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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a librarian. I support the book display, but I think a more tactful approach could have been taken. Something about banned books, about you may have seen these titles in the news, books to talk to your parents about, etc.

I think this librarian was snarky for the sake of being snarky. The profession is sadly full of people who think they always know best because they are on the right side of freedom and education. I think they usually are right but the delivery leaves a lot to be desired.

I'm also a librarian who posted earlier in this thread. I feel the same way. I do a display of banned books, but add more context. The purpose of a banned books display should be to show students that censorship exists and start a conversation. This display did not include the context needed to have that discussion. What I object to is how the school principal and region superintendent handled it (although as my husband pointed out to me, they have bigger fish to fry right now and probably just want this to go away). I also am angry that the news media elevated the voice of one "parent" who is indeed a parent, but not a parent at Langley (which was not mentioned in a single story I read).

I do not, however, think that the FCPS secondary librarians are on the whole snarky people who think they know best. I know that I certainly do not think I know best...I see my role as being an adult in the building who does not grade students and is there to support students in any way I can. I'm there to provide a safe and engaging space for students. For some students that means I'm a place with a comfy chair where they can escape friend drama in the cafeteria, for other students, that means I am a place where they can chat with an adult who cares, but is not a parent or teacher. For others, it is providing a book about something they have a question about or a book that they can escape into. I do not know best, and I don't know any librarians in FCPS who I would call "snarky" and "know it all."

I’m a former HS English teacher in APS and an FCPS parent. I have no problem whatsoever with this display. It is not snarky to say, “Stuff some adults don’t want you to read”. (I object only to the clunky, imprecise “stuff”.) It’s accurate and direct. HS students have very little time to bring students to the library. You have to grab their attention quickly. What kind of “context” could have been provided in a simple tabletop display of books that have been challenged or banned? Maybe a variety of news articles that are pro-censorship and anti-censorship about some of these proposed bans? I suppose. But seriously what HS student is going to take copies of those articles? The pint is not yo get them to read secondary sources and their opinions about book banning. Clearly, the point of this display is to encourage students to take a look at the books and see if they would like to read them to figure out why some adults don’t want teens to have access to them. I don’t see anything wrong with that at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a librarian. I support the book display, but I think a more tactful approach could have been taken. Something about banned books, about you may have seen these titles in the news, books to talk to your parents about, etc.

I think this librarian was snarky for the sake of being snarky. The profession is sadly full of people who think they always know best because they are on the right side of freedom and education. I think they usually are right but the delivery leaves a lot to be desired.

I'm also a librarian who posted earlier in this thread. I feel the same way. I do a display of banned books, but add more context. The purpose of a banned books display should be to show students that censorship exists and start a conversation. This display did not include the context needed to have that discussion. What I object to is how the school principal and region superintendent handled it (although as my husband pointed out to me, they have bigger fish to fry right now and probably just want this to go away). I also am angry that the news media elevated the voice of one "parent" who is indeed a parent, but not a parent at Langley (which was not mentioned in a single story I read).

I do not, however, think that the FCPS secondary librarians are on the whole snarky people who think they know best. I know that I certainly do not think I know best...I see my role as being an adult in the building who does not grade students and is there to support students in any way I can. I'm there to provide a safe and engaging space for students. For some students that means I'm a place with a comfy chair where they can escape friend drama in the cafeteria, for other students, that means I am a place where they can chat with an adult who cares, but is not a parent or teacher. For others, it is providing a book about something they have a question about or a book that they can escape into. I do not know best, and I don't know any librarians in FCPS who I would call "snarky" and "know it all."

I really appreciate the perspectives of teachers and librarians who are taking the time to weigh in on this discussion. Thank you for your opinions and thank you for your service.

The bolded encapsulates what also bothers me most about this incident. The principal and superintendent did not have the librarian's back and apologized excessively to placate this one parent or small group of parents when they could have handled it privately. Or they could have responded publicly in a less groveling fashion that acknowledged that the sign could have been read by some as being snarky while still not throwing the librarian under the bus. I saw news footage of the parent after the apology was issued, and she did not accept the apology graciously and questioned its sincerity. The parent is a political operative who stands to personally gain from getting her name and the name of her organization into the news. I wouldn't be surprised if she called the local and national press herself to alert them to this incident. The fact that a single parent or small group of parents can have so much power over public school officials is very troubling to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course it was at Langley. At any other high school in this region, parents would be applauding the librarian, but the rich white bored moms at Langley are outraged. Too many similarities to Loudon families.

I am a Langley parent and I don’t think most Langley parents care one way or the other about the sign. As my daughter said when I asked her what the sign said, “I don’t even go to the library so I don’t know what you are talking about.” LOL. I believe this issue came from a Cooper parent during a rising 9th grader parent meeting. I believe (but I’m not 100% sure) that this parent is the same one who took her kids to Fortestville Elementary on the Tuesday after Youngkin issued his mask Executive Order and demanded her kids go maskless, then filmed herself ranting about the injustice of it all when the school denied her request. Now she’s doing this with the book issue. I wonder what will come next?

She's using her kids as political pawns. Way to go, Mom.

And she's all over Twitter, so I guess we can name her here.

She is a public figure. At least she tries very hard to be.

Since her name was already mentioned in this thread and her name is everywhere online, I did a little digging. Apparently Carrie Lukas is not just a random Langley mom who just happened to be offended by a sign in a school library but an established extreme RW political hack.

https://www.iwv.org/people/carrie-l-lukas/

Take a peek at her books on Amazon.

Oh, and she's also an anti-masker who is suing the FC school board and Braband
https://www.iwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Lukas_vs_FCPS_February_2022.pdf

That explains the groveling apology letter from the Langley principal. They must be afraid of her.

Expect to see more of these militant RWNJ flexing their power at our local schools.
https://www.amazon.com/Carrie-L-Lukas/e/B001JPCCMY/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Wow. Such a disgusting bully. Five kids? She’s going to torment FCPS/Langley for a long, long time.

I'm loving it.

Right. Psychopaths unite.

They always do or it's herself writing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a librarian. I support the book display, but I think a more tactful approach could have been taken. Something about banned books, about you may have seen these titles in the news, books to talk to your parents about, etc.

I think this librarian was snarky for the sake of being snarky. The profession is sadly full of people who think they always know best because they are on the right side of freedom and education. I think they usually are right but the delivery leaves a lot to be desired.

I'm also a librarian who posted earlier in this thread. I feel the same way. I do a display of banned books, but add more context. The purpose of a banned books display should be to show students that censorship exists and start a conversation. This display did not include the context needed to have that discussion. What I object to is how the school principal and region superintendent handled it (although as my husband pointed out to me, they have bigger fish to fry right now and probably just want this to go away). I also am angry that the news media elevated the voice of one "parent" who is indeed a parent, but not a parent at Langley (which was not mentioned in a single story I read).

I do not, however, think that the FCPS secondary librarians are on the whole snarky people who think they know best. I know that I certainly do not think I know best...I see my role as being an adult in the building who does not grade students and is there to support students in any way I can. I'm there to provide a safe and engaging space for students. For some students that means I'm a place with a comfy chair where they can escape friend drama in the cafeteria, for other students, that means I am a place where they can chat with an adult who cares, but is not a parent or teacher. For others, it is providing a book about something they have a question about or a book that they can escape into. I do not know best, and I don't know any librarians in FCPS who I would call "snarky" and "know it all."

I’m a former HS English teacher in APS and an FCPS parent. I have no problem whatsoever with this display. It is not snarky to say, “Stuff some adults don’t want you to read”. (I object only to the clunky, imprecise “stuff”.) It’s accurate and direct. HS students have very little time to bring students to the library. You have to grab their attention quickly. What kind of “context” could have been provided in a simple tabletop display of books that have been challenged or banned? Maybe a variety of news articles that are pro-censorship and anti-censorship about some of these proposed bans? I suppose. But seriously what HS student is going to take copies of those articles? The pint is not yo get them to read secondary sources and their opinions about book banning. Clearly, the point of this display is to encourage students to take a look at the books and see if they would like to read them to figure out why some adults don’t want teens to have access to them. I don’t see anything wrong with that at all.

Amen! AND THEY ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is a parent without kids at Langley allowed to dictate what goes on at the school?

She sends her kids to schools in the Langley pyramid.

But her kids do not go to the school. They are not going into the Langley library. They will not see these books on display. They won't read the books.

Her kids will at some point be going to Langley - which is far more relevant than most of the idiot posters here, defending the librarian.

I’m the PP. My kid will be going to Langley next year. I wasn’t offended by the sign in the library. But her opinion trumps mine? Really? She’s a right wing political commentor who makes money off this type of controversy. And her voice is more important than mine? Why?

No one said her opinion trumps yours. But in the same vein - your opinion doesn't trump hers. She's fully within her rights to complain about the sign, which was a total stunt by the librarian. The books are available there - that's enough. They don't need to be shoved in the faces of students. And those of us who agree with that sentiment aren't going to be shouted down by people like you.
- CURRENT Langley parent

[Anonymous]

I see nothing wrong with the display. It’s 100% accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is a parent without kids at Langley allowed to dictate what goes on at the school?

She sends her kids to schools in the Langley pyramid.

But her kids do not go to the school. They are not going into the Langley library. They will not see these books on display. They won't read the books.

Her kids will at some point be going to Langley - which is far more relevant than most of the idiot posters here, defending the librarian.

I’m the PP. My kid will be going to Langley next year. I wasn’t offended by the sign in the library. But her opinion trumps mine? Really? She’s a right wing political commentor who makes money off this type of controversy. And her voice is more important than mine? Why?

No one said her opinion trumps yours. But in the same vein - your opinion doesn't trump hers. She's fully within her rights to complain about the sign, which was a total stunt by the librarian. The books are available there - that's enough. They don't need to be shoved in the faces of students. And those of us who agree with that sentiment aren't going to be shouted down by people like you.
- CURRENT Langley parent

How was it a stunt by the librarian? The sign is accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is a parent without kids at Langley allowed to dictate what goes on at the school?

She sends her kids to schools in the Langley pyramid.

But her kids do not go to the school. They are not going into the Langley library. They will not see these books on display. They won't read the books.

Her kids will at some point be going to Langley - which is far more relevant than most of the idiot posters here, defending the librarian.

I’m the PP. My kid will be going to Langley next year. I wasn’t offended by the sign in the library. But her opinion trumps mine? Really? She’s a right wing political commentor who makes money off this type of controversy. And her voice is more important than mine? Why?

No one said her opinion trumps yours. But in the same vein - your opinion doesn't trump hers. She's fully within her rights to complain about the sign, which was a total stunt by the librarian. The books are available there - that's enough. They don't need to be shoved in the faces of students. And those of us who agree with that sentiment aren't going to be shouted down by people like you.
- CURRENT Langley parent

And we are not going to be shouted down by you. See how it goes? Perhaps you should tell your kid that the library is out of bounds for them until they leave high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is a parent without kids at Langley allowed to dictate what goes on at the school?

She sends her kids to schools in the Langley pyramid.

But her kids do not go to the school. They are not going into the Langley library. They will not see these books on display. They won't read the books.

Her kids will at some point be going to Langley - which is far more relevant than most of the idiot posters here, defending the librarian.

I’m the PP. My kid will be going to Langley next year. I wasn’t offended by the sign in the library. But her opinion trumps mine? Really? She’s a right wing political commentor who makes money off this type of controversy. And her voice is more important than mine? Why?

No one said her opinion trumps yours. But in the same vein - your opinion doesn't trump hers. She's fully within her rights to complain about the sign, which was a total stunt by the librarian. The books are available there - that's enough. They don't need to be shoved in the faces of students. And those of us who agree with that sentiment aren't going to be shouted down by people like you.
- CURRENT Langley parent

And we are not going to be shouted down by you. See how it goes? Perhaps you should tell your kid that the library is out of bounds for them until they leave high school.

So the books you deem inappropriate for your child to read can be in the library but must be hidden? The point of a book display is to highlight books in the collection. The displays rotate on a very regular basis. Getting busy high school kids to check out books for pleasure isnt exactly an easy feat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Her kids are going to disown her when they’re older. Karma.

Meh. I think it's more likely that kids whose parents push graphically sexual crap like this on them are going to be in need of therapy when they're older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course it was at Langley. At any other high school in this region, parents would be applauding the librarian, but the rich white bored moms at Langley are outraged. Too many similarities to Loudon families.

I am a Langley parent and I don’t think most Langley parents care one way or the other about the sign. As my daughter said when I asked her what the sign said, “I don’t even go to the library so I don’t know what you are talking about.” LOL. I believe this issue came from a Cooper parent during a rising 9th grader parent meeting. I believe (but I’m not 100% sure) that this parent is the same one who took her kids to Fortestville Elementary on the Tuesday after Youngkin issued his mask Executive Order and demanded her kids go maskless, then filmed herself ranting about the injustice of it all when the school denied her request. Now she’s doing this with the book issue. I wonder what will come next?

She's using her kids as political pawns. Way to go, Mom.

And she's all over Twitter, so I guess we can name her here.

She is a public figure. At least she tries very hard to be.

Since her name was already mentioned in this thread and her name is everywhere online, I did a little digging. Apparently Carrie Lukas is not just a random Langley mom who just happened to be offended by a sign in a school library but an established extreme RW political hack.

https://www.iwv.org/people/carrie-l-lukas/

Take a peek at her books on Amazon.

Oh, and she's also an anti-masker who is suing the FC school board and Braband
https://www.iwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Lukas_vs_FCPS_February_2022.pdf

That explains the groveling apology letter from the Langley principal. They must be afraid of her.

Expect to see more of these militant RWNJ flexing their power at our local schools.
https://www.amazon.com/Carrie-L-Lukas/e/B001JPCCMY/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Wow. Such a disgusting bully. Five kids? She’s going to torment FCPS/Langley for a long, long time.

I'm loving it.

Right. Psychopaths unite.

DP. The only psychopaths I'm seeing are those who actually think the graphic dialogue and pictures in these books are appropriate for kids.

[Anonymous]

^^ +1 crazy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is a parent without kids at Langley allowed to dictate what goes on at the school?

She sends her kids to schools in the Langley pyramid.

But her kids do not go to the school. They are not going into the Langley library. They will not see these books on display. They won't read the books.

Her kids will at some point be going to Langley - which is far more relevant than most of the idiot posters here, defending the librarian.

I’m the PP. My kid will be going to Langley next year. I wasn’t offended by the sign in the library. But her opinion trumps mine? Really? She’s a right wing political commentor who makes money off this type of controversy. And her voice is more important than mine? Why?

No one said her opinion trumps yours. But in the same vein - your opinion doesn't trump hers. She's fully within her rights to complain about the sign, which was a total stunt by the librarian. The books are available there - that's enough. They don't need to be shoved in the faces of students. And those of us who agree with that sentiment aren't going to be shouted down by people like you.
- CURRENT Langley parent

How was it a stunt by the librarian? The sign is accurate.

Your deliberately obtuse act fools no one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing in the first 26 pages of this discussion has given me reason to believe the outrage over this display is not, at its core, that certain parents do not want their kids to be exposed to ideas that might undermine messaging from their parents that being gay is wrong, blacks people are just a little bit lesser than white people, and the holocaust wasn’t really so bad. Maybe that will change in the next 26 pages, but I doubt it.

The fact that I don't want public school libraries actively promoting books that contain graphic sexual acts to freshmen doesn't make me a bigot. And FWIW I think anyone who wants to ban Maus is a loon.

And before someone starts in about the internet, my child doesn't have a smartphone and doesn't have unrestricted, unmonitored access to the internet at home. My parents let me have unrestricted internet access starting in middle school when my school gave me a laptop and I've learned from their mistake.

What do you think will happen to your child if they see a copy of Gender Queer sitting in a library display? What, specifically, is your fear?

That kids will be exposed to unhealthy ideas about sexuality and be more tempted to engage in sexual activity before they are ready.

So, clearly you have not read the book. Not have 99.999% of the screeching harpies objecting to it, because that scene is about NOT having sex. About negotiating consent with your partner. About how it can be awkward and weird to back out of something you have fantasized about that turned uncomfortable and you realized you didn’t want…but if you are with a loving, safe person you can be accepted and loved.

If you showed those pictures around your office, you would be reprimanded of fired.

The same standards of work appropriate should apply to a public school setting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing in the first 26 pages of this discussion has given me reason to believe the outrage over this display is not, at its core, that certain parents do not want their kids to be exposed to ideas that might undermine messaging from their parents that being gay is wrong, blacks people are just a little bit lesser than white people, and the holocaust wasn’t really so bad. Maybe that will change in the next 26 pages, but I doubt it.

The fact that I don't want public school libraries actively promoting books that contain graphic sexual acts to freshmen doesn't make me a bigot. And FWIW I think anyone who wants to ban Maus is a loon.

And before someone starts in about the internet, my child doesn't have a smartphone and doesn't have unrestricted, unmonitored access to the internet at home. My parents let me have unrestricted internet access starting in middle school when my school gave me a laptop and I've learned from their mistake.

What do you think will happen to your child if they see a copy of Gender Queer sitting in a library display? What, specifically, is your fear?

That kids will be exposed to unhealthy ideas about sexuality and be more tempted to engage in sexual activity before they are ready.

So, clearly you have not read the book. Not have 99.999% of the screeching harpies objecting to it, because that scene is about NOT having sex. About negotiating consent with your partner. About how it can be awkward and weird to back out of something you have fantasized about that turned uncomfortable and you realized you didn’t want…but if you are with a loving, safe person you can be accepted and loved.

If you showed those pictures around your office, you would be reprimanded of fired.

The same standards of work appropriate should apply to a public school setting.

Exactly this. Notice how the SB tried to silence the mom reading the explicit excerpts? And those excerpts are apparently too graphic to be posted here - might get deleted! Pretty funny though, how they're "perfectly appropriate" for a school library. The hypocrisy is really astounding.