Keith Schachter- Brevard District 4
1. Please share your thoughts related to the importance of the school library/media center and the role of a certified, trained librarian/media specialist in schools.
Media specialists are like the glue of a school. I have worked in the schools 17 years, and have had the privelege of working with several highly qualified media specialists. The support they can provide teachers, and the resources they can connect students to, play an integral role in the whole education of a student. I'm a huge advocate for qualified personnel in this area for every school, no exceptions.
2. Florida school libraries/media centers have always supported parents' rights to direct their students' education. How would you balance parental rights and student access to library materials, especially given that some books trigger different reactions among parents, all of whom deserve rights?
I think it is inherently unfair to ask school officials to police every piece of material that they may find objectionable. I think a good alternative would be for parents to submit lists of titles they dont want their child to have access to. We live in a tech driven world. This would be easy to manage. If Johnny tries to check out a book that his parent doesn't want him to read, then it is on his parent to submit the title. I say we transfer this conversation into the house, so Johnny can challenge his/her parents on why he/she is not allowed to read that book. Let him hash things out with his parents. If Jenny, his classmate, has parents are ok with the same title, then she should have the chance to check it out. It is not fair for Johnny's parents to influence whether or not all the other kids can or cannot read that title.
3. Students have access to reading material through captive classroom instruction, read-alouds and novel studies, as well as through self-selection in libraries where they choose their own book. How would you differentiate between the appropriateness of reading material in a captive classroom vs. self-selection in the school library?
If the media specialist and other educatiion professionals determine that the captive classroom title is appropriate to read at the group level, then the title should be available. If Johnny's parent has an issue with that title, I say the teacher should be able to provide an alternative assignment for him to complete in another physical setting. Again, this would transfer the conversation back into the home.
4. As written in Florida House Bill 1069, “Parents shall have the right to read passages from any material that is subject to an objection. If the school board denies a parent the right to read passages due to content" deemed unsuitable as defined in the bill, the school district must discontinue use of the material. If a reader is denied, explain why you would interpret the law by supporting or opposing a fair and public review of the book, as outlined in each district's objection policy.
I am opposed to this, because I do not feel that parents should have this much power. Parents have rights, and they should have jurisdiction over what content is available to their kids, with limitations. I am diametrically opposed to the banning of books or content that covers undeniable historical facts, such as important events that should be taught in schools, i.e. slavery, holocaust, Jim Crow Laws, etc. I say if parents have a problem with this sort of content, they can take out their checkbooks and send their kid to private school. I don't think it is feasible or rational to have book reviews for every book that comes into question. I think our resources can be better spent in other areas.
Media specialists are like the glue of a school. I have worked in the schools 17 years, and have had the privelege of working with several highly qualified media specialists. The support they can provide teachers, and the resources they can connect students to, play an integral role in the whole education of a student. I'm a huge advocate for qualified personnel in this area for every school, no exceptions.
2. Florida school libraries/media centers have always supported parents' rights to direct their students' education. How would you balance parental rights and student access to library materials, especially given that some books trigger different reactions among parents, all of whom deserve rights?
I think it is inherently unfair to ask school officials to police every piece of material that they may find objectionable. I think a good alternative would be for parents to submit lists of titles they dont want their child to have access to. We live in a tech driven world. This would be easy to manage. If Johnny tries to check out a book that his parent doesn't want him to read, then it is on his parent to submit the title. I say we transfer this conversation into the house, so Johnny can challenge his/her parents on why he/she is not allowed to read that book. Let him hash things out with his parents. If Jenny, his classmate, has parents are ok with the same title, then she should have the chance to check it out. It is not fair for Johnny's parents to influence whether or not all the other kids can or cannot read that title.
3. Students have access to reading material through captive classroom instruction, read-alouds and novel studies, as well as through self-selection in libraries where they choose their own book. How would you differentiate between the appropriateness of reading material in a captive classroom vs. self-selection in the school library?
If the media specialist and other educatiion professionals determine that the captive classroom title is appropriate to read at the group level, then the title should be available. If Johnny's parent has an issue with that title, I say the teacher should be able to provide an alternative assignment for him to complete in another physical setting. Again, this would transfer the conversation back into the home.
4. As written in Florida House Bill 1069, “Parents shall have the right to read passages from any material that is subject to an objection. If the school board denies a parent the right to read passages due to content" deemed unsuitable as defined in the bill, the school district must discontinue use of the material. If a reader is denied, explain why you would interpret the law by supporting or opposing a fair and public review of the book, as outlined in each district's objection policy.
I am opposed to this, because I do not feel that parents should have this much power. Parents have rights, and they should have jurisdiction over what content is available to their kids, with limitations. I am diametrically opposed to the banning of books or content that covers undeniable historical facts, such as important events that should be taught in schools, i.e. slavery, holocaust, Jim Crow Laws, etc. I say if parents have a problem with this sort of content, they can take out their checkbooks and send their kid to private school. I don't think it is feasible or rational to have book reviews for every book that comes into question. I think our resources can be better spent in other areas.