at home.
"If they don't have access to a book that is reflective of who they are,
does it just continue to make them feel like they're in a homophobic area?
So I started speaking up because of that," Veling said. "It's to all the
other kids that won't have access to it, who really do need access to it."
Keller ISD did not say if there was a timeline for when the book reviews
would be completed. But in the meantime, Hawes said she thinks the school
board will continue implementing conservative Christian policies.
"They really, really want to attack our curriculum and make sure that no
social emotional learning ever enters our curriculum," Hawes said, adding
that there are two other spots on the school board that will be up for
election next May.
https://www.npr.org/2022/08/18/1117708153/bible-anne-frank-books-banned-
texas-school-district
Texas, went back to school Wednesday. But instead of the focus being on
their return, much of the attention has been heaped on an email that was
sent out the day before, instructing school staff to pull all copies of a
list of more than 40 books from classrooms and school libraries.
The books that were pulled include the graphic novel adaptation of Anne
Frank's diary, all versions of the Bible and numerous books with LGBTQ+
themes or characters. The School Board did not say why the Bible and the
Anne Frank book were removed, but parents had objected to them, according
to the list.
The books on the list have been challenged at the district in the past and
while some have been reviewed and put back on shelves, they must all
undergo another review under new criteria set by the school board, the
school district said in a statement to NPR.
"Right now, Keller ISD's administration is asking our campus staff and
librarians to review books that were challenged last year to determine if
they meet the requirements of the new policy," it said.
"All of the books included in Tuesday's email have been included on Keller
ISD's Book Challenge list over the past year. Books that meet the new
guidelines will be returned to the libraries as soon as it is confirmed
they comply with the new policy."
Some of the school board's new members were backed by Patriot Mobile
Action, a conservative Christian political action committee, the PAC said
in a news release.
How the new policy will work is not completely clear to parents, they told
NPR. The Texas Tribune reports that the new Keller ISD policies are based
on a model from the Texas Education Agency, and that, ultimately, school
board members have the ability to accept or reject any material.
Some parents worry about banning books for everyone
Laney Hawes is a parent to four children in the district ranging from
first to ninth grade. She said she understands and agrees with parents who
don't want their children to read material that is inappropriate for their
age. But she doesn't think this is the right way to go about it.
"All of our children are capable and able and ready for different
materials," Hawes said. "Not everyone is ready for the same. I agree with
that, and I think that those decisions should be made by parents for their
own children specifically. I don't think that certain materials that you
don't feel like are appropriate for your children should be withheld from
my children, too."
Hawes is one of a group of parents who have become more involved with the
district in recent years. Hawes and another parent, Gretchen Veling, both
volunteered to be part of the group that reviewed books when they were
challenged.
Some of the books were already reviewed and put back on shelves under the
old policy
Hawes was involved in the review of Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic
Adaptation, while Veling was in the group that reviewed Flamer, the semi-
autobiographical graphic novel by Mike Curato.
Both books were discussed within the last year by parents, librarians and
teachers who all chose to keep the books on the shelves. But with the
books under review again, there are no guarantees they will made available
to students.
Veling said she first got involved in the book review committee when she
realized that many of the titles being challenged were LGBTQ+ books. She
said both her sons are openly gay and when they want to read a book, she
typically buys it for them. But her concern is for kids who might not have
that same support at home.
"If they don't have access to a book that is reflective of who they are,
does it just continue to make them feel like they're in a homophobic area?
So I started speaking up because of that," Veling said. "It's to all the
other kids that won't have access to it, who really do need access to it."
Keller ISD did not say if there was a timeline for when the book reviews
would be completed. But in the meantime, Hawes said she thinks the school
board will continue implementing conservative Christian policies.
"They really, really want to attack our curriculum and make sure that no
social emotional learning ever enters our curriculum," Hawes said, adding
that there are two other spots on the school board that will be up for
election next May.
https://www.npr.org/2022/08/18/1117708153/bible-anne-frank-books-banned-
texas-school-district