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Parents press Middleborough School Committee for clearer notification and a book policy after contested classroom readings
Summary
Parents urged the Middleborough School Committee to adopt clearer notification, opt‑out options and formal review of classroom literature after several speakers said teachers read books addressing gender identity without prior parent notice; the district said it will issue interim guidance and move its ELA review earlier to solicit community input.
Public comment at the Middleborough School Committee’s Jan. 9 meeting centered on classroom reading materials after multiple parents said teachers read or showed picture books about gender identity to elementary students without prior notification.
Parents and community members described classroom incidents and asked the committee to create a formal policy requiring advance family notification, a practical opt‑out mechanism and oversight of teacher solicitations for classroom donations. "This is about a repeated pattern of the teacher intending to act as an influencer to teach her personal ideologies to students without parental knowledge," one parent said during public comment, pressing the committee for action. Another parent read an email from a teacher who wrote, “many students had questions, comments, connections and thoughts” after reading a book about a transgender child.
The district’s director of curriculum, Dr. Terry Martis, said the administration will issue interim guidance asking staff to notify families before teaching materials that may be viewed as sensitive or controversial. Superintendent Lions told the committee the district plans a public ELA curriculum review for the 2025–26 school year and that administrators will “move up the curriculum review” timeline to allow broader community participation sooner.
Parents at the meeting criticized the timetable as too slow. Several asked for an immediate subcommittee or a book policy that could address incidents now rather than waiting for a year‑long curriculum cycle. They also sought clarity on whether teacher fundraising and donations used to purchase classroom books were routed through district approval processes.
District leaders said existing practice gives teachers discretion to select classroom materials but that materials used as whole‑class instruction should include family notification. Dr. Martis and the superintendent emphasized the goal of balancing teacher professional judgment, students’ access to diverse texts and family engagement: "If you know that something is important or it's going to maybe cause some trouble ... there is that opportunity for communication and collaboration," Dr. Martis said.
The committee agreed to publish interim guidance and to accelerate community engagement for the ELA review; no immediate policy vote occurred at the Jan. 9 meeting. The district also directed parents with lingering concerns to contact the administration and indicated further discussion will appear on future agendas.
