There are many educators who believe that when parents question something being taught in the classroom, it's meddling. When parents ask to have something removed...it's censorship! But, is it? To hear certain groups tell it, you'd conclude that Hitler is alive and well and lurking in the wings of Hooterville High School.
Definitions
The word "censorship" as it applies, or is misapplied, to school issues seems hard to define. The dictionary defines a censor as, "one authorized to examine material, as literature or plays, and remove or suppress anything considered objectionable." If that definition were applied to a school district, every school board member, administrator, and educator would be a censor. They are all authorized to examine material and suppress (by not choosing) all kinds of books and programs to which students could be exposed.
Even the pros struggle with applying censorship to classroom situations. Edward B. Jenkinson who served as the chairman of the National Council of Teachers of English's Committee Against Censorship takes a stab at clarifying the issue for us in his book Censors In The Classroom: The Mind Benders. He not only falls short in his attempt, he admits defeat in the introduction of the book:
"I, too, am a censor. I do not permit my daughter to watch certain television shows because they are filled with crime and violence. I do not want her to read certain literary works because I believe that she is not yet ready for them. As a parent, I feel that I have a moral obligation to be concerned about what my child sees and reads." (p.xvi)
Recognizing that his book would be pretty short if he left it at that, Mr. Jenkinson goes on:
"On the other hand, I know I do not have the right to impose my standards on the other children in her class or in the nation. I must live with the constant uncertainty that by denying her the right to read or see anything, I may be seriously limiting her education. I do not know exactly what is best for my child — I can only try to provide what I think is right. But the public censor apparently knows what is best for all children."
Now, I'm not picking on Mr. Jenkinson, but after all, he did write the book. The whole problem of censorship in the classroom is a clash between private and public censorship.
When Mr. Jenkinson sends his daughter to the public school, he must decide whether or not his "moral obligation" extends into the classroom. If it is truly an obligation, he must inject himself into that classroom. Otherwise he, or any other parent, must alter his sense of moral obligation by stating, "I feel that I have a moral obligation to be concerned about what my child sees and reads...except in school; then, anything is acceptable." Not much of an obligation, is it?
The question of "moral obligation" also goes on in the mind of the teacher. She is the "imposer" of values ranging from conduct, hygiene, speech, academics, and, yes, what is valuable for children to read. And, yet, she is only one person, just like a parent. When a parent questions the validity of a book in school, we call it a censorship challenge. But when the teacher does it, we call it part of the job. Maybe censorship is part of the job!
So, What is Censorship?
Reason causes me to conclude that to be an educator is to be a censor. The word "censor" has become a bad word. It is used today to emotionalize a situation. It never clarifies an issue. It is only used to paint one group of people as the "bad guys." There is nothing wrong with the word. The problem is with what we now think of when we hear the word. When I say, to be an educator is to be a censor, I mean that the very process of education chooses one thing over another, sometimes for logical reasons and more often because of personal biases.
To be fair, schools cannot have it both ways. Educators shouldn't describe what a parent wants to do in seeking to remove a book as censorship and describe what schools do every day as selection.
The only suitable definition of a censor is the one found in the dictionary: "one authorized to examine material, as literature or plays, and remove or suppress anything considered objectionable." Some dictionaries refer to suppressing things for the "public good." The very act of teaching is the act of promoting that which is good and ignoring that which is objectionable.
Determining what is good and what is objectionable is where the conflict arises. Public education by its very design cannot avoid these conflicts. If it could, it would neither be public nor education.
Four Book Selection Guidelines You Can Suggest to Teachers
1. Does it violate your school's handbook on profanity? If a student can't say it in the halls, why does he have to read it in the classroom? Look, in the real world lots of people use foul language, but if we don't like it we can walk away. In a compulsory education system with an assigned reading a student is forced to read it. Why do that? Even if the book is just on a reading list, you have to ask yourself, "With 50,000 books published every year, is this the best stuff we can recommend?"
2. Would the teacher read the book out loud in public? If the book has a sexually explicit or gratuitously violent passage that seems so relevant to student angst or sexual tension, would the teacher be willing to read it at the next school board meeting or PTA? Could he give it to a school board member and ask her to read it out loud? If he thinks it might be embarrassing, maybe he needs to think twice about letting minors read it. Another thought: Is the teacher assuming students are more mature than they really are? They seem sophisticated in the way they talk and dress, but they may not be emotionally ready for a certain book's content.
3. Does the book represent the most noble and most inspiring literature students can read? They'll probably spend most of their lives reading uninspiring stuff (if they read much at all). Now's the chance to lift their sights a little higher.
4. Is the book the only one that will teach to the objective? Can the teacher satisfactorily defend why he chose the book and rejected (censored) any other possibilities? Can he reach his objective with another book and, thus, satisfactorily address parents' concerns?
© Eric Buehrer
Multiculturalism In The Classroom
What to look for and how to talk to your child about it
Two prominent views dominate the hotly debated subject of multiculturalism. One rapidly emerging view is that the defining factor for each American is his or her ethnicity. Racial origin becomes paramount in understanding who an individual is and how he or she should live. Schools emphasizing this view highlight and celebrate preservation of past ethnic and cultural distinctions (generally at the expense of teaching students about the wider American culture).
On the other hand, there are those educators who see ethnicity as an enriching ingredient within the uniqueness of American culture, not separate from it. These educators see the American experience as formed by immigrants who cast off significant ties to their old cultures and contribute to the formation of a national identity with a common core of shared ideals. These teachers emphasize commonality of values based on Western civilization, rather than division of values based on cultural ancestry.
What to look for in your student's class that should cause concern:
Watch carefully to see if students are taught what it means to be an American and to appreciate our heritage.
Does the school seem to teach more about Americans' differences than it teaches about their similarities?
Does it seem that the teacher teaches about other countries of the world without teaching about the uniqueness and value of America?
Is Western civilization taught only as exploitative (for example: Columbus plundered and brought disease, Europe colonized Africa and Asia, Spain terrorized South American native cultures, etc.)?
How to talk to your child if you are concerned about multiculturalism at school:
Talk to your student about the beliefs that can bind Americans together. While there are people who put a divisive perspective on everything, it is important that we talk to students about the beliefs that the vast majority of Americans agree help build community. These include such values as our form of government, free enterprise, capitalism, compassion, justice, freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility. We can disagree on how to best pursue those values, but having common values is necessary for building, rather than fragmenting a nation.
Discuss issues of race and cultural diversity in American culture. During family devotions, incorporate lessons on racial equality and respect. These could include the fact that God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34) and that in His eyes there is neither "Jew nor Greek, slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female" (Gal. 3:28).
© Eric Buehrer
Addressing the Spiritual Hole in Whole Child Education
The Bible in State Academic Standards
There is a common misconception that teaching about the Bible and Christianity is not allowed in public school classrooms because of concerns over the establishment of religion. As The Bible in State Academic Standards shows, quite to the contrary, state academic standards across the nation provide ample opportunity for educators to teach about the Bible, Christian beliefs, and Christians who were influential in history. For example, California sixth graders are expected to:
“Note the origins of Christianity in the Jewish Messianic prophecies, the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament, and the contribution of St. Paul the Apostle to the definition and spread of Christian beliefs (e.g., belief in the Trinity, resurrection, salvation).” (Standard 6.7.6, adopted in 1998 and reaffirmed in 2005)
We have reviewed every states academic standards. In our Summaries we include:
State academic standards related to the Bible and Christianity
The preambles to state constitutions that reference God because most states have an expectation that students will learn about their constitutions
State laws regarding freedom of religious expression
We will mail you a Summary of your State Academic Standards if you fill out the form below.
Family Devotions / Sunday School Easter Lesson Plan
Looking for a way to impact your church and your schools? We've created an Easter Devotional that can be used as a Sunday School Lesson or a Family Devotional. It also provides how you can share the story of Easter with your school!
Introduction
Read aloud: Did you know that Jesus loves it when children praise him? Today we are going to read a story in the Bible about when children were saying good things about Jesus. Some adults tried to stop them, but Jesus didn’t. In fact, Jesus said this is the kind of thing that he likes to hear.
Question: Easter is coming soon; what do we celebrate at Easter? [Solicit answers]
Read aloud: Well, let’s read the story of when Jesus was coming to Jerusalem just before he was going to die on the cross and rise from the dead.
To continue reading, Click here to download a free Family Devotions handout that will help teach your child about the death and resurrection of Jesus and how this major historical event has influenced literature, art, and music as well as social movements from the abolition of slavery to the civil rights action of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
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For articles on teaching Easter in a public school click here.
To read about our Easter Card for public school teachers click here.
To download our public school Easter Lesson click here.