At this point, I don’t think anything long-term will be accomplished re: book bans until we soundly defeat the Republican Party at the ballot box.
Anyone saying that Project 2025 isn’t something to worry about is lying to you. We can see evidence of them forcing their will on people in other parts of the country that they’re already implementing parts of it. Hell, they were even doing it when the Tea Party was the majority on the school board.
If we come together to make a reasonable change (which I am ultimately all for) but Republicans win a majority, that work will be undone.
I’ve watched Jen, and Twigg, and Gillespie, and Phelps, and Abuismail, and Ross, and Anderson, and Strickland, and Durant, and Reeves, and Orrock, and Mullins.
I’ve seen what they post on social media when they aren’t at their meetings or campaign events trying to win your votes. I’ve watched their actions. I have read about their votes and legislation they have passed, or tried to introduce.
Like I replied to yesterday’s post by that Republican chair on unity, I have listened, I have read, but most importantly I have SEEN what this faction is doing.
And what I have SEEN tells me they don’t want compromise; they don’t want to protect every child, much less educate them.
I keep saying it: they have shown us who they are. We need to believe them.
For them, there is no unity unless we stand united with them. But their vision is not what I want for my kids or their peers. It’s authoritarian, backwards, and full of fear. I doubt it’s what most of us want, either.
You included, Rich.
They don’t give a flying F about our kids, especially our Title 1 kids.
They have PROVEN that with their book bans, and by taking away Covid mitigation in the middle of a surge, and refusing snack donations.
You really think that a process you implement now will be honored if MAGA (it’s what the Tea Party has morphed into) wins?
I think Jen is sad she has no longer been in the center of attention. But she has made herself a pawn in a dangerous game and her return should remind us that voting and who we vote for matters in the long run.
She is setting her stage in the event Republicans win. I guess she thinks she will be safe if she plays their game.
(Jen really needs to read more of the books she thinks are bad. And definitely
books on WW2 and the rise of Hitler. Maus is a good one, with pictures, but that’s probably on her list of “pornography.”)
We have to stop the bigger, more dangerous work that Republicans are doing right now.
Personally, Im putting my effort in to the long game: stopping Project 2025 and the plans the Republican Party has for public education.
I hope more people will join me. If public education truly matters to you, you need start understanding the bigger picture the current Republican Party has envisioned for us.
Now where this is interesting is the Virginia state flag IS in instructional books and it by definition is illegal as a woman has her breast exposed.
Are there questionable books yes, I’m not dismissing that. However the code excluded libraries.
There is a policy in place already when a book is questionable.
I have spoken on the next part on the record at school board meetings.
There is NO provision for a 18 year old student. You can attend public school until age 22.
So what protects that student who has Diary of a Whimpy Kid (yes this book was on the bad list) and they are unknowingly reading it at lunch and their friend asks to borrow it. They say sure when I’m done, then a few days later they pass it to their friend innocently. That friend goes home and mom sees it and goes to the school blazing hot and then the 18 year old is in troubled for “distributing pornography” because that’s what this is potentially opening the door for.
There was legislation proposed to incarcerate a librarian or teacher who allowed a student to read this banned book….. that failed.
We need to trust parents and parents need to trust their kids. These are conversations we need to have with our kids. The unpopular truth is the Bible has pretty raunchy stuff mentioned which by the examples given it should be banned. It would also remove health education, any medical reference books. There are so many unintended consequences to this.
Parents should be glad kids today even use a library.
What we have missed is the HUGE part about educating parents to hidden apps on their kids phones, check their discord chats, their snap and IG and other stuff. That would make many parents heads spin on what their kids are doing and talking about.
The resources it would take to email parents about every book their children want to check out is too much.
Why not put the responsibility on the parents, they have the ability to see what they are reading and read the same books with them have the same structure as an adult book club does. You will be building a relationship with your child and learn a lot about their interest.
Thank you EMMA - the ballot box is the action that's needed to restore freedom to the masses - freedom to parent, freedom to read, free quality public education. Free democracy.
The author of the letter should know, since he claims to watch most school board meetings and has admitted to "knowing people", that administration is working on a regulation to address library books and parental choice. The board requested a committee to do this. The suggestions from his letter are not new ideas. They have been brought up by current and former members of the school board and the commenters from the audience. One of the suggestions is even already in the first reading of the policy.
Yes! AND the book committee of qualified professional librarians, administrators, thoughtful parents, an intelligent student, and conscientious community members actually care and don't have partisan, biased intentions - just the best interest of the children in mind.
This committee was formed on recommendation by me - a School Board member who focuses on the children. And I requested each School Board member select someone from their district to serve. All but one School Board member did and I suggested a parent from that district anyway. Plus, staff leadership - this committee has met at least monthly since March on 3 different book policies and now the regulations to support the policies. The SchoolBoard has already voted to adopt the revision to policy IIA per the committee recommendation.
We ARE doing work despite the not well intentioned and costly distractions.
At this point, I don’t think anything long-term will be accomplished re: book bans until we soundly defeat the Republican Party at the ballot box.
Anyone saying that Project 2025 isn’t something to worry about is lying to you. We can see evidence of them forcing their will on people in other parts of the country that they’re already implementing parts of it. Hell, they were even doing it when the Tea Party was the majority on the school board.
If we come together to make a reasonable change (which I am ultimately all for) but Republicans win a majority, that work will be undone.
I’ve watched Jen, and Twigg, and Gillespie, and Phelps, and Abuismail, and Ross, and Anderson, and Strickland, and Durant, and Reeves, and Orrock, and Mullins.
I’ve seen what they post on social media when they aren’t at their meetings or campaign events trying to win your votes. I’ve watched their actions. I have read about their votes and legislation they have passed, or tried to introduce.
Like I replied to yesterday’s post by that Republican chair on unity, I have listened, I have read, but most importantly I have SEEN what this faction is doing.
And what I have SEEN tells me they don’t want compromise; they don’t want to protect every child, much less educate them.
I keep saying it: they have shown us who they are. We need to believe them.
For them, there is no unity unless we stand united with them. But their vision is not what I want for my kids or their peers. It’s authoritarian, backwards, and full of fear. I doubt it’s what most of us want, either.
You included, Rich.
They don’t give a flying F about our kids, especially our Title 1 kids.
They have PROVEN that with their book bans, and by taking away Covid mitigation in the middle of a surge, and refusing snack donations.
You really think that a process you implement now will be honored if MAGA (it’s what the Tea Party has morphed into) wins?
I think Jen is sad she has no longer been in the center of attention. But she has made herself a pawn in a dangerous game and her return should remind us that voting and who we vote for matters in the long run.
She is setting her stage in the event Republicans win. I guess she thinks she will be safe if she plays their game.
(Jen really needs to read more of the books she thinks are bad. And definitely
books on WW2 and the rise of Hitler. Maus is a good one, with pictures, but that’s probably on her list of “pornography.”)
We have to stop the bigger, more dangerous work that Republicans are doing right now.
Personally, Im putting my effort in to the long game: stopping Project 2025 and the plans the Republican Party has for public education.
I hope more people will join me. If public education truly matters to you, you need start understanding the bigger picture the current Republican Party has envisioned for us.
Please vote in November.
https://www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/opinion-what-project-2025-could-mean-for-education
https://open.substack.com/pub/project2025istheocracy/p/project-2025-how-christian-nationalists-7b8?r=yshr8&utm_medium=ios
https://open.substack.com/pub/project2025istheocracy/p/project-2025-attack-regulation-to?r=yshr8&utm_medium=ios
So a few fun facts. The VA statue is about INSTRUCTIONAL material
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title22.1/chapter2/section22.1-16.8/
Now where this is interesting is the Virginia state flag IS in instructional books and it by definition is illegal as a woman has her breast exposed.
Are there questionable books yes, I’m not dismissing that. However the code excluded libraries.
There is a policy in place already when a book is questionable.
I have spoken on the next part on the record at school board meetings.
There is NO provision for a 18 year old student. You can attend public school until age 22.
So what protects that student who has Diary of a Whimpy Kid (yes this book was on the bad list) and they are unknowingly reading it at lunch and their friend asks to borrow it. They say sure when I’m done, then a few days later they pass it to their friend innocently. That friend goes home and mom sees it and goes to the school blazing hot and then the 18 year old is in troubled for “distributing pornography” because that’s what this is potentially opening the door for.
There was legislation proposed to incarcerate a librarian or teacher who allowed a student to read this banned book….. that failed.
We need to trust parents and parents need to trust their kids. These are conversations we need to have with our kids. The unpopular truth is the Bible has pretty raunchy stuff mentioned which by the examples given it should be banned. It would also remove health education, any medical reference books. There are so many unintended consequences to this.
Parents should be glad kids today even use a library.
What we have missed is the HUGE part about educating parents to hidden apps on their kids phones, check their discord chats, their snap and IG and other stuff. That would make many parents heads spin on what their kids are doing and talking about.
The resources it would take to email parents about every book their children want to check out is too much.
Why not put the responsibility on the parents, they have the ability to see what they are reading and read the same books with them have the same structure as an adult book club does. You will be building a relationship with your child and learn a lot about their interest.
Thank you EMMA - the ballot box is the action that's needed to restore freedom to the masses - freedom to parent, freedom to read, free quality public education. Free democracy.
The author of the letter should know, since he claims to watch most school board meetings and has admitted to "knowing people", that administration is working on a regulation to address library books and parental choice. The board requested a committee to do this. The suggestions from his letter are not new ideas. They have been brought up by current and former members of the school board and the commenters from the audience. One of the suggestions is even already in the first reading of the policy.
In my opinion, this letter was unnecessary.
Yes! AND the book committee of qualified professional librarians, administrators, thoughtful parents, an intelligent student, and conscientious community members actually care and don't have partisan, biased intentions - just the best interest of the children in mind.
This committee was formed on recommendation by me - a School Board member who focuses on the children. And I requested each School Board member select someone from their district to serve. All but one School Board member did and I suggested a parent from that district anyway. Plus, staff leadership - this committee has met at least monthly since March on 3 different book policies and now the regulations to support the policies. The SchoolBoard has already voted to adopt the revision to policy IIA per the committee recommendation.
We ARE doing work despite the not well intentioned and costly distractions.
Hugh was on fire!!! Thank you!