"While there is no word on how many parents complained that maybe TAG fifth graders should be reading something a little more advanced than My Shadow Is Purple..."
This is the real scandal, I think. My Shadow is Purple is a 32 page picture book recommended for children aged 3-8. Now, back in my day in 5th grade gifted education, story time was used as a short break from the usual, more intense study and while the story-time books were never particularly challenging, they were at least real books. Mrs. Ober would have had to do some fancy explaining if she had been caught reading picture books to us.
I have trouble even imagining this scenario. As far as I can remember, no teacher ever read a book to the class in school. I think we might've gotten some story time in Sunday school? Maybe? I dunno, maybe we were read some Dick and Jane stories in first grade (no kindergarten), while learning to read, but I already could read by then, so that's also hazy.
Back in the late '60, our fifth grade teacher read to us for 15-20 minutes after lunch recess as a sort of cool-down period. We got some cool books: A Wrinkle In Time, From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Harriet The Spy, The Pushcart War, and The Phantom Tollbooth.
For reasons that I can't imagine, when I was in sixth grade, the teacher from the other sixth grade classroom read us Lord of the Flies. As you can imagine, it took quite a while to get through.
Read them the story of the town that got destroyed. And the only family that survived had the mom turned to a pillar of salt. And the dad got drunk and fucked his daughters. The classics.
I watched the link of the reading of the book and I guess my shadow is purple too. I am a straight woman, but there are a ton of boy things that I like. Top of the list is math and science, which explains my career choice of civil engineering. Specifically working on big construction projects.
I’m one of the girls who grew up hearing that math and science were for boys, my family members endured all kinds of looks and unhelpful suggestions from sales people when purchasing toys and books for me, told that your son/nephew/is going to love it…umm no it’s for my daughter/neice.
It’s going to hurt all the people you mentioned, but it’s also going to hurt the girls like me. And STEM careers really need every smart person they can get, because they are hard and there aren’t enough people of any description to carry the work load. And I need them. I need someone who can step into both my pink and orange wedge heels and my composite toe safety boots.
I, too, am a straight woman structural engineer. Our small firm is now 6 female and 4 male engineers; office manager is also a woman. Yes, I played with both dolls and trucks as a kid. Let the kids be themselves for crying out loud!
As always, your clarity and right-mindedness shine through. Many blessings on supportive teachers, their allies, and those who appreciate them, and kudos to you, CD!
"having supportive teachers matters to the health and education of LGBTQ students". Same goes for non-white students. It's not an accident that the Right is targeting supportive teachers - undermining the health and education of LGBTQ students and students of color is a FEATURE, not a bug.
I'd be willing to be a witness testimony on behalf of Georgia students. As a kid, I had unrestricted access to bookshelves, and my mother's policy was that if I was able to read it, I was allowed to read it. I remember my 4th grade teacher reading Bunnicula aloud to us. And Wayside School Is Falling Down.
Once I discovered the love of fiction, you couldn't keep me AWAY from books. I tore through the local library's science fiction section. I had a list of the Newberry Medal winners on a poster and tried to get a hold of as many of them as I could. (The Trumpeter of Krakov was my favorite of the ones I read on my own.) Age appropriate? Pffft. I read Gone with the Wind. I read Scientific American articles. I read the whole Bible FOR FUN. (New American Catholic edition my dad had lying around.)
The result of this was that by the time I was in 7th grade, I was estimated to have the reading comprehension of the average 33 year old. (The child psych wholly missed the ADHD-PI diagnosis, bless her heart, but it was 1992 and "girls didn't have ADD" back then.)
Let teachers read to kids. Let kids read books that interest them. LET THEM READ.
"SCOTUS isn’t likely to rule in the best interests of children unless they’re forced to." If only we could figure out what exactly will force them to do anything sensible. Reason, law, and precedent certainly don't do the job, and massive backlash doesn't seem to work either...
It always shocks me when I read exactly how many Americans are so insecure in their sexuality that they must smother anyone thinking or behaving even slightly differently. But the I'm also shocked how many Americans unthinkingly submit their lives to some bronze age legends without blinking.
"... Georgia’s law against teaching 'divisive' topics ... "
di·vi·sive -- /dəˈvīsiv,diˈviziv/ adj. Tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people.
The 'divisive topics' law spawned this lawsuit. No lawsuit without a disagreement. The subjects of disagreements are indistinguishable from "divisive topics." In this case, the "divisive topic," is the law itself. The Georgia law is itself a "divisive topic."
Ergo, if the law has any validity, that same validity demands now that this divisive law cannot and should not be enforced. To not do so would be to allow a "divisive topic" to be discussed relative to teaching in the public schools of Georgia. QED.
Also, we had another school shooting here in GA, four people dead.
Being a transfer resident to GA (from California) I can tell y'all Cobb County is Republican squared, so no wonder.
"While there is no word on how many parents complained that maybe TAG fifth graders should be reading something a little more advanced than My Shadow Is Purple..."
This is the real scandal, I think. My Shadow is Purple is a 32 page picture book recommended for children aged 3-8. Now, back in my day in 5th grade gifted education, story time was used as a short break from the usual, more intense study and while the story-time books were never particularly challenging, they were at least real books. Mrs. Ober would have had to do some fancy explaining if she had been caught reading picture books to us.
Isn't anyone in Congress bothered by the fact that a significant portion of our country has become third world nations?
Ta, Crip Dyke. I hope Rinderle & co. prevail. Censorship "for the children" is a tool of oppression, and we all know who's the target.
I have trouble even imagining this scenario. As far as I can remember, no teacher ever read a book to the class in school. I think we might've gotten some story time in Sunday school? Maybe? I dunno, maybe we were read some Dick and Jane stories in first grade (no kindergarten), while learning to read, but I already could read by then, so that's also hazy.
Back in the late '60, our fifth grade teacher read to us for 15-20 minutes after lunch recess as a sort of cool-down period. We got some cool books: A Wrinkle In Time, From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Harriet The Spy, The Pushcart War, and The Phantom Tollbooth.
For reasons that I can't imagine, when I was in sixth grade, the teacher from the other sixth grade classroom read us Lord of the Flies. As you can imagine, it took quite a while to get through.
Read them the story of the town that got destroyed. And the only family that survived had the mom turned to a pillar of salt. And the dad got drunk and fucked his daughters. The classics.
Isn't it strange... it's okay because he got drunk... But a woman who gets drunk, isn't excused... Oh, I see now... It's always the woman's fault...
I watched the link of the reading of the book and I guess my shadow is purple too. I am a straight woman, but there are a ton of boy things that I like. Top of the list is math and science, which explains my career choice of civil engineering. Specifically working on big construction projects.
I’m one of the girls who grew up hearing that math and science were for boys, my family members endured all kinds of looks and unhelpful suggestions from sales people when purchasing toys and books for me, told that your son/nephew/is going to love it…umm no it’s for my daughter/neice.
It’s going to hurt all the people you mentioned, but it’s also going to hurt the girls like me. And STEM careers really need every smart person they can get, because they are hard and there aren’t enough people of any description to carry the work load. And I need them. I need someone who can step into both my pink and orange wedge heels and my composite toe safety boots.
I, too, am a straight woman structural engineer. Our small firm is now 6 female and 4 male engineers; office manager is also a woman. Yes, I played with both dolls and trucks as a kid. Let the kids be themselves for crying out loud!
As always, your clarity and right-mindedness shine through. Many blessings on supportive teachers, their allies, and those who appreciate them, and kudos to you, CD!
"having supportive teachers matters to the health and education of LGBTQ students". Same goes for non-white students. It's not an accident that the Right is targeting supportive teachers - undermining the health and education of LGBTQ students and students of color is a FEATURE, not a bug.
Oh hey, GAE. I think Mr. Anzu is part of that.
I'd be willing to be a witness testimony on behalf of Georgia students. As a kid, I had unrestricted access to bookshelves, and my mother's policy was that if I was able to read it, I was allowed to read it. I remember my 4th grade teacher reading Bunnicula aloud to us. And Wayside School Is Falling Down.
Once I discovered the love of fiction, you couldn't keep me AWAY from books. I tore through the local library's science fiction section. I had a list of the Newberry Medal winners on a poster and tried to get a hold of as many of them as I could. (The Trumpeter of Krakov was my favorite of the ones I read on my own.) Age appropriate? Pffft. I read Gone with the Wind. I read Scientific American articles. I read the whole Bible FOR FUN. (New American Catholic edition my dad had lying around.)
The result of this was that by the time I was in 7th grade, I was estimated to have the reading comprehension of the average 33 year old. (The child psych wholly missed the ADHD-PI diagnosis, bless her heart, but it was 1992 and "girls didn't have ADD" back then.)
Let teachers read to kids. Let kids read books that interest them. LET THEM READ.
"SCOTUS isn’t likely to rule in the best interests of children unless they’re forced to." If only we could figure out what exactly will force them to do anything sensible. Reason, law, and precedent certainly don't do the job, and massive backlash doesn't seem to work either...
"vague “divisive concepts” laws"
ah yes! more wedge-document "teach the controversy"-bullshit.
I hate these people.
It always shocks me when I read exactly how many Americans are so insecure in their sexuality that they must smother anyone thinking or behaving even slightly differently. But the I'm also shocked how many Americans unthinkingly submit their lives to some bronze age legends without blinking.
Children who have been kicked out of the house should be able to get child support.
"... Georgia’s law against teaching 'divisive' topics ... "
di·vi·sive -- /dəˈvīsiv,diˈviziv/ adj. Tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people.
The 'divisive topics' law spawned this lawsuit. No lawsuit without a disagreement. The subjects of disagreements are indistinguishable from "divisive topics." In this case, the "divisive topic," is the law itself. The Georgia law is itself a "divisive topic."
Ergo, if the law has any validity, that same validity demands now that this divisive law cannot and should not be enforced. To not do so would be to allow a "divisive topic" to be discussed relative to teaching in the public schools of Georgia. QED.