Some Grand Haven teachers are using their classroom libraries as a way to provide children with books on controversial topics because these books can be easily hidden from parents.
Classroom libraries are small collections of books that teachers make available to students during class time. Most teachers try to fill their classroom libraries with interesting books that will inspire kids to read. Sometimes it is difficult for entire classes or individual students to find the time to visit school libraries. Additionally, sometimes teachers keep books on particular topics in classrooms to facilitate research on projects. These are just some of the reasons why having classroom libraries makes sense. Unfortunately, there are also reasons for questioning classroom libraries.
Although most keepers of classroom libraries have good intentions, the absence of regulation enables unscrupulous persons to use this resource to introduce age-inappropriate topics to students and to persuade students to a particular set of beliefs. The contents of classroom libraries are anonymous. They are not tracked on district library systems, thereby eliminating the ability for parents to review available titles. In addition, check-out procedures are formed by the teacher. So, depending on the teacher, parents may not be able to see what books their child has read. Finally, because reading books in classroom libraries is optional, school personnel claim they are not teaching topics found in classroom library books. In other words, the classroom library books are not part of the curriculum. This is significant because it allows activist teachers to sneak political and controversial topics into the classroom without parental knowledge. This video shows an example of how classroom libraries are used to sneak unvetted LGBTQ content into schools.
GHAPS administration has been using the philosophy of classroom libraries to provide books on controversial topics to students without parent knowledge. This has been going on at least since the 2019-2020 school year when the curriculum director ordered books featuring BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) authors for all classrooms grades K-4th.
If books are being selected based on the skin color of the author, isn’t that discrimination?
Why is the curriculum director selecting books for teachers to use within their classroom? Don’t teachers have discretion?
This doesn’t necessarily mean that all books in classroom libraries are age-inappropriate or contain controversial topics, but just the fact that the administration is using classroom libraries to introduce books on particular hot button topics does raise concern. The following email indicates “diverse” books are being ordered specifically for classroom use.
This final email states teachers are using classroom libraries to provide students with books on controversial topics that include gender, gender expression and sexual orientation.
As parents, I urge you to request a tour of your children’s classroom as well as request a list of classroom library books.