When parents objecting to a book go straight to the principal or superintendent, resolving the challenge to everyone’s satisfaction may be a lost cause, experts say.
That’s why, experts say, administrators should re-route such complaints to the classroom teachers who have the clearest perspectiveand the expertiseon why they assigned a specific book, saysMark Letcher, an assistant professor in the English Studies Department at Lewis University in Illinois.
“No teachers make choices on the fly about what books to includeit very often is a long process of rationalizing why a particular book is right for this class at this moment in time,” says Lechter, who is also a member of the National Council of Teachers of English’s. “And I don’t know any teachers who are not willing to openly share that rationale with any parents who have questions or concerns.”
A teacher’s rationale should be part of a broader and well-publicized district policy that covers not only how books are selected but how educators will respond to challenges. This should include how each book aligns with standards, will engage young readers, and its relevance to the students and their community, saysAnn D. David, an associate professor at the Dreeben School of Education at the University of the Incarnate Word in Texas and another member of the censorship committee.
One reason teachers might pick a particular book is that it accomplishes something no other book does, such as providing a mirror in which students can see themselves and their identity validated. “Often when we look at the books that are being targeted, they feature LGBTQ characters or hard conversations about race,” David says. “When those books are the focus of bans and challenges and censorships, it sends the message to children for whom that’s part of their identity that they also don’t belong.”
Following your policy can prevent an angry parent or two from having undue influence. “Instead of reacting to appease a loud parent, educators can engage in a more collaborative discussion so one loud parent doesn’t get to censor the reading list for the entire school or entire district,” says Katharine Covino-Poutasse, an associate professor in the Department of English Studies at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts.
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The policy can also clearly identify alternate books that teachers can assign if a parent objects to a particular title,saysAnnamary Consalvo, the censorship committee’s chairman and an associate professor of literacy at the University of Texas at Tyler.
But problems can arise if districts deviate from their policies when books are challenged, and administrators react by pulling a book immediately over a single complaint. “Then what happens is red-flagging of books, which is basically back-door removal of books and that can lead to direct censorship,”Consalvo says. “It’s important for the process to be very predictable and reliable and as fair as possible so administrators are not acting out of fear.”
Ultimately, a clear policy allows teachers and administrators to set a very high bar for removing a book. This, in turn, can eliminate the chilling effect the removal of a book will have on other teachers, David says. “When district administrators show that have teachers’ backs when they make informed educational decisions, teachers feel empowered to make right the decisions for the kids in their class,” she says. “This is essential for the widest variety of books making it into kids’ hands.”
