“Stuff Some Adults Don’t Want You to Read” at Langley

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It wasn’t just the principal. The Region 1 superintendent (Doug Tyson) issued a separate apology as well. It’s just sad they feel the need to apologize for looking for creative ways to encourage kids to read.

I am in the a let people read camp.

I feel this sign was grossly inappropriate and the librarian should be disciplined.

An apology was appropriate from both the principal and the district superintendent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It wasn’t just the principal. The Region 1 superintendent (Doug Tyson) issued a separate apology as well. It’s just sad they feel the need to apologize for looking for creative ways to encourage kids to read.

There are many, many other ways to better encourage folks to read than this. C'mon - be better.

+100
And I would wager not one of the crowing posters on this thread, including the OP, even have kids who attend Langley. The obsession is real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is yet another way that schools are making it an us (parents) versus them (adults in schools) mentality. Perpetuating the notion our kids, while at school, are independent and unaccountable to their parents is troubling. Or, at the worst indefensible, when "teaching" that their parents are morally wrong or "bad" because parents beliefs are counter to what is being normalized at school. I do not want to dictate what schools teach my kids, I just want schools to reiterate to our children that parents have the biggest stake in their lives. And, no matter what, their parents and what their parents provide, encourage, and instill in kids are the biggest indicators of success - not replaceable by anything a school can, nor should, do for children. Parenting is hard enough these days without having to fight and counter what adults, who are not in any way (legally, financially, emotionally) responsible for our children, are "teaching."

https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/educations-enduring-love-affair-luxury-beliefs

What values are you trying to instill in your kids that conflict with them reading Maus?

Not the PP you’re quoting but give the reasons Maus was removed from school, I suppose I sorta am. https://m.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-696465/amp

So your big problem with Maus is that the son uses profanity to express his anger and grief over his mother committing suicide and his father burning his mother’s journals after her death? That kind of effort to control and suppress a kid’s emotions typically doesn’t work out very well.

I wish I could find it online, but there was a letter in the NYT from a Jewish professor who worked with Tennessee schools on Holocaust education. She found them to be very invested and engaged in it. She pointed out that culturally in that state that they have a stronger sense of propriety around things like cursing and nudity and understood why they wouldn’t want to use Maus in their curriculum. She thought it was a mistake to view that decision as anti-Semitic. It wasn’t a rejection of education around the Holocaust, it was a rejection of one book on the subject, when they used other tools instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is yet another way that schools are making it an us (parents) versus them (adults in schools) mentality. Perpetuating the notion our kids, while at school, are independent and unaccountable to their parents is troubling. Or, at the worst indefensible, when "teaching" that their parents are morally wrong or "bad" because parents beliefs are counter to what is being normalized at school. I do not want to dictate what schools teach my kids, I just want schools to reiterate to our children that parents have the biggest stake in their lives. And, no matter what, their parents and what their parents provide, encourage, and instill in kids are the biggest indicators of success - not replaceable by anything a school can, nor should, do for children. Parenting is hard enough these days without having to fight and counter what adults, who are not in any way (legally, financially, emotionally) responsible for our children, are "teaching."

https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/educations-enduring-love-affair-luxury-beliefs

Well said. I wholeheartedly agree. This was such an immature stunt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine parents complaining about that at almost any other public FCPS high school.

I think we just have a handful of troublemaker parents who love to get national attention on these things. It’s not the first time they’ve overreacted.

+1

Brava! THIS!

I suspect a few parents have a direct line to producers at Fox and take advantage of the chance to stir the pot and fuel their national agenda. I feel sorry for our principal.

I feel sorry that the principal and superintendent don’t have spines.

They should have stood up against the bullies here. Be a role model to the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is yet another way that schools are making it an us (parents) versus them (adults in schools) mentality. Perpetuating the notion our kids, while at school, are independent and unaccountable to their parents is troubling. Or, at the worst indefensible, when "teaching" that their parents are morally wrong or "bad" because parents beliefs are counter to what is being normalized at school. I do not want to dictate what schools teach my kids, I just want schools to reiterate to our children that parents have the biggest stake in their lives. And, no matter what, their parents and what their parents provide, encourage, and instill in kids are the biggest indicators of success - not replaceable by anything a school can, nor should, do for children. Parenting is hard enough these days without having to fight and counter what adults, who are not in any way (legally, financially, emotionally) responsible for our children, are "teaching."

https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/educations-enduring-love-affair-luxury-beliefs

You read a lot into a display that served to encourage students to read and put them on notice that there are people trying to censor what they can read.

It's not like the sign said "Stuff Your Own Parents Don't Want You to Read."

It just screams insecurity that a few Langley parents would make a big deal out of this to the point where the principal would feel a need to apologize. I bet she wishes she'd never left Marshall.

Bet it is more than "a few" parents and that many of you don't have kid or even live in fcps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine parents complaining about that at almost any other public FCPS high school.

I think we just have a handful of troublemaker parents who love to get national attention on these things. It’s not the first time they’ve overreacted.

+1

Brava! THIS!

I suspect a few parents have a direct line to producers at Fox and take advantage of the chance to stir the pot and fuel their national agenda. I feel sorry for our principal.

I feel sorry that the principal and superintendent don’t have spines.

They should have stood up against the bullies here. Be a role model to the kids.

I agree with that too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It wasn’t just the principal. The Region 1 superintendent (Doug Tyson) issued a separate apology as well. It’s just sad they feel the need to apologize for looking for creative ways to encourage kids to read.

There are many, many other ways to better encourage folks to read than this. C'mon - be better.

I literally don’t see any problem at all with the display. What are your issues with it, specifically?

Kids always get curious when they realize the parents don't want them to see something or do something. So, it seems the school played with kids "curiosity" to actually encourage them to read those books. Why encourage books that have sexual content? There are many more appropriate books that a school can encourage kids to read.

I am very disappointed with Langley that they played with kids psyche like that. I am not a parent there, but if I was, I would raise my voice. This is not a political issue, it is an educational scandal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is yet another way that schools are making it an us (parents) versus them (adults in schools) mentality. Perpetuating the notion our kids, while at school, are independent and unaccountable to their parents is troubling. Or, at the worst indefensible, when "teaching" that their parents are morally wrong or "bad" because parents beliefs are counter to what is being normalized at school. I do not want to dictate what schools teach my kids, I just want schools to reiterate to our children that parents have the biggest stake in their lives. And, no matter what, their parents and what their parents provide, encourage, and instill in kids are the biggest indicators of success - not replaceable by anything a school can, nor should, do for children. Parenting is hard enough these days without having to fight and counter what adults, who are not in any way (legally, financially, emotionally) responsible for our children, are "teaching."

https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/educations-enduring-love-affair-luxury-beliefs

You read a lot into a display that served to encourage students to read and put them on notice that there are people trying to censor what they can read.

It's not like the sign said "Stuff Your Own Parents Don't Want You to Read."

It just screams insecurity that a few Langley parents would make a big deal out of this to the point where the principal would feel a need to apologize. I bet she wishes she'd never left Marshall.

Bet it is more than "a few" parents and that many of you don't have kid or even live in fcps.

Most definitely this. Or even have kids at Langley. What the librarian did was a cheap stunt - and done when 8th graders were touring the school over the weekend. Nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It wasn’t just the principal. The Region 1 superintendent (Doug Tyson) issued a separate apology as well. It’s just sad they feel the need to apologize for looking for creative ways to encourage kids to read.

There are many, many other ways to better encourage folks to read than this. C'mon - be better.

I literally don’t see any problem at all with the display. What are your issues with it, specifically?

Kids always get curious when they realize the parents don't want them to see something or do something. So, it seems the school played with kids "curiosity" to actually encourage them to read those books. Why encourage books that have sexual content? There are many more appropriate books that a school can encourage kids to read.

I am very disappointed with Langley that they played with kids psyche like that. I am not a parent there, but if I was, I would raise my voice. This is not a political issue, it is an educational scandal.

I totally agree - but it was one librarian who did this. Not school sanctioned at all. And there are many parents who are upset about it, not just a “vocal few,” as these posters would have you believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It wasn’t just the principal. The Region 1 superintendent (Doug Tyson) issued a separate apology as well. It’s just sad they feel the need to apologize for looking for creative ways to encourage kids to read.

There are many, many other ways to better encourage folks to read than this. C'mon - be better.

I literally don’t see any problem at all with the display. What are your issues with it, specifically?

Kids always get curious when they realize the parents don't want them to see something or do something. So, it seems the school played with kids "curiosity" to actually encourage them to read those books . Why encourage books that have sexual content? There are many more appropriate books that a school can encourage kids to read.

I am very disappointed with Langley that they played with kids psyche like that. I am not a parent there, but if I was, I would raise my voice. This is not a political issue, it is an educational scandal.

OMG!! THE LIBRARIANS ENCOURAGED KIDS TO READ BOOKS AT THE LIBRARY!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is yet another way that schools are making it an us (parents) versus them (adults in schools) mentality. Perpetuating the notion our kids, while at school, are independent and unaccountable to their parents is troubling. Or, at the worst indefensible, when "teaching" that their parents are morally wrong or "bad" because parents beliefs are counter to what is being normalized at school. I do not want to dictate what schools teach my kids, I just want schools to reiterate to our children that parents have the biggest stake in their lives. And, no matter what, their parents and what their parents provide, encourage, and instill in kids are the biggest indicators of success - not replaceable by anything a school can, nor should, do for children. Parenting is hard enough these days without having to fight and counter what adults, who are not in any way (legally, financially, emotionally) responsible for our children, are "teaching."

https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/educations-enduring-love-affair-luxury-beliefs

You read a lot into a display that served to encourage students to read and put them on notice that there are people trying to censor what they can read.

It's not like the sign said "Stuff Your Own Parents Don't Want You to Read."

It just screams insecurity that a few Langley parents would make a big deal out of this to the point where the principal would feel a need to apologize. I bet she wishes she'd never left Marshall.

Bet it is more than "a few" parents and that many of you don't have kid or even live in fcps.

Most definitely this. Or even have kids at Langley. What the librarian did was a cheap stunt - and done when 8th graders were touring the school over the weekend. Nice.

I'm sure you're fine-tuning your resume to apply for a position there where you can exercise better judgment than the Langley librarians.

Or, more likely, you'll continue the same carping, second-guessing, and harassment.

[Anonymous]

Well, that's too bad. It was a clever idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is yet another way that schools are making it an us (parents) versus them (adults in schools) mentality. Perpetuating the notion our kids, while at school, are independent and unaccountable to their parents is troubling. Or, at the worst indefensible, when "teaching" that their parents are morally wrong or "bad" because parents beliefs are counter to what is being normalized at school. I do not want to dictate what schools teach my kids, I just want schools to reiterate to our children that parents have the biggest stake in their lives. And, no matter what, their parents and what their parents provide, encourage, and instill in kids are the biggest indicators of success - not replaceable by anything a school can, nor should, do for children. Parenting is hard enough these days without having to fight and counter what adults, who are not in any way (legally, financially, emotionally) responsible for our children, are "teaching."

https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/educations-enduring-love-affair-luxury-beliefs

What values are you trying to instill in your kids that conflict with them reading Maus?

Not the PP you’re quoting but give the reasons Maus was removed from school, I suppose I sorta am. https://m.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-696465/amp

So your big problem with Maus is that the son uses profanity to express his anger and grief over his mother committing suicide and his father burning his mother’s journals after her death? That kind of effort to control and suppress a kid’s emotions typically doesn’t work out very well.

Natalie Wexler did a nice, nuanced take on the Maus flap that everyone should read: https://nataliewexler.substack.com/p/whats-behind-the-flap-about-maus?r=33h4l

When I was in 8th grade the profanity and nudity in Maus would've really bothered me. I was a sheltered kid and I wanted to stay sheltered. There are lots of books I have read and loved as an adult that I'm glad I wasn't required to read in high school. It's sad to me that my upbringing is considered automatically wrong now. I might chose differently for my own kids when they hit MS and HS, because they are different kids than I was with different levels of sensitivity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It wasn’t just the principal. The Region 1 superintendent (Doug Tyson) issued a separate apology as well. It’s just sad they feel the need to apologize for looking for creative ways to encourage kids to read.

There are many, many other ways to better encourage folks to read than this. C'mon - be better.

+100
And I would wager not one of the crowing posters on this thread, including the OP, even have kids who attend Langley. The obsession is real.

We are zoned to Langley and wouldn't know about this but for several Langley parents complaining about it. I don't assume they speak for most.