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Parents urge review of The Breadwinner and Fish Tank materials at Portage Board meeting
Summary
Two speakers told the board they oppose aspects of proposed instructional materials: Lindsay Zerber asked the board to re-evaluate The Breadwinner, saying graphic content could traumatize students; Bethany Metzger argued the Fish Tank curriculum is politically one-sided, moved content to inappropriate grade levels, and was not sufficiently vetted.
During public comment, two community members urged the board to re-examine instructional materials under consideration.
Lindsay Zerber introduced herself and asked the board to "thoughtfully evaluate" the novel The Breadwinner at an upcoming appeal, saying she had been told the book’s graphic parts provide context but that she was "not convinced" and used an analogy: "Is your love for ice cream so much that you are actually going to eat around the cockroach?" She argued children can grasp big ideas without exposure to graphic content and urged the board to give the book a close review.
Bethany Metzger identified herself and said she had deep concerns about adopting the Fish Tank curriculum. She quoted the district bylaw that requires board approval of textbooks and materials and argued the curriculum does not meet those standards, calling it "politically one-sided," inappropriate for some grade levels, and insufficiently vetted by staff given the brief interval between introduction and the proposed purchase. Metzger said Fish Tank is used by only a small number of schools nationally and asked the board to reconsider adoption for students’ well‑being.
The board acknowledged the comments; these matters were presented as requests for further evaluation and appeal processes rather than immediate board action at the meeting.
