The whole topic of censorship is clearly important for all teachers. When deciding what type of lesson plans to create for a semester or year an English teacher must figure out what texts they would like to use. This is never an easy decision, but now it may prove to be even more difficult for teachers in Kansas. The House is proposing a bill that is meant to target the use of obscene material in schools. The problem with the way they are aiming at these types of materials is the way the House is going about it. The article states:
The House Federal and State Affairs Committee has recommended approval of House Bill 2200, which would limit a legal protection for elementary and secondary teachers from laws governing obscene materials. College and university instructors and professors would retain the protection.
The logic here is that by taking away the protection from the teachers it will force them to make sure they pick materials that will not be challenged, in order to save their own jobs. A teacher will have to legal backing if he or she decides she will pick a book that would cause students to opt-out or parents to create an uproar. Not many teachers are going to be willing to stick their jobs on the line because they chose to teach a book surrounded by controversy when they could chose another that may teach similar lessons. Many teachers do believe that by limiting the protection for teachers, students may end up missing out on good literature. Lori Stussie, an English teacher from Lawerence said,
“We do our kids a disservice when we start censoring books that have been read for years.”
The State Board of Education Chairman Bill Wagnon is in opposition of the bill. He states different reasons for his feelings.
“Local school districts — not the Legislature — should handle any conflict about literature. We need to protect the classroom from those kind of intrusions.”
I do agree with this statement. There should not be laws made for or against this issue. It is not the job of people sitting in a room full of other representatives to decide or make any laws that could prohibit what teachers are teaching in the classroom. They are not in the classrooms and they do not know the children. They do not understand the system, or even what needs the students have as far as educational or moral development. There are certain issues that students have to encounter to prepare themselves for post-high school life. Books and class discussion are a great way to accomplish this task.
On the other side of the coin, there are those that support this action by the government. Obviously there are goverment officials who do because they proposed the bill.
“The practical effect of this defense is that materials that would be illegal if sold at a porn shop may be legal if displayed to a kindergarten class,” said Rep. Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe, who sought the legislation.
This may be true, but is it practical that a situation as extreme as this would ever occur? Any teacher who would teach material that Mr. Kinzer is referring to would not have a job in any school system. Another proponent of the bill is a parent group titled the Citizens for Literary Standards in Schools whom have been pushing for some sort of legal action as to what can be taught in schools. Interestingly enough, one of the books they want banned is “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” one in which we just covered. The article points out that many of the books they are trying to ban were written by minority authors. This would be another topic that would solicit some concern. Stussie discusses this problem saying,
“Such books were important in giving nonminorities a “broad spectrum of cultural perspectives,” and that her classes incorporated some of the books that often draw complaints.”
These books can be important for these exact reasons. Now, will every teacher reform and change what they are teaching just to be safe? I do not think that this will happen. Some will, but many are going to take a stand and take the chance. I also think that it will depends on how much backing the teachers feel they will get from the administration and the school board if a problem arises. I do think that there are some books that may be too extreme for the classroom, but that is not up for men in the capital city to decide. It must be done more at the local level because one shoe does not fit all. I think that most teachers are reasonable and not giving them protection is just another cut at their position in society. Teachers are an important aspect of the next generation, and they deserve more respect than they get from the American society. I think that minimizing government support of teachers in any way or area is not a good example and teachers deserve more.
“Bill Could Put Limits on Book Choices”
J-W Staff and Wire Reports
February 27th, 2007
