June 13 Elmhurst BOE Agenda: Diverse Books are at Stake
Your actions are needed to ensure respect for teachers, inclusion of diverse books, and sound policies that keep us eligible for government funds.
York 9th grade English teachers are asking the board to approve the inclusion of excerpts from “American Street” and “House on Mango Street” in assigned readings. This is an agenda item for the Tuesday, June 13 meeting. “American Street” was approved as a choice text in 2019 and “House on Mango Street” was approved as a supplemental text in 2012. Your participation at the meeting is needed. The location is 162 S. York St. Doors open at 6:30 PM and you would sign up for public comment before the meeting starts at 7:00 PM. If you cannot attend, please email the board at boardofeducation@elmhurst205.org.
Here is what my own message will be. I encourage everybody to reflect and determine their own important points. If you have questions, definitely ask me!
First point: Let’s trust teachers’ expertise. They are trained professionals. How are we supposed to attract and retain talented educators in D205 if we don’t demonstrate that their professional expertise will be respected? When the district has a well-established policy for parents or guardians wishing to exempt their children from particular instruction, there is no excuse for elevating the voices of public ed disruptors—who may not even have students in the class, who probably didn’t even read the book—above the wisdom of teachers. Student outcomes depend on teacher wellbeing. Teachers deserve a district that shields them from comments like those you see pictured below. These were submitted by objectors to “American Street.”
Second point: The board has an obligation to be discerning. Concerns about age appropriateness are often a cover for ultra-conservative viewpoints. “Catcher in the Rye” is required reading at York. That book is definitely uncomfortable. Mr. Antolini touches Holden after gaining his trust. James Castle commits suicide because of bullying. Stradlater is a rapist. Holden uses slurs. I could go on. Do I want “Catcher in the Rye” pulled from York required reading? Certainly not! I was assigned “Catcher” in eighth grade and our teacher read many sections out loud to us. It deserves its status as a classic.
But when the content of women, people of color, and queer folks faces age appropriateness concerns while that of straight white male creators does not, we need to call it what it is. Discrimination. The Department of Education recently found that a Georgia school district may have created a hostile environment for students by banning LGBTQ books. What are kids in Elmhurst supposed to conclude when Holden’s uncomfortable story gets fully told, but the stories of Fabiola and Esperanza are scrutinized and partially redacted?
Third point: The board should improve its Instructional Materials Selection and Adoption Policy. The American Library Association has “Guidelines for Reconsideration Committees.” Having good policies will help keep D205 eligible for state grants under Illinois House Bill 2789. The current D205 process solicits negative comments for proposed materials, but doesn’t make it explicitly clear that parents who support diverse books and teachers’ expertise also need to take time to submit positive comments. Why is the latter even necessary? The default should be trusting teachers. On April 4 voters sent the district a crystal clear mandate for respecting teachers’ expertise and avoiding book banning. Further, the ALA guidelines include many elements that the current process in D205 misses, including but not limited to:
Read all materials referred to you including the full text of the material in question and read available reviews.
Passages or parts should not be pulled out of context. The values and faults should be weighed against each other and the opinions based on the materials as a whole.
Please join me in contacting the board, either via public comment at the June 13 meeting or email. Forward this call to action to all of your Elmhurst friends and neighbors. People are not checking school news or social media during the summer, and I’m asking for your help spreading the word. Book bans are unpopular, but we can only prevent them if many people take action.