School Board Meeting 9/23

[Anonymous]

Gender Queer won the Young Adult Library Services Association's Alex Award in 2020 (adult/teen books). Guess the librarians like it.

https://www.ala.org/yalsa/2020-alex-awards

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if the book would have been pulled or not.

But I do now know that Karl Frisch thinks keeping this sort of material in school libraries is vital to the LGBTQIA+ committee and no elected democrat that I have (so far) found contradicts this view nor thinks that there is any problem with it.

Educational.

What does the LGBTQ+ community say about the books?

Are these books supportive to students who may find themselves in similar situations as the characters?

Many readers seem to love them.

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/42837514-gender-queer

"I am so happy and thankful for books such as this.Gender Queer, a graphic memoir by Maia Kobabe, is such an honest and open look at the author’s own path through understanding gender and sexuality. This is a beautiful book that will be useful to anyone looking to reflect on better understand non-binary gender, particularly as the telling is so full of careful nuance that looks at all the many avenues and aspects of non-binary identity and shows how discovering the language to assess identity is key in helping process yourself. "

"This is a really well done memoir that is very moving. Maia very tenderly examined eir life journey and interpersonal relationships, as well as really demonstrates a love for reading. I particularly enjoyed this as so much of my own journey to figuring my gender identity and sexuality came from reading. Shoutout to the poets, you gave me the words to understand myself."

"I needed this book 20 years ago. Words can not describe how much I love this book. It's a memoir about growing up and figuring out that one is non-binary and asexual. While I am not asexual, I am non-binary...and while I can look back on my life now and realize I have always been this way, it took until age 30 to find the words. To realize, i'm not a freak. I'm not wrong. I'm not confused (anymore-and if I had had the words and someone else saying "me too" I never would have had to be). That i'm not alone."


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35489159-lawn-boy

"Really good. Story of Mike Munoz, a 22-year-old on Bainbridge Island who lives in a trailer with his mother and behaviorally challenged older brother. He has no money and no prospects. His only asset is a capability with lawn care - a job from which he gets fired (it's a direction he chooses) within the first few chapters.

But it's really a book about discovering who you are and about finding the courage to pursue it. Uplifting, funny, and real, this book is one of my favorites for 2019."

"Someone else commented that it's like reading J.D. Salinger and a mix of John Updike with his vivid descriptions.
There is a lot that can be talked about with this book in terms of personal growth, class hieracrchies, and the protagonist who you don't know whether to dislike, feel sorry for, laugh at, or root for.
This is worth a read and it's a good reminder about what it really means to be happy in life."

Not only to general readers like them, the professional review journals that librarians use to select books had positive things to say about them. Although I both quoted some and generally mentioned this above (to include who these reviewers are and pub titles) and the pro-get rid of all the books people ignored/chose to continue yelling instead of commenting about them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No, this was a performative tantrum. Genuine and appropriate concern starts by talking with the school librarian and school admin. Who acknowledge your concerns and point you to the book review committee. Then you file a challenge with the committee and seeing what they say. It does not involve cherry-picking a page out of two books out of thousands and going straight for shock value at a SB meeting. You do that to make a scene and make headlines. I don’t care that she objected. I care that she immediately escalated to the SB in the most dramatic way possible. And in the end, thenSB did exactly what the librarian would have done— referred it to the committee. Same result. More headlines.

And because the material is graphic, I don’t appreciate it being broadcast with no warning into every household with ES aged kids who might be present watching the livestream.

All of us get ticked off at FCPs policies and decisions. And most of us escalate concerns appropriately. Otherwise, you’d have 100,000 parents pitching temper tantrums at the SB level for things that can be dealt with at the school level. This SB cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. And the time it takes for them to deal with this crap is time they aren’t dealing with improving quarantine and isolation, livestreams to kids with COVID, a testing protocol, and test to stay.

"Performative?" maybe. But, do you listen to our SB members? We frequently get performances from them.

Yes, her testimony was terribly offensive. That was the point. What better way to get the attention. The process you describe takes weeks--probably months.

Believe me, had she gone through the "process" the books would still be there. Most parents were unaware and they would have continued to be unaware.

Exactly this. And the people who want all these procedural hoops to be followed just want the books to remain available indefinitely in school libraries AND have no concern when the School Board itself rides roughshod over normal procedure (like Karl Frisch taking money that was expressly set aside for a new elementary school in Fairfax/Oakton and using it for an entirely different purpose elsewhere in his district). The level of hypocrisy is over-the-top.

So you really think any parent should be able to come screeching yo the school hoard about any book and it should be immediately pulled from every library shelf in the county? You really think this is an appropriate use of School Board time … that they should on the spot make decisions about library purchases based on out of context excerpts read aloud for an audience???? WTH! It’s hard enough for the SB to get *anythjng* done. Individual schools have 20,000+ books. People should be lining up to read aloud from them at SB meetings?

This is madness. Utter madness.

I’m a school librarian who had had a book challenged under this process. It most certainly did not take a year. And I think in the end, all parties involved felt heard. The committee that is formed when this happens is made up of parents/teachers/librarians/Gatehouse people. The process is in place for a reason and is reviewed on a regular basis.

[Anonymous]

I’m a school librarian who had had a book challenged under this process. It most certainly did not take a year. And I think in the end, all parties involved felt heard. The committee that is formed when this happens is made up of parents/teachers/librarians/Gatehouse people. The process is in place for a reason and is reviewed on a regular basis.

Who chooses the parents that are on the committee? Others, as well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I’m a school librarian who had had a book challenged under this process. It most certainly did not take a year. And I think in the end, all parties involved felt heard. The committee that is formed when this happens is made up of parents/teachers/librarians/Gatehouse people. The process is in place for a reason and is reviewed on a regular basis.

Who chooses the parents that are on the committee? Others, as well?

In a school challenge, the parents are made up of those on the Materials Review Committee. In a district challenge, it is made up of members from the school committees. I can’t speak to how they are selected at other schools, but at my school, we advertise in the school newsletter when we need more members. The principal has to submit the names to Gatehouse at the beginning of each school year. The parents who end up on the committee are often involved parents that the teachers know and beg to be on the committee. The parents have to read new books that are going to be used in classrooms during the year, so it is often quite a time commitment. The specific central office people are listed in the regulation and it depends on what school the challenge is coming from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I’m a school librarian who had had a book challenged under this process. It most certainly did not take a year. And I think in the end, all parties involved felt heard. The committee that is formed when this happens is made up of parents/teachers/librarians/Gatehouse people. The process is in place for a reason and is reviewed on a regular basis.

Who chooses the parents that are on the committee? Others, as well?

In a school challenge, the parents are made up of those on the Materials Review Committee. In a district challenge, it is made up of members from the school committees. I can’t speak to how they are selected at other schools, but at my school, we advertise in the school newsletter when we need more members. The principal has to submit the names to Gatehouse at the beginning of each school year. The parents who end up on the committee are often involved parents that the teachers know and beg to be on the committee. The parents have to read new books that are going to be used in classrooms during the year, so it is often quite a time commitment. The specific central office people are listed in the regulation and it depends on what school the challenge is coming from.

I have a HS kid and I thought they asked kids at the HS level to give input as well? I know of someone involved in the challenge process for a book. They thought it was a a very rigorous, thoughtful process.

I’m wondering what problems people saying the process must be reformed have wit the process as is? Specifically? I thought the SB fiasco was awful, because there in a decent process in place. Our Hs hasinvolved parents, but I know they were recruiting hard for this committee last year. If this mom actually cares about library materials, why doesn’t she just join the committee?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Why are you yelling? And the converse is true. If it shouldn’t be in high schools, why are you broadcasting it live to ES aged kids?

Because that is the only way to get the attention of the SB. Perhaps, if our members were more responsive to parents who contact them, it would be different.

You are ridiculous. No one even brought the book to the attention of any school librarian and expressed concern. It’s not like someone wrote a challenge and was then ignored. They never even shared a concern with any school official. They created a circus in front of the board to create a circus, for political reasons.

Do you honestly think the school board should be arbitrating every $12 purchase at individual schools? Of course not. You just like that this created a stink that made this SB look bad.

For the record, I think both books are fine in a HS library. They have merit. If you don’t want your kid to read them, no one is forcing them.

[Anonymous]

This parent speaker didn’t care about the book. She just wanted to make a political point and achieve viral fame.

The challenge process is thorough and clear. It is very appropriate to handle concerns but won’t score viral fame.

Another good strategy to handle concern os to actually parent your kid. Have conversations and pay attention to them.

[Anonymous]

Calling attention to egegrious publications when you notice them in a school library is one action that falls under parenting.

The book may be pulled or not, and in the end the author(s) may actually sell more copies. Look on the bright side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Calling attention to egegrious publications when you notice them in a school library is one action that falls under parenting.

The book may be pulled or not, and in the end the author(s) may actually sell more copies. Look on the bright side.

Just because the books are not a good fit for your kids doesn't mean they aren't a good fit for others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Calling attention to egegrious publications when you notice them in a school library is one action that falls under parenting.

The book may be pulled or not, and in the end the author(s) may actually sell more copies. Look on the bright side.

Just because the books are not a good fit for your kids doesn't mean they aren't a good fit for others.

Really? Please introduce us to the 14-year-old who should be reading about pedophilia and gay porn. I would love to meet the child for whom this trash is a "good fit."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Calling attention to egegrious publications when you notice them in a school library is one action that falls under parenting.

The book may be pulled or not, and in the end the author(s) may actually sell more copies. Look on the bright side.

The point is that schools have a process in place for books that are challenged and the person at the SB meeting didn't go that route. She wanted outrage and fame not parenting her child. It's like calling up the superintendent and the news when you have an issue with a teacher rather than talking to her directly. That's not parenting, that's grandstanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Calling attention to egegrious publications when you notice them in a school library is one action that falls under parenting.

The book may be pulled or not, and in the end the author(s) may actually sell more copies. Look on the bright side.

Just because the books are not a good fit for your kids doesn't mean they aren't a good fit for others.

Really? Please introduce us to the 14-year-old who should be reading about pedophilia and gay porn. I would love to meet the child for whom this trash is a "good fit."

One who is trying to understanding their gender and sexuality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Calling attention to egegrious publications when you notice them in a school library is one action that falls under parenting.

The book may be pulled or not, and in the end the author(s) may actually sell more copies. Look on the bright side.

Just because the books are not a good fit for your kids doesn't mean they aren't a good fit for others.

Really? Please introduce us to the 14-year-old who should be reading about pedophilia and gay porn. I would love to meet the child for whom this trash is a "good fit."

One who is trying to understanding their gender and sexuality.

Because pedophilia will help him find his sexuality?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Calling attention to egegrious publications when you notice them in a school library is one action that falls under parenting.

The book may be pulled or not, and in the end the author(s) may actually sell more copies. Look on the bright side.

Just because the books are not a good fit for your kids doesn't mean they aren't a good fit for others.

Really? Please introduce us to the 14-year-old who should be reading about pedophilia and gay porn. I would love to meet the child for whom this trash is a "good fit."

One who is trying to understanding their gender and sexuality.

Because pedophilia will help him find his sexuality?

??

There is no pedophilia.

Maybe you’re confused because you’re a fcking moron and just parrot what the other fcking morons say? Maybe.