Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parent objects to assigned honors‑English summer reading; superintendent says district will review
Summary
A parent told the board that an assigned book used in Advanced Honors English II contains inappropriate chapters for 14‑ and 15‑year‑olds. The superintendent said the chapters are usually skipped, parents were contacted and the item was returned to committee for review.
During the meeting's public‑comment period, Whitaker said parents contacted her about a mandated summer book for Advanced Honors English II and read aloud excerpts of chapter headings she characterized as inappropriate for 14‑ and 15‑year‑old students. "This is a mandated book by our district that our 15 14, 15 year old kids are required to read," Whitaker said, and urged that parents be notified and given an opt‑out or waiver before such assignments.
The superintendent replied that the book had been brought to administrative attention about two weeks earlier, that the cited chapters are skipped in most classes, and that the matter had been referred back to the curriculum committee for reevaluation because the material was judged inappropriate for classroom instruction. The superintendent said the district reached out to parents and planned further committee review.
Whitaker called for clearer parental notice of required summer reads and for the district to reconsider which chapters are assigned in honors classes. The meeting record does not show a formal change to the curriculum at the microphone; the board directed that the committee review the material.
