Several West Allegheny parents expressed concern last week over selected titles on the high school’s reading list as being too mature, calling the text in one particular novel “explicit,” “inappropriate” and even “trash.”
Parents came prepared to address the board March 16, discussing their worries with board members and administrators for about 75 minutes. More than 65 people were in the audience.
A major concern from those who spoke was that most parents are unaware of the content of the books their children are assigned.
“I don’t think as parents we actually thought we had to take and look at the [book list] with a magnifying glass,” parent Darcie Almady of North Fayette said.
The questionable reading assignment was first brought up by parents during the school board’s Feb. 17 gathering, where public concerns focused on the anti-bullying “Kindness Workshop” held in January for eighth-graders. That program drew ire from the community because of the personal nature of questions asked of students during the exercise.
Last week, Mrs. Almady led the required reading conversation by parents. While discussing a ninth-grade selection entitled “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls, she suggested parents may want to send children under the age of 18 out of the room while she read excerpts from the text.
“Some of the language is quite strong,” she said.
A few children left the board room and waited in the lobby while the discussion continued.
“The Glass Castle,” a title no longer listed on the school’s novel list, drew the most concern from gathered parents. While well-received in literary circles, the memoir has been challenged in school districts throughout the country for its controversial nature.
The memoir, which is about a woman persevering after a dysfunctional childhood, was scheduled for ninth-graders to read this year but has since been dropped. Graphic descriptions of abuse, including sexual abuse, drew the most concern from parents.
“After reading this book and reading reviews of other selections chosen for our children, I completely understand why anxiety and depression are prevalent among our students. The school district is adding, I feel, more emotional distress by placing these types of books in their hands,” Mrs. Almady said.
She added that she purchased the book in the adult section of the bookstore and after reading it found herself extremely saddened.
“After careful consideration, we deemed that reading the entire novel would maybe not be appropriate for this particular age group,” Chris Assetta, assistant to the superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said of “The Glass Castle.”
Lessons from the memoir will instead be taught using excerpts from the book, she said.
Many of those in attendance were not happy with the plan to use excerpts, stating the students’ interest would be piqued and they would seek out the book.
“ ‘Sorry, kids, ignore the Playboy pictures, but this article over here is great,’ ” parent Robert DeBoth of North Fayette said.
Parents said the book in question was removed from the reading list sometime after the Feb. 17 meeting where its content was first publicly addressed to the board.
“There were talks about this long before we heard it in the boardroom,” superintendent Jerri Lynn Lippert said.
West Allegheny’s list of ninth-grade novels currently includes seven books, one of which was a summer reading assignment. Several of the classics including “The Oddyesy,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” are included. “White Fang” is provided as an option for honors students.
Ms. Assetta explained that a committee of teachers is responsible for choosing books for the district English language arts classes. She said the teachers look for books that they think are going to be relevant for students because the students say that they do not like reading the classics exclusively.
“[Students ask] why are we reading this? It’s 500 years old,” she said.
She added, “About a month before they go to teach it, [the teachers] actually dissect the novel and start coming up with specific lessons. What happened was as they were reading [‘The Glass Castle’] they reflected and felt that many of the passages would not be appropriate for ninth-grade students, so they did agree with you and that’s why it has been removed.”
District officials stated “increased rigor” across the board makes it important that teachers find complex content that will challenge the students while still being relevant.
Another ninth-grade book that drew parental concern was “Twisted” by Laurie Halse Anderson. The novel has been on the district reading list since 2008 and this was the first year that concerns were expressed, Ms. Assetta said.
She added that the book, which focuses on a character contemplating suicide, provides “many teachable moments” and that the district now provides counselors in English classes to work with the students during these lessons.
Having counselors involved was part of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s youth awareness, prevention and child exploitation policy that was adopted at West Allegheny in September 2015, according to Karen Ruhl, school community relations coordinator. The policy calls for suicide-awareness presentations being conducted for high school students in both health and English language arts classes, as well as for staff members, she said.
“The feedback you are giving, it does not fall on deaf ears,” Ms. Lippert told those gathered.
Another addressed title was removed from the reading list four or five years ago, according to district officials. An 11th-grade title was also briefly questioned by parents.
“Have faith that you elected us and that we are going to do the right thing and get this corrected,” board member George Bartha said.
The approximately 3,7000 West Allegheny students from Findlay, North Fayette and Oakdale are given the opportunity to opt out of any of the assigned readings. The district will assign an alternate assignment and the student will proceed as an independent learner. An opt-in process is being taken under consideration.
Sonja Reis, freelance writer: suburbanliving@post-gazette.com.
First Published: March 25, 2016, 4:00 a.m.