Appleton school board rejects changes to reading curriculum. (Appleton Post-Crescent, 4/23/2012)
Excerpt: Rejecting a campaign by a group of parents unhappy with the choice of books for a high school class, the Appleton Area School District will not offer the option of an alternative ninth-grade Communication Arts course.
Appleton’s Board of Education voted against a request to provide an alternative curriculum for Communication Arts 1010 made by members of Valley School Watch, a parent group formed after an Appleton parent challenged the use of “The Body of Christopher Creed” in 2010 because of its references to suicide and sex.
“The educational material selection policy states that the parent has the right to judge whether certain materials are acceptable for his or her child,” board member Diane Barkmeier said in a presentation. “However, no individual or organization has the right to limit the students’ access to materials that are part of the district’s educational program.”
Nan Bunnow, AASD humanities director, said it was the district’s responsibility to make sure books used in the classroom reflect the “pluralistic society” students live in, and “foster respect for all groups of people.”
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