In case you missed it yesterday, I went on the Pete Kaliner show to discuss the Wake County ‘book club’ controversy.  Hit the 76 minute mark.

Pete and I discussed the media closing ranks to defend the schools, the Principal of the school’s statements not matching up with the documentation, the need for greater transparency in what materials schools are using and In terms of transparency, Pete noted that I seem to be ‘a monster for parent concerns’.  The most important piece discussed was the question, how appropriate is this material for 9 and 10 year-olds?

Books brought up were One Crazy Summer, where young girls get shipped off to a black panther summer camp by their negligent mother and Esperanza Rising, which deals with immigration, class and ethnic struggles’.

Another book briefly mentioned was Maniac Magee. On the show, I noted that a parent told me this book already had a controversial past.  The parent was correct and in fact, it appears this book was possibly given 3rd and 4th graders. Check out page 8 of this 2005 edition of Carolina Journal.

Maniac Magee was challenged 7 times in the past for its strong language content, including another challenge predating the Brauns/Guebert complaint in 2005.

It appears not much has changed from 2005 in the way parents are treated. As I said on the show, parents come to bloggers like me because they’re getting the blow-off from the school:

“Regardless of the decision, the Brauns and Julie Guebert say CMS’s rules and method of dealing with parents should be scrutinized. Peter Braun believes he and his wife were patronized and treated as secondary to their child’s education”
–Carolina Journal 2005

See the reading assignment Assessment Form.
See the reading assignment Letter to parents.

Related Reads:

• Recap of Wake County reading controversy
• Books are not the only problem in recent WCPSS controversy
• NC Book Assignment On Black Panthers Draws Controversy
• Concern Over 4th Grade Books? NC Media To The Rescue.