That's a pretty lousy excuse for a lesson, Davka. I stated that "Williams began her article by complaining that a book in which her name is mentioned, claimed (that) it (the book) was "banned" and then follows up with a mangled and false rendition." The book in which her name was mentioned was not "banned", it was disapproved for classroom use. It could still be stocked in the school library or carried around and read on campus by anyone.
If that is "banning" then every State and District textbook standards approval process is "banning."
I take it from your post that you agree that including To Kill a Mockingbird as required reading in a class curriculum is a bad, evil thing which needs to be stopped?
Why? As taught conventionally it is a presented as a wonderful part of American literature, and one that contains American (old liberal) ideals.
OK. First, what are we talking about here? Are we talking about material banned from the classroom or material not recommended for use in the classroom?
We are talking about seven books that were, due to the findings the State Education Superintendent (Huppenthal), then an administrative (and later district) judge, to have violated Arizona's Education law on what is, and is not, to be conveyed in its public secondary/elementary schools.
In response, Tuscon closed its Mexican American Studies Courses (their was more than one) and explicitly "banned" seven textbooks from classroom use. Two years later, they approved classroom use but only as supplementary material - as far as I know they did not restart the MAS department/program.
Did the teacher submit long term lesson plans that included the book that were reviewed and approved by the administration that included the book or did the teacher specifically receive disapproval for using the material by the administration?
Although it is generally done, it is not required. In this case, the MAS teachers taught whatever they wished, without any oversight or lesson plans.
If the administration let the teacher use a book not recommended for the classroom, but, not banned from the classroom the teacher may use the book in the classroom. Is that it. .... if you are taking the position of a pissed off parent in this case take your bitch up with the administration of the school or district.
Most of this discussion depends on participants not knowing school education processes IMHO.
I have no idea whose point you are replying to, certainly not mine. It has nothing to do with process. My point is that there were 'banned' for classroom use and so-called free speech advocates gave knee-jerk support to the protest against their 'banning' on the grounds of free speech.
My points were:
a) The pedagogical purposes of the disapproval were very appropriate because as used, the books did not contribute to the enculturation and civic goals of students - rather, they harmed such efforts.
b) High School Teachers do not have the free speech right to teach what they damn well please, nor to foster resentment and separatism among students.
c) Most of the books look to be rubbish.
Here are the choice ones:
Rodolfo Acuña, "Occupied America". The book describes the Southwest as "Occupied America" -- a false concept disparaging of those who do the "occupying".
Pedagogy of the Oppressed, by Paulo Freire. A Marxist dirge that has become a standard in education courses (readings from which were required in my UC education classes). Like most nonsensical post-modern influences in education, its not a book about traditional concepts of a liberal education (i.e. no John Dewey or Adler or Mann) but a tiresome tract damning capitalist oppressor hegemony of education. Using Brazil as his basis of analysis he imerses the reader in world of Marx, Mao, Castro, Sartre, etc. He advocates for an oppressed pedagogy.
Message to Aztlán: Selected Writings of Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzalez. The term "Aztlán" refers to the mythic homeland of the Nahua of Central Mexico. It's purpose is to claim ownership of SW America by the Chicano movement.
Critical Race Theory, by Richard Delgado - more Frankfort school, Marxist, post-modernist boobery.
The core issue is what should and how should high schools be taught social studies, history, and civics.
