EDU Trending: Freedom to Write and Read
Which is worse: banning books or rewriting them? I choose the latter. Banned books - especially good ones - always find a way back onto shelves in schools, libraries, bookstores. Some generate soaring sales. Remember Mausby Art Spiegelman? Banned in McMinn County, Tennessee, last year, it hit #1 on the best seller lists.
Rewriting books is altogether different. It mangles an author’s meaning and intent.
It strips away the style, language, imagery, color, and texture of a skilled writer’s words and ability to
make people feel and think. It deprives the reader of time, place, and characters that invite us to
understand their issues and compare them to our own lives. It smothers diverse views and replaces
them with sanitized ‘speak’ worthy only of a bot. And some of those who cry out for truth in history
are among those who would whitewash truth in literature.
Many have already written with outrage, calling “sensitivity readers” history vandals and the new thought police. In one article the author suggests: “The falsity… and the need for control…are all disturbing hallmarks of totalitarian politics.” In contrast, he reminds us that…
…classics are “imbued with a quality of genius that transcends the fashions of their time and our own.” https://neshobademocrat.com/stories/lowrydont-rewrite-books,77127
Genius is not a one-size fits-all commodity. There are differences between Shakespeare and Chaucer, Thomas Wolfe and Edward Albee, Shel Silverstein andDr. Seuss, Beatrix Potter and E.B. White, Beverly Cleary and Louise Fitzhugh, Judy Blume and Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowlings and J.L. Stine, Eric Carle and Mo Willems, Sandra Cisneros and Amy Kraus Rosenthal, Stan and Jan Berenstain and Judith Viorst. And more.
If allowed to continue, the practice of reducing ideas to a common banality will not stop with literature. Imagine how drab life would be if we could not enjoy chicken parmesan one day and dim sum or fajitas or curry the next? Or if all music from hip hop to opera had to conform to an easy-listening mode? Or if watercolor were the only acceptable painting medium and landscapes and still life, the only approved subjects?
News and Views: To Ban or Not to Ban the Bible?
In my February blog, I noted that the criteria for book banning have become so broad that they can apply equally to the Bible and the Berenstain Bears: https://www.merleschell.com/blogs/down-the-rabbit-hole
Now, what was said somewhat tongue-in-cheek has come to pass. Almost.
In May, 2022, Utah passed law HB 374, which states, in part, that “sensitive materials” that are “pornographic or indecent” are banned from use in “instructional materials” (a.k.a. curriculum). https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/3/20/23645183/library-book-challenge-bible-davis-county-schools
In December, 2022, in Davis County, Utah, a private citizen submitted a challenge and request to ban the Bible from the library shelves of district schools, citing that it violates HB 374 and specifically, section 76-10-1227 which enumerates “descriptions and depictions of illicit sex or sexual immorality.”
Is the request a spurious attack on the Holy Book?
Is it a spotlight on the political hypocrisy of officials who slap a “ban” on any literature they do not like? Or is it an argument for equal application of the law?
In March, 2023, State Representative Ken Ivory expressed “every confidence” that no Utah school district will find the Bible to be in violation of HB 374 and section 76-10-1227. He labeled the biblical challenge “antics.”
Hickory dickory dock,
A school principal walks the talk.
He connects in a way
Kids relate to today:
Messaging on what else: TikTok.
I don’t want any of us, especially our children, to live in a void of dictated choices and forbidden voices. I want a world full of raucously different colors, sounds, sights, smells, textures, tastes, and feelings. I want to know what came before, to learn from it, and, empowered, I will make a difference today and for the future. I want that for our children. I can deal with the bad and the ugly as long as I also see the good. So can our children, and they will.
During an interview this April, Judy Blume said, “With my kids’ books, I like to leave the reader with hope. I don’t tie it all up nicely - I present it. The kids know what’s going on.” https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/judy-blumes-unfinished-endings?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Daily_042523&
Here is an update: Two letters with opposing views were sent to Utah’s Sensitive Materials Review Committee.
April 28, 2023: First Liberty Institute argues that the Bible should not be banned because: 1) It is protected under the First Amendment, and 2) In 1963, Abington v. Schempp, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Bible may be studied for its “literary and historic qualities.”
May 10, 2023: Freedom From Religion Foundation notes that it opposes banning books in favor of offering “a diversity of viewpoints in school libraries,” but argues that if the Davis School District bans books that do not meet the sensitivity standards of HR 374, it must ban the Bible for the same reasons.
Of course the Bible should not be banned, nor the Torah, Quran, Bhagavad Gita, the Book of Mormon, or any other holy book. The Bill of Rights guarantees all of us freedom of religion. The sticking point is the 1963 Supreme Court finding that the Bible has “historic and literary qualities,” worthy of study. According to the 2022 Utah law HR 374, some of the Bible’s instructional content appears to be in violation undermining its literary qualities and educational value as an object of study. Note: The book on the left is well-reviewed for its balanced and inclusive descriptions of many religions and cultures. It emphasizes understanding, respect, and acceptance for all people and faiths.
As for Utah, there is an out. The Bill of Rights also guarantees freedom of expression, including what is written in books - from the Bible to the Berenstain Bears. Children’s books - beloved by children of all ages but banned any way – offer life lessons that are also of historic and literary value, and not nearly as salacious as the Bible.
To sum up, if the Bible is exempt from banning based on religion, but subject to banning for its law-breaking educational content, where does that leave us, or rather, Davis Schools? It appears that lawmakers in Utah are twisting themselves into pretzels to justify personal preferences and biases however blatantly contradictory they may be. The proverbial horns of a dilemma..
Stay tuned. Chris Williams, spokesperson for the Davis School District, said that the special Sensitive Materials Committee continues their review of the Bible… https://www.standard.net/news/education/2023/may/10/davis-school-district-getting-limited-feedback-as-review-of-bible-continues/ He gave no indication when their work would be finished or a decision rendered.
You Just Can’t Make This Up: TikToking to a Positive School Culture
That is right. At Harry Hurst Middle School in Louisiana, Principal David Schexnaydre uses TikTok to build trusting relationships with students. His relatable, sometimes funny, and always down to earth messaging has led to a positive culture of happy engagement, sustained student buy-in, and learning. Read, watch, smile: https://www.the74million.org/article/how-one-middle-school-principal-is-using-tiktok-to-build-school-culture-recruit-teachers/ As one teacher explains,“They idolize David because he takes the time to figure out what’s important to them, and it makes them more willing to do what’s important to him.” The 95% teacher retention rate speaks for itself.
Is Schexnaydre endorsing TikTok without reservation? No. He acknowledges that some things on the platform are absolutely “inappropriate for children.” He uses TikTok responsibly to connect with students about things that are relevant to them, in videos that are two minutes or less. He is always authentically himself. Students and teachers alike check every day to see what he is going to say or do next.
This article is not a referendum on or endorsement of TikTok - not by Dr. Schexnaydre and not by me or this newsletter. It is, however, an acknowledgement that unswerving authenticity, trustworthiness, and relevance are the keys to students’ hearts and minds whatever method we use to inspire them to strive and thrive.
If you have an approach that builds trust and consistently works to engage and motivate your students and/or your own children, please share. Write to me: merle@merleschell.com I will publish your contribution to a receptive and grateful audience. Thank you.
Question of the Day: And the Winner Is…
From the baker’s dozen list below, choose the children’s book that has never been banned (yet):
Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
The Berenstain Bears and the Big Question by Stan and Jan Berenstain
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
I Am Enough by Grace Byers
For the correct answer, please go to https://www.merleschell.com/taking-care-of-you and enjoy Plant A Kiss.
From Me to You: Summer Is Coming
This year we have seen a rise in tornados, floods, hurricanes, and unusual shifts in weather patterns, including a record snowfall of more than 50 feet in sunny California. Meteorologists are working overtime. Whether or not you believe in climate change, hopefully we can agree that in recent years - wherever you live - the weather has been predictably unpredictable.
But summer is coming.
In the Northeast where I am, spring is a casual short term visitor: a cool, rainy interlude, interspersed with mild sunny days, when daffodils, tulips, and wild violets sprout, and trees segue from leafless to lushly green seemingly overnight.
In April, daytime temperatures start to climb into the 70s. Azaleas and forsythia are in bloom. By the end of May, all things in the garden - weeds included - are responding to long sunny days in the 80s. The crowded, colorful displays of summer gardens are almost ready to burst upon us.
But not this year. This year, spring has lingered along with the rain, cool days, and cooler nights. It has been pleasant, but my plants are confused. The daffodils and tulips have briefly come and gone. The delicate white flowers on the dogwood tree quickly succumbed to the wet windy weather. Neither the azalea (save for one lonely bloom) nor forsythia flowers show any signs of making an appearance.
The hostas, however, have leafed out in full force as have a host of yellow-flowered weeds that have made themselves at home near some Siberian iris.
Maybe like the weather, my plants choose to be unpredictable this year. That’s fine. Just like the sultry summer, they will arrive in due time. I am happy to wait and will welcome them one by one.