Kenneth Gay- Hillsborough District 5
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.
Do we realize there's been a distinct group of professionals in our ranks that have been the sole arbiters of what should be the appropriate material for our district library shelves? It appears we've given free rein to our Media Specialists for decades in determining a school's collection. We've trusted them, as we should, based on their credentials, their professionalism, and the steps that they take to house a diverse collection. Many Media Specialists, when surveyed, overwhelmingly will share the pride they've taken in their roles in how they rely/relied on the input of teachers, students, and parents in building their collections. Though many will share the input rarely is or was given. And the district, when questioned if they intervened in the process, they were said to have only intervened when the budget was impacted. It is interesting to hear them share that many of the oversight practices that are many times cited, in this heated political environment, as dictatorial have always been part of the policy for generations. When questionable content/materials were brought forth "committees" were formed to build compromise on how to go forward with a given piece of work. Not much has changed, when you compare the past with the present, other than possibly heightened awareness or possibly a greater interest in one's child's education…more so than ever before. Isn't that a good thing? I think we have to admit, based on a historical perspective, when it comes down to the final selections for those district library shelves… the Media Specialist made the final choices for generations. And those choices were no doubt made based on the internal societal/ideological influences of the Media Specialist. Whether in the corporate world or academia…we've been reminded again and again in our DEI training…We all are said to have implicit biases. This group of professionals is likely, not absent of this trait. We know these good professionals are motivated by the desire for our schools to be non-threatening and are advocates for an environment that instills/promotes a child's growth and exploration. But again we must admit they're human AND may have, consciously or unconsciously, banned a particular book from a shelf once or twice!
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?
It was in the past a long-time and well-tested strategy that, as it should be coordinated/conducted by the professionals within the home site and well before being presented in a school board setting, allowed for examination/vetting of materials/books to be done so in the confines of the individual school. So...why not return the responsibility vetting of books to those professionals, the Media Specialists in each of our buildings...assuming the supervisory role of addressing what is appropriate for their shelves civilly and productively...again as stated in their school setting? Allow them to coordinate and organize teams of parents, teachers, and students to review materials well before the curation of questionable material. Allowing the...READING ALOUD books in this type of forum would likely test the cringe factor, allow for innocence to thrive a bit longer, and even allow for more efficient school board meetings to be carried out.
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?
It's my understanding that classroom teachers, before building their classroom libraries, must seek the guidance of the Media Specialist. I would expect that a thorough/rigorous and systematic vetting process, with specific criteria serving as a rationale/evidence of the materials, be the measure for the approval or disapproval of the material/text.
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.
Simply put...if a text is objectionable---if it can not be Read Aloud--- in a public forum it provides ample evidence that the material is not worthy of being shelved within a school building.
Do we realize there's been a distinct group of professionals in our ranks that have been the sole arbiters of what should be the appropriate material for our district library shelves? It appears we've given free rein to our Media Specialists for decades in determining a school's collection. We've trusted them, as we should, based on their credentials, their professionalism, and the steps that they take to house a diverse collection. Many Media Specialists, when surveyed, overwhelmingly will share the pride they've taken in their roles in how they rely/relied on the input of teachers, students, and parents in building their collections. Though many will share the input rarely is or was given. And the district, when questioned if they intervened in the process, they were said to have only intervened when the budget was impacted. It is interesting to hear them share that many of the oversight practices that are many times cited, in this heated political environment, as dictatorial have always been part of the policy for generations. When questionable content/materials were brought forth "committees" were formed to build compromise on how to go forward with a given piece of work. Not much has changed, when you compare the past with the present, other than possibly heightened awareness or possibly a greater interest in one's child's education…more so than ever before. Isn't that a good thing? I think we have to admit, based on a historical perspective, when it comes down to the final selections for those district library shelves… the Media Specialist made the final choices for generations. And those choices were no doubt made based on the internal societal/ideological influences of the Media Specialist. Whether in the corporate world or academia…we've been reminded again and again in our DEI training…We all are said to have implicit biases. This group of professionals is likely, not absent of this trait. We know these good professionals are motivated by the desire for our schools to be non-threatening and are advocates for an environment that instills/promotes a child's growth and exploration. But again we must admit they're human AND may have, consciously or unconsciously, banned a particular book from a shelf once or twice!
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?
It was in the past a long-time and well-tested strategy that, as it should be coordinated/conducted by the professionals within the home site and well before being presented in a school board setting, allowed for examination/vetting of materials/books to be done so in the confines of the individual school. So...why not return the responsibility vetting of books to those professionals, the Media Specialists in each of our buildings...assuming the supervisory role of addressing what is appropriate for their shelves civilly and productively...again as stated in their school setting? Allow them to coordinate and organize teams of parents, teachers, and students to review materials well before the curation of questionable material. Allowing the...READING ALOUD books in this type of forum would likely test the cringe factor, allow for innocence to thrive a bit longer, and even allow for more efficient school board meetings to be carried out.
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?
It's my understanding that classroom teachers, before building their classroom libraries, must seek the guidance of the Media Specialist. I would expect that a thorough/rigorous and systematic vetting process, with specific criteria serving as a rationale/evidence of the materials, be the measure for the approval or disapproval of the material/text.
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.
Simply put...if a text is objectionable---if it can not be Read Aloud--- in a public forum it provides ample evidence that the material is not worthy of being shelved within a school building.