General Discussion

OmahaBlueDog

(10,000 posts)

84. Write the teacher, and cc: the Principal and say:

Wed Nov 13, 2013, 10:13 PM

Nov 2013

"We've reviewed the material in 'The Travelers Gift' and we find it in opposition to our family's faith tradition. We request that she be offered an alternative reading assignment."

..or not.

I feel, at it's best, that education should be the "Marketplace of Ideas." Let her read it, draw her own conclusions, and write her reports and test answers accordingly.

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An odd and controversial book that our daughter has to read for 11th grade English... [View all] madinmaryland Nov 2013 OP

That shouldn't really be allowed el_bryanto Nov 2013 #1

Better yet, there should be a World Religion requirement in HS, to discuss at a minimum the major madinmaryland Nov 2013 #3

I took World Religions as an elective and enjoyed it very much Hekate Nov 2013 #10

I also took it in College and it was very interesting. nt madinmaryland Nov 2013 #22

When I finally returned to grad school in midlife Hekate Nov 2013 #70

Not cool. It's one thing if they're covering something like "Paradise Lost", but this just sounds winter is coming Nov 2013 #2

They had to read the Crucible which discussed the religious attitudes madinmaryland Nov 2013 #6

That makes sense. This latest crap doesn't. n/t winter is coming Nov 2013 #7

We had a great Bible Lit class in my HS dballance Nov 2013 #4

That sounds good, because it is actually incredibly influential and oft-quoted Hekate Nov 2013 #12

That is how we got it when I was in tenth grade... WCGreen Nov 2013 #27

Squawk LOUDLY--and call the ACLU! (I sure would!) nt tblue37 Nov 2013 #5

Fight faith with faith if your daughter is so inclined. Are_grits_groceries Nov 2013 #8

When I took English Lit in high school xmas74 Nov 2013 #9

As I commented upthread, I would have loved to taken a World Religion course in HS, madinmaryland Nov 2013 #18

We had a drive-by of world religions in world history. xmas74 Nov 2013 #21

What's amazing to me is that my daughter took a World Religion class in her high school. ScreamingMeemie Nov 2013 #64

I actually took the course in College. It was at a protestant supported university... madinmaryland Nov 2013 #67

My 11th grade grandson reading "The Great Gatsby" now. northoftheborder Nov 2013 #11

all the great literature they could be reading ... surrealAmerican Nov 2013 #13

yep d_r Nov 2013 #43

You are so right exboyfil Nov 2013 #73

What type of English class is this? Neurotica Nov 2013 #14

It is not an AP class. madinmaryland Nov 2013 #15

You have to decide whether or not you want to rock the boat Neurotica Nov 2013 #48

Is this a self-help book? gollygee Nov 2013 #16

Whatever happened to The Red Badge of Courage and BainsBane Nov 2013 #17

TKAM is often earlier in the curriculum. Igel Nov 2013 #26

I read both in middle school. Chan790 Nov 2013 #29

My son read "...Mockingbird" last year (9th grade). This year, it's "Of Mice and Men" in 10th Gr. ScreamingMeemie Nov 2013 #66

I'm sorry, Le Taz Hot Nov 2013 #79

Yeah, I found it pretty boring too BainsBane Nov 2013 #80

This smells of Common Core cali Nov 2013 #19

What is common core? madinmaryland Nov 2013 #23

Newest thing MissB Nov 2013 #33

It's the latest educational gravy train roody Nov 2013 #63

That was my first thought too. MissB Nov 2013 #28

I was going to say the absolute opposite: frazzled Nov 2013 #51

We learned the St. Martins Handbook for punctuation and citation Drahthaardogs Nov 2013 #69

I don't think common core requires roody Nov 2013 #61

I usually teach excerpts from Matthew and Genesis or Exodus Nevernose Nov 2013 #20

"If the students were able to clearly tell the teacher's own views..." Chan790 Nov 2013 #46

It could have been worse. rug Nov 2013 #24

Raise holy hell "pun intended" MattBaggins Nov 2013 #25

Don't have enough info. Igel Nov 2013 #30

As an English teacher, I have a few questions. knitter4democracy Nov 2013 #31

Hi knitter. To answer your questions, as best as I can... madinmaryland Nov 2013 #34

Yeah, it's time to suit up. knitter4democracy Nov 2013 #82

Is she in public school or charter school or other private school? Just curious. nt valerief Nov 2013 #32

Public school in Ohio madinmaryland Nov 2013 #35

Wow. That's terrible. Charter schools are terrible anyway, so I thought it might be that. valerief Nov 2013 #37

What is really interesting, as an aside, is that the band did a video remembrance of JFK at madinmaryland Nov 2013 #41

Probably because FOX News has told them he was really a Republican. nt ProudToBeBlueInRhody Nov 2013 #53

My daughter is an English teacher in a charter school RebelOne Nov 2013 #62

I would talk to the principal and if you don't get satisfaction, the school board. yurbud Nov 2013 #38

That will be on our to-do list, assuming we get approval from our daughter. madinmaryland Nov 2013 #45

Pilgrim's Progress, or even The Screwtape Letters are works I can see being read in a lit class, but LanternWaste Nov 2013 #36

you read my mind yurbud Nov 2013 #39

I have no idea why the book was assigned. madinmaryland Nov 2013 #44

Something does not compute hardcover Nov 2013 #49

Sold by: HarperCollins Christian Publishing TeamPooka Nov 2013 #40

Thanks... madinmaryland Nov 2013 #42

hmm? interesting! gopiscrap Nov 2013 #47

I suspect the book is The Traveler's Gift ... DreamGypsy Nov 2013 #50

Yes it is. I edited my OP a few minutes ago. madinmaryland Nov 2013 #52

My 11th grade class analyzed "A Catcher in the Rye". nt bluestate10 Nov 2013 #54

I think we had to read that in 10th grade (late 1970's). nt madinmaryland Nov 2013 #55

I would investigate who determines the books used for teaching & whether that is a county-wide okaawhatever Nov 2013 #56

I went to Catholic school and we never read any Cleita Nov 2013 #57

That seems to be the universal Catholic School experience etherealtruth Nov 2013 #59

We had the religion class, which was also our home room hour. Cleita Nov 2013 #68

The nice thing about religion class is that it can be seriously helpful in English class OmahaBlueDog Nov 2013 #85

Contact the ACLU maybe? nt Demo_Chris Nov 2013 #58

Wow. That book should not have passed dept approval, seriously. Not to mention it sounds PUERILE. WinkyDink Nov 2013 #60

Has anyone who is up in arms Ms. Toad Nov 2013 #65

True, but it definitely is a bit fishy. knitter4democracy Nov 2013 #83

Looked it up on Amazon- great reviews and doesn't seem overly religious. Nye Bevan Nov 2013 #71

my 11th grade teacher read us the rare, hard to find vonnegut story "the big space fuck" dionysus Nov 2013 #72

That's in "Welcome to the Monkey House", is it not? OmahaBlueDog Nov 2013 #86

no idea frankly it seemed rare to me ;) dionysus Nov 2013 #87

I'm wrong - it's in "Palm Sunday" OmahaBlueDog Nov 2013 #88

Why not write a letter of complaint to the principal, school board and PTSA.The National Council of ancianita Nov 2013 #74

Really? Ms. Toad Nov 2013 #75

This is English, not science. But technically, yes; that's what other states' curriculum fights are ancianita Nov 2013 #76

You seriously misunderstand the law. Ms. Toad Nov 2013 #77

You seriously misunderstand me.I'm NOT saying that states canNOT tell teachers WHAT to teach. ancianita Nov 2013 #78

I've read it a number of times Ms. Toad Nov 2013 #81

Write the teacher, and cc: the Principal and say: OmahaBlueDog Nov 2013 #84

Is it the only Christian leaning book in the syllabus? Boom Sound 416 Nov 2013 #89