Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I and many other parents will not budge from the position that it is not the role of public schools to discuss sexuality with my kids. That is a parent’s job. Full stop. End.

As a separate issue, this creates risk. In high school I had a teacher discuss dating and relations with me, basically he was interested. Thank god my parents got involved. He dated a barely out of high school friend of mine later.

So we need to remove health classes from middle school, too?

There is a difference between discussing things in Health class (which families can opt out of) and forcing kids to read and identify their sexuality for English class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I and many other parents will not budge from the position that it is not the role of public schools to discuss sexuality with my kids. That is a parent’s job. Full stop. End.

As a separate issue, this creates risk. In high school I had a teacher discuss dating and relations with me, basically he was interested. Thank god my parents got involved. He dated a barely out of high school friend of mine later.

So we need to remove health classes from middle school, too?

Exactly. Rising 6th graders in MCPS have already had the sexual health classes - this was done in the spring of last year when they were in 5th. Unless OP opted her kid out of those classes, I think we have some veiled bigotry going on.

Anonymous wrote:Gender identity does not equal sexuality. Period.

The book is also about choosing good friendships and bullying.

But... But... You're ruining the cultural warriors' best efforts! You're such a bully.

Gender identity does not equal sexuality. Period.

The book is also about choosing good friendships and bullying.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do think MCPS has gone very deep into many social justice/political topics in their choice of reading materials. As a contrast, I looked up the summer reading for incoming 6th graders in our old Brooklyn neighborhood. Much more innocuous than the mcps selections.

They don't even have to be innocuous. How about good books? These books are being assigned precisely because of their subject matter, not because they're well written or worth reading.

When i think of all the actual **literature** I read by the time I had graduated from MCPS, it just makes me want to cry. These assignments are a joke.

Rick got positive reviews from kirkus, school library journal and publishers weekly.

Meaningless. Those are all incredibly liberal-leaning organizations. And not all of their recommendations are solid.

As opposed to the anonymous rants of DCUM posters, all of which are deeply meaningful and solid.

A book about identity is not pushing a political agenda. Just an FYI - all books are vetted and must be approved before being assigned to children. This is not one person out there going rogue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do think MCPS has gone very deep into many social justice/political topics in their choice of reading materials. As a contrast, I looked up the summer reading for incoming 6th graders in our old Brooklyn neighborhood. Much more innocuous than the mcps selections.

They don't even have to be innocuous. How about good books? These books are being assigned precisely because of their subject matter, not because they're well written or worth reading.

When i think of all the actual **literature** I read by the time I had graduated from MCPS, it just makes me want to cry. These assignments are a joke.

Rick got positive reviews from kirkus, school library journal and publishers weekly.

Meaningless. Those are all incredibly liberal-leaning organizations. And not all of their recommendations are solid.

Common Sense Media, says "Stands out for positive messages and positive role models" for ages 9+ and a 5 star review.

Are they "incredibly liberal-leaning"?

I suspect everyone who does not fall in line with pp’s thinking is “incredibly liberal-leaning.”

Anonymous wrote:Let’s add the Bible as in Literature summer reading and see how quickly some of you pushing the Rick agenda freak out.

I read portions of the Bible as part of social studies classes in middle and high school when we learned about different world religions. I remember writing a paper on the different stories of creationism in different religious traditions. I have no issue including that in a school curriculum, just like I have no problem with this book

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I and many other parents will not budge from the position that it is not the role of public schools to discuss sexuality with my kids. That is a parent’s job. Full stop. End.

As a separate issue, this creates risk. In high school I had a teacher discuss dating and relations with me, basically he was interested. Thank god my parents got involved. He dated a barely out of high school friend of mine later.

So we need to remove health classes from middle school, too?

Can’t families opt of parts of it?

Anonymous wrote:I and many other parents will not budge from the position that it is not the role of public schools to discuss sexuality with my kids. That is a parent’s job. Full stop. End.

As a separate issue, this creates risk. In high school I had a teacher discuss dating and relations with me, basically he was interested. Thank god my parents got involved. He dated a barely out of high school friend of mine later.

So we need to remove health classes from middle school, too?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do think MCPS has gone very deep into many social justice/political topics in their choice of reading materials. As a contrast, I looked up the summer reading for incoming 6th graders in our old Brooklyn neighborhood. Much more innocuous than the mcps selections.

They don't even have to be innocuous. How about good books? These books are being assigned precisely because of their subject matter, not because they're well written or worth reading.

When i think of all the actual **literature** I read by the time I had graduated from MCPS, it just makes me want to cry. These assignments are a joke.

Rick got positive reviews from kirkus, school library journal and publishers weekly.

Meaningless. Those are all incredibly liberal-leaning organizations. And not all of their recommendations are solid.

Common Sense Media, says "Stands out for positive messages and positive role models" for ages 9+ and a 5 star review.

Are they "incredibly liberal-leaning"?

Anonymous wrote:Let’s add the Bible as in Literature summer reading and see how quickly some of you pushing the Rick agenda freak out.

I don't think Rick is an issue but frankly I would love to see the Bible (and The Vedas and The Kojiki and heck The Book of Shadows) as part of summer reading.

Although... I hate to tell you this, but the Bible also discusses sex and relationships and marriage, some of it involving people we would consider children or middle schoolers today and some of it which is not the monogamous relationship between one man and one woman. It also can be interpreted to teach that faith is more important than any earthly relationship, which presumably includes the relationship a child has with their parents.

Anonymous wrote:Let’s add the Bible as in Literature summer reading and see how quickly some of you pushing the Rick agenda freak out.

“There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.” – Ezekiel 23:20

That'd be fun!

Anonymous wrote:Let’s add the Bible as in Literature summer reading and see how quickly some of you pushing the Rick agenda freak out.

Some of us pushing the "agenda" of having kids read books that acknowledge that sexual orientations exist are also Christian. I have my kid read both books like Rick and the Bible, regularly.

So, on one hand I think this book is perfectly appropriate, and having read over the lesson plan I would be perfectly happy for my rising 6th grader to engage with those questions.

On the other hand, I think a better approach would have been to offer a selection of books and adapt the prompts just a little bit so they are more broadly about fitting in, identity, and inclusiveness rather than drilling down to having kids examine their own gender identity in writing, for teachers they don't know.

Basically, while I'm loathe to cede territory to the reactionary cohort, this seems custom-designed to elicit controversy right down to the rainbow slideshow and the request that kids name their gender identity.

The same goal could have been achieved by offering a list of 4/5 books, all about the same topics of fitting in and middle school friendships.