mguhlin

Library Content – Not Instructional Materials?

The Texas Education Agency released a “Statewide Standards – Policy Regarding Library Content” earlier this week. 

Read it online

A colleague shared this letter from Mike Morath (TEA) to the Governor:

Some Takeaways

  • “On November 10, 2021, Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to address statewide standards to prevent the presence of obscene content in Texas public school libraries.”
  • “…school libraries are offered as places for voluntary inquiry. “
  • “While instructional materials and library materials are both considered instructional resources, they are not the same.”
  • “Therefore, library materials should be treated differently from instructional materials used in classroom instruction.”
  • “the TEA encourages LEAs to carefully review their current selection procedures for library materials, gathering input of LEA staff, legal counsel, as well as participation from the community, particularly parents”

Reflections

The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) affirms libraries as places offering books up for “voluntary inquiry.” TASB goes on to state:
…while instructional materials and library books are both considered
instructional resources, they are not the same and the terms should not be used interchangeably. Since school and classroom libraries are viewed as places for voluntary inquiry, library books are treated differently from instructional materials used in classroom instruction…. 
Certified educators—with their professional training and continuing
education requirements—have traditionally been viewed as the best
resource for instructional decisions. (Source: TASB Legal Services)
This suggests that a classroom teacher may rely on instructional materials to facilitate classroom instruction…but may introduce library books that do not meet the standard of instructional materials. TASB’s source indicates the following:
The removal, rather than the selection, of library books raises constitutional concerns. The
Court’s decision suggests there is a meaningful difference between curriculum conveyed in a compulsory setting and the school library, which is a place for “voluntary inquiry.” 
Although school officials retain significant discretion over the contents of the school library, state and local discretion may not be exercised in a way that violates students’ free speech rights by removing books for partisan or political reasons: 
“In brief, we hold that local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books and seek by their removal to ‘prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion.’” Pico, 457 U.S. at 872.
A long-time, lifelong reader, I find it repugnant that we are legislating beliefs and fighting to deny children access to books, that if most took the time to read, would find present an alternate worldview. What’s next, science fiction? Are we back to reading Pilgrim’s Progress, religious tracts and pamphlets, and nothing else?
While I agree with the right of parents to direct their children to read age-appropriate books, I also recall stepping outside the bounds of adult approval to read whatever the heck I wanted growing up. I allowed my own children the freedom to read, and if America doesn’t allow that, if Americans don’t fight for that right, then this isn’t the America in our sacred history books.
Oh. That’s right. That America of history books is fiction written to oppress certain populations and uphold the authority and power of the dominant culture. Isn’t that ironic?

Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin’s blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

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