Story Sends Wrong Message to 10th Graders
Props to David Barnard for dropping this gem
"David Barnard said redeeming value is subjective, and that the book’s acclaims should not be taken into account, such as its Book of the Year award from the San Francisco Chronicle.
“That in itself tells you it must be a pretty wacko book because that’s a pretty wacko center of the universe,” Barnard said.
My apologies to San Francisco and Burke County, you make us look like idiots.
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25 comments:
Barnard is so full of himself that he cannot wait to hear what he is going to say next. Consequently stupidity flows from his mouth like lava and it seems there is no stopping it. At the meeting Monday night he said he was going to lay out his whole agenda and time line at the next meeting of the board. Hopefully he will stun us with his brilliant proposal to lower the drop out rate. I think he should borrow from the "Just Say No" campaign against drugs and tell the kids to "Just Say No" to dropping out. Another option would be to fling us all, every school in the county, into the current century with the technology he mentioned at the last board meeting. I'm sure it has never occured to teachers and administrators to use modern technology with the students but now that ole Andy has brought it to their attention I'm sure they will get right on it. But wait Andy. What if all schools don't have the latest equipment. What are they to do? Will you be providing funds to upgrade EVERYONE in the county?
Tracy Norman has the right to go against policy just because she thinks it is what is best?? I was not aware that Ms. Norman was an expert in book reviews and has the authority to just ignore policy. But she is the "child expert"...especially with her own children...guess that she why she spent another day in court with her child...such an expert at child rearing...go Tracy go!!!
Two Bachelor's degrees and ran a $60 million company. If his how- I'm-gonna-fix-BCPS agenda and time-line are anything like his civics lessons, we're in for a real yawner.
You know the New York Times Best Seller List ranked The Kite Runner as high as #4 for several weeks. Must we assume that that paper is wacko as well?
Burke County, you have sewn the wind. As you reap this whirlwind, you are going to wish you had kept board members who were child-centered and not self-centered.
And you didn't even bother to ask why he no longer teaches.
The board meeting on Monday night was the most embarrassing display that I have witnessed!!! Tim Buff pointing his finger and making demands of a citizen;David Barnard slamming his fist on the table and yelling "By God" and calling David Burleson a liar; Rob Hairfield telling an attorney to "let's have lunch," as if he can educate this attorney on the law; and Tracy deciding to ban a book without following policy....I encourage parents to come to the board meetings...you have to see it to believe it...and once you have witnessed it, you probably will do just as others have and ask "who do I need to write in Raleigh?"
I find it funny that Ms. Norman in her "admirable" speech to ban this book first stated that she had NOT read the book. Yet, as her "heart-felt" speech continued, she began to take claim that she did, in fact read the book. Let's be honest, the only parts of that book which were probably read were highlighted specifically for their campaign to ban it. Therefore, if the entire book had been read, they would understand the true value of the writing. Also, just like had they read the entire media policy that they aimed to create, they would realize that it does not include book banning. This group is so insistent on making and following "policies" that they need to do just that. There are policies in place to question literature in schools, therefore they need to follow these procedures.
The board will have a big surprise at there next meeting. The whole county will be there to impeach the whole crowd of board members. This soap opera has gone to far. The school kids in this county that are old enough to know what is going on have no respect for our so called Burke County School Board. Tim an Tracy, you Both need to resign.
There will be a big surprise but to the administration very soon. Even the board is not prepared for what our group will do.The board will be caught off guard but the administration will run for the hills and we will see who the men are.
Shhh….let me tell you a secret. Here’s what and where I learned some things growing up:
From other kids, I learned ways to have sex: the words and language to use, the places you can go and hide to do it, the finger demonstrations to simulate what it means, and how to attract those I wanted.
From the neighbors down the street, I learned what an affair was – and it wasn’t going to a black-tie dinner.
From television, I learned how to be alluring and sexy by watching the ladies and gentlemen on shows like Petticoat Junction, Gilligan’s Island, Dynasty, Soul Train, Starsky & Hutch, American Band Stand, General Hospital, As The World Turns and Laugh-In.
From my parents, I did not learn about things that maybe some of you are open about with your kids.
BUT from reading books, I learned there was a whole world out there with varying opinions. I found that different cultures could be visited simply by reading about them. I learned to be objective by weighing what I believed versus what I didn’t. I learned about the birds and the bees. I learned to spell, not simply to use spell-check. I learned appropriate ways to live. I learned that I can laugh in sad times. I learned saying no sometimes is okay. I learned how to vote. I learned I have a voice. I learned that reading is fun and useful for everyday life – and necessary in order to grow into a productive citizen and, yes, into a lady. I loved to read growing up – without restrictions – because, imagine this, I was able to choose what I wanted to read on my own! And I still love to read today. Imagine that.
There once was a little girl name Anne Frank who lived for a time in a stuffy, claustrophobic, windowless closet. One thing Anne missed: books. Words on paper. So what did she do? She wrote a book about her own life! Pretty story? Nope. Violence? Yep. Sadness? Lots. Truths? Yes. A girl has a voice? She still does today. Some people have even tried to get her book thrown out of libraries around the world. They focus on the portions of the book they don’t like or find offense with and do not read the context in which it is written.
Please be careful removing books from our school libraries. For some kids like myself, they are considered beautiful rooms filled with wonderful adventures to live, learn and be free.
Shhh... let me tell you another secret. We're giving up on asking for the last shred of decency in this country. We've decided if we can't beat them, then let's just join them. Because, the kids do all of it anyway. They say it, they know it, they shoot it, they smoke it. So, let's add "The Kite Runner" to the 3rd grade Language Arts classes across Burke County and be on the cutting edge. Why aren't the schools in this backward county giving our kids condoms? Why aren't we giving them safe drugs to use? If we really cared about our kids, we would be. Right?
No you are wrong.
All we are asking is that Tracy Norman follows the same policy that she excepts the teachers to follow. She ignored the policy and procedure and did what she felt was correct.
To blogger at 1:45....one word for you>>>>> IDIOT!
Oh, yeah, 2:11pm, well.... you're a BIG FATTY. See, we can call names, too. It hurts, doesn't it? Take that. So there.
(Can't you come back with anything better than calling names?)
To 3:35 blogger...you are a sad, sad little person. God Bless You
I just want to ask everyone? Do you all know who Jesus is. And if you don't. Please ask him to come into your hearts. Because Jesus is coming back soon. And he LOVES EVERYONE. And I wont everybody to be in HEAVEN.
GOD Bless ALL !
Hey, 2:03pm -- a couple of questions for you. Would there ever be a situation where the reading material was so egregious that it would warrant not following procedure to get it out of the hands of 15 & 16 year olds? Would you also be very careful to follow the procedures if the teacher did not have proper approval to use this book as required reading in the first place?
To Blogger 2/21, 1:45 PM,
Giving up on the last shred of decency?! No sir/ma'am, I am not!
The debate is about more than short-term pros and cons of a SINGLE book. It isn’t even a question of politics! Reading is one of the most liberating experiences imaginable. It is FREEDOM.
The aspirations of a better world DEMAND cognitive and analytical reading capabilities. How can children of BCPS be our future leaders of the people, by the people, for the people - if they are not well read? If they are not allowed opportunities to decipher truths from fraud themselves, then we have much more serious issues at risk.
I am 2:03. No there should never be a situation where a book is present that is so bad it must be pulled without due process. Teachers and Media Coordinators don't just go to Barnes and Noble and buy what looks interesting. They consult lists and companies that help them purchase books that are age appropriate and engaging. That being said, no one is perfect and Burke County is very conservative. A parent can take offense to a book, then it should go through the process. Don't fall for the boards FUD about it taking two years. If the situation arises, a group should be able to move and get the book pulled within a week.
I don't know the answer to your second question. I don't know if teachers have to get "approval" to read a book in class. I am assuming he had some sort of approval, he had the books that so many others have pointed out were paid for by the tax payers.
I haven't read the book in question. So I can't say if it should be banned or not. I am leaning towards no. I would love for my kids to have a teacher that is going to challenge their world views. If that involves hearing about the harsh realities that the people of Afghanistan face, what better place than a safe classroom.
I try to practice the proverb "Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it." Hearing a "bad" word should not shake there faith. Hearing about sodomy should not shake their faith. I do pray that hearing about the rape in Afghanistan offends them, but not in the way Tracy speaks. It should offend them that is takes place and motivate them to take action and help those less fortunate. Maybe this book will do it. Maybe it will be something in our own backyard.
If any of you reading this attend board meetings, why dont you ask Mrs. Norman to state the proper procedure of how to remove a book. Maybe after she states it publicly or the laywer states it - she will listen to her on words and follow the rules. She is not above protocol.
Why dont we ask our new legal counsel Tim Rooks or John Ervin about the book.We pay Aycock and they offer services for free and the board doesnt have to ask them for a legal opinion.Everytime Aycock is asked a question he seems not to know it. Let us keep Ervin and Rooks coming and get free legal counsel.
Why dont we ask those that are on the board that are supposed to be running the school system. They should know policy. I have to at my job and I do not have a lawyer at my Staff Meetings. Board memebrs need to be educated and help accountable. Mr. Burleson is! Maybe they should learn from him.
People forget when andy brandon,jerry yoder and ray martinat ran with the campaign to get rid of tony stewart.They did it! This board owes nothing to administration and shpuld not.They were overwhelmingly elected.Deal with it for four years.
It does not seem so shocking that rednecks with limited education-high school diploma and GED-would want to pull a book after only reading a couple paragraphs. Regardless of how many awards-from all over the WORLD-that this book may have received from literary gurus to true humanitarians. I feel better about the education of our young adults knowing that a 10th grade teacher IS using this book in the classroom. Policy and procedures usually allow one to go through a process designed to allow discussion for taking a book off the shelf. If Ms Norman actually read more books like Kite Runner during her high school years then she would have more than just a GED.
I want to start by saying that I do know who Jesus is. I took a trip to Mexico a couple of years ago and saw him taking a siesta. It wasn't as good as watching the virgin mary cry out of a picture but by god it was inspiring.
I want to close by saying you get the elected officials that you deserve. When you allow a bunch of crooks to take over don't be surprised when the public gets a belly full and votes for others. The book burnings have not started yet but when they do I hope they burn all the books of former presidents who allegedly have made our country great. Especially the current president. Nepotism in the federal government, our former school board, our current county commissioners. You get the ppl that you deserve because you are to stupid to understand who ppl are b4 you vote for them. Commissoner Wayne Abele's boy didn't even have to buy signs. He just ran on a yr that his Dad didn't. The boy still lives at home with his daddy. Wonder who he votes with. We have to elect ppl that have the conviction to vote their conscience even when it goes against what their party or daddy tells them to do. Voters, you got what you paid for. So suck it up and wait for the next election because all you are doing here is wasting your time.
You are wrong about wesley abele because he built a nice home last year check it out.
Dear Barnard, Buff, Norman, and Sain,
"There is nothing more frightening than active ignorance." --Goethe
Think about that for a while.
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