School uses secually graphic books w/o parental consent

i haven’t read much of the book, but i think the point of that section in the book is to include a discussion about sexual consent in the context of bullying and violence (it’s on page 313 for those who want to read it, but probably you need a bit from page 309 & 10 to see why that particular encounter wasn’t consensual).

Also interesting is that the school has been using this book for 7 years without incident. every year they sent home a parental approval notice that was neglected this year.

I was suprised to learn from another story that the book was really about school shootings and violence. It does not suprise the that the author puts a passage in the book that is very explicit sexually. I read one of her books because it was about a child with autism. Overall it was very well done, but in that book (as in this) she put a very explicit passage that I had to skip. It seems to be here style (using to term loosely). She writes about important topics and then feels the need to add something that it does not need. It is also very shocking that the school will no longer allow children to opt out. Why not? It makes no sense. In my kids public high school, they do not do this.

at least according to this article, the principal personally contacted all the parents of kids assigned this book and gave alternate assignments to those who objected, saying “there are always alternate reading assignments available to students.”

http://www.concordmonitor.com/community/town-by-town/gilford/11864115-9…

More and more often, schools are taking on responsibilities that used to be the domain of parents. Schools are supposedly for the purpose of teaching and exercising reading, writing, math, and critical thinking skills, and imparting important information about subjects like culture, history, and science. You’d think that’d be enough to keep them busy for 12 years. Even the teachers must be bored if they have time to delve into such topics as sexual violence.

Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes, an award-winning novel based on a school shooting in a fictional New Hampshire high school. The novel contains depictions of physical violence in public schools and a scene of graphic sexual activity …

I have read several of Picoult’s novels, and she is a talented writer, but this book is not appropriate or necessary for a freshman literature class. Issues of violence, bullying, and sexual assault should be the purview of parents or, if needed, trained counselors. Do literature teachers now receive training in how to teach kids about violence and sexual assault? Are controversial novels needed in order to teach kids how to analyze story elements and themes?

In Connecticut, the Department of Education created a discussion curriculum around the book for its teachers. It is taught in dozens of high schools across the United States, Corcoran said.

And if all your friends jumped off a bridge…? Since when is “Everybody does it” an acceptable reason to do anything?

I’ll admit that it’s a bit of a round robin though - the more schools take over, the more parents abdicate, and the more parents abdicate, the more schools take over. But are our kids doing better now that schools have essentially taken over the role of parents?

…students with involved parents are more likely to:

Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs
Be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits
Attend school regularly
Have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school
Graduate and go on to postsecondary education

So there’s all this blahblahblah about how important parents are to their child’s character development and academic success, and yet schools continue to shove parents out of the way so they can run their trendy experiments.

There’s more to this IMO than kids being assigned a book with objectionable material or not being allowed to read their Bibles at school.

I agree Susan. There is no reason for Freshman to read her books. I can’t comment on this one as i have only read one of her books, but still. We agree.

I was shocked when I was given a series of Christian books about s’xual development for 5yo to teens. Even the kindergarten one had too much information. The next one is like for 8 year olds, and I’m thinking, there’s stuff in there they don’t need to know until they’re married. Who wants to know this stuff? Do we really have to talk explicitly about it?

I think one of the root problems is technology, but I’m not sure why all the way yet. Maybe because it becomes a substitute for parental and family relationships—games, social media, etc. It seems to do something weird to people when used to such extents.

Or maybe it’s just a breakdown of character development emphasis in general.

I don’t think it’s tech necessarily, although I agree the availability of objectionable materials is at an all-time high.

Children have obviously become increasingly sexualized in our culture, but that’s not actually a new thing. Take a look - if you have the stomach for it - at Shirley Temple in War Babies and Kid in Africa (in which her name is “Madam Cradlebait”, and doesn’t that just give you nightmares?). My generation saw a very young Brooke Shields in The Blue Lagoon, Endless Love, and Pretty Baby. Today girls as young as 10 are signing swimsuit modeling contracts. Sheesh!

Now our culture wants to put an academic face on it with graphic discussions about sex and violence in mixed-gender classrooms, and if that’s not bad enough, these classrooms are led by teachers who are not qualified to counsel children on sensitive topics. How does an ability to analyze literature somehow equal expertise in counseling kids on sexual violence?

I think there are some seriously whacked out perverts in charge, and our peer socialized culture is so afraid of seeming Puritanical or prudish they will violate all that is decent and sensible- and kids are the unwitting victims.

20% of 15-year-olds have had sex, so 9th grade doesn’t sound too early to me to already be talking about things.

Table 1: Sexual Initiation by Single Year of Age, Women and Men Born 1984–1993 in Finer, Lawrence B.; Philbin, Jesse M. (2013). “Sexual Initiation, Contraceptive Use, and Pregnancy Among Young Adolescents”. Pediatrics. 131(5):886–91.

It’s not so much about the age of the kids, it’s the purpose and focus of school that’s gone wonky. Teachers can choose the books they use for class - why would a sensible teacher want to use a book with graphic violence and sexual content? It just isn’t necessary, and IMO would distract tremendously from teaching kids reading comprehension and analysis of plot, character, and theme.

More and more often, schools are taking on responsibilities that used to be the domain of parents. Schools are supposedly for the purpose of teaching and exercising reading, writing, math, and critical thinking skills, and imparting important information about subjects like culture, history, and science.

And this is EXACTLY the problem…the educators of America see themselves as parents (the ones that are responsible for the formation and molding of young citizens), not educators. Parents largely abdicate their role in favor of full time babysitters, and then they are shocked at what humanistic teachers teach.

Government schools are not the only educational institution where educators act as parents. There are many Christian schools where parental involvement is restricted to field trips and helping with parties and parents are hindered or prohibited from participation in the educational process.

You all are right. But i think there is another key to this. Many of these kids don’t have parents who care. My daughter graduated from public high school last year and my son is a freshman. I have seen more this year than the last 4 with my son being in sports. I know of kids whose parents have “pot parties” with their kids (heart breaking but true). There were some parents who wouldn’t even take their kids to a practice, much less a game. There are many good parents but there are many bad. The teachers and counselors (many whom I am now friends with) would much rather not parent. They are in a loose/loose situation. The state putting things on them (Chip mentioned that a little), the administration, and then kids with parents who don’t care. We need to pray hard and be involved where we can.

Chip,

I totally agree with you! I was just pointing out that those of you in the public school arena are in some of the most impossible situations.

All,

And I again want to make clear, I don’t think anyone should read this book.

schools needed to ‘take over’ for some kids with neglectful parents, the choice of this book for reading and class discussion is ridiculous. I read controversial books with my kids all the time, but have never needed to use books with graphic sex and violence to instruction them in empathy, respect, compassion, and the problems of physical violence and female objectification in our society.

It’s one thing for a public library to have books with objectionable or sensitive content on their shelves - even in the YA section - but quite another for a teacher to assign such a book to his/her class. Do they intend to stir the puddin’, or do they really think this is a brilliant and important educational choice that is best for the kids?

Totally Agree Susan.

[Susan R] It’s one thing for a public library to have books with objectionable or sensitive content on their shelves - even in the YA section - but quite another for a teacher to assign such a book to his/her class. Do they intend to stir the puddin’, or do they really think this is a brilliant and important educational choice that is best for the kids?

I think this is a case where the book addresses issues that they already want to discuss (because of their social/political positions), and therefore they see it as an opportunity to indoctrinate their charges with the positions that they personally hold and think others should.

I’ve seen that dynamic in different locations, but that’s why you ask them ‘why this book in particular?’ and they look at you blankly. Why WOULDN’T you read that book is the typical responce.