Teachers, including herself, often privately fill and fund classroom libraries.
“I’m paying for those books. I’m putting core stories on the bookshelves that are not only engaging for students, but have traditionally been left out of the official ELA (English Language Arts) curriculum.” ‘” Boismier said on Wednesday.
According to the bill, Oklahoma’s HB 1775 is intended to end discrimination. As part of the curriculum for educators, “individuals, by virtue of their race or gender, are responsible for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or gender,” or “individuals, by virtue, are If you are “racist, sexist, or oppressive in nature, regardless of sex or gender,” you may be subject to suspension or removal of your license, the law states.
According to Boismier, teachers placed the books they thought were problematic in boxes, turned them so that the spines were facing inward and the text titles were not visible, or covered them with butcher’s paper. I was asked. example.
Boimier decided to cover the book, she told CNN. A QR code was placed on the cover sheet that linked to the Brooklyn Public Library.
She also said she added a label to the QR code that read “Never Scan!”
“Then, at least in my classroom, concerns arose that this was a political stunt and a public display. “I was told to hide,” she said.
In a statement, school district officials said the parents had reached out with concerns and had checked the situation.
“At the center of concern was a Norman Public School teacher who made personal and political statements during class and used the classroom to make political speeches to express those views,” officials said. Stated.
Boismier told CNN that the school district feels the QR code label somehow prohibits it and doesn’t want to encourage students to break the law.
“The state does not want us to have access to these texts, these texts that are centered around LGBTQ+ perspectives, BIPOC perspectives. We believe they deserve a place to be in because they have historically been erased,” Boismier told CNN.
She said she took a leave of absence after the first day of school on August 19 and was told not to come to school the following Monday.
The school district denied Boismier had taken a leave of absence.
“Like many educators, teachers are concerned about censorship and the removal of books by the Oklahoma legislature. But our goal as educators is not to teach students what to think. It’s about teaching them to think critically and not,” a school district official said.
Authorities expected Boismier to return to class on Wednesday and she had not been fired, suspended or placed on leave of absence, according to a statement.
“Unfortunately, we are aware that the teacher has publicly announced his intention to resign,” the school district said.
Boismier said she felt district officials wanted her to say she made a mistake.
“I am commenting on the climate of censorship and the chilling effects of denying free speech and freedom of association. Commenting on it is a purely political choice. I stand by it. I will,” she told CNN, adding that she believes the classroom is a political space.
“Let me be clear, there is a difference between politics and partisanship,” she said. “So I resent and challenge the argument that educators should not bring their own politics into the classroom.”
She added that the new law was designed as a trap to make it impossible for teachers to do their jobs.
“It’s designed to deliberately stifle the conversations that need to take place in the classroom around institutional inequalities and privileges,” she said. It is my desire and my greatest goal as an educator to make
Boismier said she wouldn’t consider working in another school district because there are no schools in the state that match her core beliefs.
CNN reached out to professional educators from Norman, the teachers’ union representing Boismier, for comment.
Source: www.cnn.com
