Posted on 12/07/2006 1:21:41 PM PST by bondjamesbond
Sixth-graders at a Queens school were getting quite an education - in homosexuality, French kissing and cursing - thanks to three books widely available in classroom libraries.
But after numerous complaints from parents at Public School 150 in Sunnyside, the books - a profanity-laced poetry book, short stories about homosexuality and a novel called "First French Kiss" - were pulled from the shelves last week.
Several parents learned of the racy books after overhearing their kids snickering about the sexual themes.
The poem "I Hate School" in a book called "You Hear Me?" includes the rhyme, "F--- this s---, up the a--. I don't think I'll ever pass."
Another poem compares eating an orange to having sex, while several passages repeatedly use vulgar slang for genitalia. And the book "Am I Blue?" is an anthology of stories about gay teenagers that parents found too adult-themed for 11- and 12-year-olds.
Parent Gladys Martinez wrote a letter to her son's teacher after hearing him talk about "First French Kiss," which chronicles a teen's bumbling first makeout session in a closet.
"I mean, he shouldn't be sheltered from the world, but if he's going to learn that stuff, it shouldn't be at school," Martinez said.
Parent and leadership team member Michael Novak said the books, which are labeled "young adult" by the New York Public Library, are "material that is totally inappropriate for sixth-graders."
Principal Carmen Parache said she had not reviewed the books until she received complaints but said they were "definitely inappropriate." She said classroom materials would be more carefully screened in the future.
"As soon as I saw them, I pulled them and they are no longer in the school," she said. "This is something that shouldn't have happened and it will not happen again."
"You Hear Me?" was suggested for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders by the Columbia University Teachers College's Reading and Writing Project because it is the only anthology with poems written by minority teenagers, said Lucy Calkins, its founding director.
"It's a tricky balance to walk so we are putting books in their hands that they'll want to read," said Calkins, who had not seen the language in the book.
Ava Myint, 11, said she heard some boys in her class laughing and talking about the books.
"Maybe they're okay for some kids, but some of the boys are really immature, so maybe they shouldn't be allowed to read them," she said.
Needless to say, any parent who puts a child in public school deserves whatever they get. The children probably don't, though...
Race Politics trumps everything, as usual.
Gives you something to think about, doesn't it? Lol!
What's next having the poems of Tyrone Green in the classroom?
All alone on a summers night,
kill my landlord, kill my landlord.
Watch dog barking do he bite?
Kill my landlord, kill my landlord.
Slip in his window, break his neck,
Then his house I start to wreck,
Got no reason, what da heck?
Kill my landlord, kill my landlord.
C-I-L-L my landlord.
What's not to see?
They're juicy, good to eat, they satisfy an inner hunger, they have a navel, I mean, c'mon.
There's more connections there than a box of tinker toys.
Now common, be fair here. A lot of parents can't afford private school or homeschool.
TMI
Uh, Ms Principal, who did screen the books prior to being added to an elementary library? IMHO, that person should be charged with 'corruption of the morals of minors'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Library associations that give accolades to these types of books and librarians who put them in the school libraries are some of the most liberal people in America. I always wondered if you had to pass a "liberal" test to become a librarian!
Henry Miller is a much better read for sixth-graders.
Homeschooling is actually cheaper. We're paying about $1000 per kid in fees per year to send them to public school.
The librarians generally get to choose which books they have in the library - there are broad guidelines (there has to be a certain percentage of science, history, literature, etc.).
The presence of these titles can be blamed entirely on the librarian.
The principal operates on the assumption that the librarian is a licensed professional who takes his job seriously - that there is no need to examine every book the librarian purchases or keeps in the library.
"suggested for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders by the Columbia University Teachers College's Reading and Writing Project"
Hmmm, so the "experts" recommended these books. Why am I not surprised?
Books like this would have lasted all of 30 second in my grade-school library before they were defaced or thrown casually in the toilet--where they belong.
But still, if you've got two parents working, homeschool just isn't a practical option.
That depends on how you do it, of course!
You have to be too dumb to teach.
Bingo!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.