Asked to remove pages from a book

by Concerned

Mar 31, 2011

Some parents complained about a passage in one of the books that is part of our 7th grade curriculum (the student is not in my 7th grade class). The page talks about the female protagonist getting her period and all these feelings she is having (including her desire to touch another girl's breasts). We never read this passage aloud in the classroom or really discuss it even (I did send an e-mail home to the parents warning them of the content; no one replied with any concern). The parents' concern was taken all the way to our principal, who, after reading the passage, told the parents that he would have us REMOVE THE PAGES FROM THE BOOK. I am completely dumbfounded. If this book is listed in our curriculum, why should we have to censor it? And is it just me, or is this really upsetting? Part of me wants to refuse to do it, and take it to the board of directors if I have to (we are a charter school). What do you think?

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intrigued On 4/13/11, Sara wrote: > On 3/31/11, Concerned wrote:

That Anne Frank has to hide to protect herself isn't upsetting?? That she and her family are taken away like criminals and put in concentration camps isn't upsetting - but her incipient sexuality is?

The parents don't mind their children reading about the murder of innocen...See MoreOn 4/13/11, Sara wrote: > On 3/31/11, Concerned wrote:

That Anne Frank has to hide to protect herself isn't upsetting?? That she and her family are taken away like criminals and put in concentration camps isn't upsetting - but her incipient sexuality is?

The parents don't mind their children reading about the murder of innocents but they mind the mention of menstrual periods?

We live in an interesting society. We have interesting... priorities.

> > Is this your first year teaching or can you afford to lose > your job? I don't know the politics of your school but if at > mine I considered going over my principal's head and speak > directly to the Board, they'd fire me even before he did. > > But that's where I work and your school could be wonderfully > different though your principal sounds as if he's operating > on the same level as mine which is fairly near to irrational. > In all my time, I've never heard before of an administrator > saying 'rip the pages out of a book' - it's a new one on me! > > I have heard them say " get rid of the book", "don't use the > book next year" and I've even heard, "we have to teach them > about the real things of real life" when a parent once > complained about her 12 year old being assigned to read a > graphic depiction of child abuse. (there's no predicting what > my principal will say - he moved classes to the basement one > year telling us we'd all be safer there in case of nuclear > attack) > > But a book that touches on women touching other women will > make some people uncomfortable. You can send out a million e- > mails but when a child comes and says, "Mom, what does this > mean?" or "Mom, this book is about people being gay" a parent > hears that in a way that gets their attention much more than > your warning e-mail ever will. > > And some people don't even read their e-mails or can't find > their real ones among all the spam. My question would be - > you thought this book contained passages touchy enough to > warrant a warning e-mail - why be surprised if a parent then > found the passages inappropriate? > > It's only your principal's bizarre response that could > surprise you and that surprises me too. One year I chose a > book that I thought appropriate but as we read it, I found > the kids reacting to it with some horror - that was not the > reaction I was hoping for and I realized I'd made a mistake. > I explained my thinking, apologized for my mistaken judgment > and told them to hand in the books unless any of them wanted > to take the book home and read it at home. > > What's really upsetting here is only your principal's bizarre > reaction. Parents and all other people have different levels > at which they become uncomfortable. That you have a parent > made uncomfortable by this passage should not be upsetting. > That your principal heard out a parent's concern is a good > thing, not a bad thing. Principals and teachers alike should > hear parents out particularly when they're concerned. > > That his response was 'rip out the pages from the book' is > upsetting in that it suggests he's as bizarre as the > suggestion and it's no fun to work for a nut. Next he'll be > moving your classes to the basement... > > The pages have already been read this year. Tell him you'll > rip the pages out over the summer and by then maybe he'll > have forgotten about it. >> Some parents complained about a passage in one of the books >> that is part of our 7th grade curriculum (the student is >> not in my 7th grade class). The page talks about the female >> protagonist getting her period and all these feelings she >> is having (including her desire to touch another girl's >> breasts). We never read this passage aloud in the classroom >> or really discuss it even (I did send an e-mail home to the >> parents warning them of the content; no one replied with >> any concern). The parents' concern was taken all the way to >> our principal, who, after reading the passage, told the >> parents that he would have us REMOVE THE PAGES FROM THE >> BOOK. I am completely dumbfounded. If this book is listed >> in our curriculum, why should we have to censor it? And is >> it just me, or is this really upsetting? Part of me wants >> to refuse to do it, and take it to the board of directors >> if I have to (we are a charter school). What do you think?

Apr 21, 2011

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Fanny Phoenix Dear Concerned, As you could guess I am also a teacher. If it really was Anne Frank's Diary, I would really like to ask you something. Do you read this book with your students in English or in German? I am an English teacher you see, but my mother tongue is German. So it would be really interesting for me to know. It is rather a complex book and I ...See More

Jun 12, 2011

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Fanny Phoenix Hello again! Of course if would like to rather leave it and not read it in class, I wish you good luck fighting for that too! Yours, Fanny

Jun 12, 2011

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Bill Good luck. I would never want to remove pages. Sounds too controling and Big Brotherish.

On 6/12/11, Fanny Phoenix wrote: > Hello again! > Of course if would like to rather leave it and not read it in > class, I wish you good luck fighting for that too! > Yours, Fanny

Jul 2, 2011

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Tom For those who haven't read the 1995 edition (not censored by Anne's dad), it is definitely tough for seventh graders to deal with. I taught it two years ago, and the kids were almost undone by Anne's directness RE her period and her sexual longings. What really took them to the brink (this was a coed class) was the entire page Anne dedicated to a d...See More

May 10, 2013

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