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The San Ramon Valley Unified School District Board of Education is set to discuss an appeal from a local parent that seeks to remove a book from district schools at Tuesday’s regular meeting.
Parent Julia Laffon is requesting that the board ban the 2007 novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie from district shelves and curriculum following a series of complaints to the district’s administration about the title that she encountered as a supplemental text for her ninth-grade child’s English class.
The novel was approved by the board in 2016 for use as supplementary material for high school English classes. It tells the story of a 14-year-old Native American boy growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation and his experiences as a minority student in a majority white high school, based loosely on the author’s own upbringing.
“It has been noted for its authentic portrayal of sometimes sensitive topics such as racial disparity and social injustice,” wrote Debra Petish, executive director of curriculum and instruction in a staff report prepared for the upcoming meeting.
According to Petish’s staff report, Laffon’s complaint with the book centers specifically on “sexual material praising masturbation with the use of pornography.”
Following Laffon’s initial complaint about the book, her child’s English teacher offered the student the opportunity to read a different book for the assignment in question. Laffon was reportedly dissatisfied with that option, bringing the complaint to Petish’s office.
“The parent requested that ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian’ a) not be assigned to their student; b) be withdrawn from all student reading lists; and c) that the district should reconsider its inclusion in the curriculum across all schools,” Petish wrote. “The concerns raised by the parent, balanced against the educational value of the book, were carefully considered by the Superintendent’s designee per Board policy.”
Laffon’s request for the book’s removal was ultimately denied by district administration following a review of the book and its age-appropriateness and conformance with district policies and guidelines.
“In evaluating the age appropriateness of ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian’, we referenced assessments from several agencies in conjunction with teacher professional standards,” Petish wrote. “These evaluations consistently suggest the book is suitable for middle to high school students.Grades recommended are as follows: it is generally recommended for grades 7 and up, with Booklist suggesting grades 7-10, Kirkus categorizing it as Young Adult, Publishers Weekly and Common Sense Media recommending it for ages 14 and up, and School Library Journal also indicating grades 7-10.”
The evaluation and decision by district administration also failed to satisfy Laffon, who proceeded to initiate the appeal process to the board of education to request the book’s removal from the district.
“They are requesting that the book be removed from use in the SRVUSD curriculum,” Petish wrote. “The novel, addressing themes like poverty, alcoholism, and racial issues, has been recognized for its educational value and meets SRVUSD book acquisition policies and guidelines.”
Laffon is set to make the case for the book’s removal as an action item at the upcoming meeting, after which the five-member board will vote on whether to uphold or deny the appeal. District administration is recommending that it continue to be available for use in grades nine and up throughout the district’s high schools.
The SRVUSD Board of Education is set to meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday (Feb. 20). The agenda is available here.
In other business
* Trustees are set to provide a public disclosure of the major provisions of a tentative agreement with the San Ramon Valley Education Association, which includes a 6% pay raise for unionized teachers ahead of a vote on the agreement.
* Trustees are set to consider approving proposed changes to the district’s board policy on advertising and promotion.
* The board is set to review and consider approving a report from the 2023 Parcel Tax Oversight Committee.
Any banning of books is absolutely disgusting and for a 9th grade educator who thinks kids do not know about masterbation, etc. has lost their bleeping minds. This book is not about that- it’s about fitting in, being from a different culture and what that entails and the beginnings of someone who is discovering who they are as they are going to fly the coop. I grew up in Phoenix – and when my daughter was given this book by a friend who is a tenured St.Mary’s Professor , I read it after she did (she was still in Jr High in this district), I thought it was a fantastic book. We can get into some of the issues behind the author himself, but not this book and if this book is banned where does the line end with others? Wise up people who want to have their head in the sand- your kids are learning more from social media and their own friends so reading books should be the very last thing banned in schools. K-5 won’t have this book, however, we are still living in a State that believes in the separation of Church and State. To me this proposed ban seems like someone got their panties in a bunch and simply does not want to teach it.
This is coming from a Gen-Xer who was never told I couldn’t read something – because that alone would have made me read it. I’m also the daughter of an educator who promoted reading due to learning about the world and the people and cultures in it. I would have yanked my kid out of this classroom with this teacher in a heartbeat – and filed a huge grievance with the district. What’s next on the chopping block? Maus, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harry Potter and the list goes on.
Just to clarify, there’s no indication that the teacher had a problem with the book. The complaints and appeal on the agenda at tonight’s school board meeting are from a parent.