Banned book lesson thrusts Oklahoma teacher into campaign

[Jilly_in_VA]

Summer Boismier was living her childhood dream. She grew up a bookworm, became a high school English teacher, and filled both her classroom and home with her favorite literature.

She taught her students: “Stories are what is fundamental about the human experience. We all have them.”

Boismier especially loves the fantasy genre, a passion sprouted from childhood favorite “Harry Potter.” But even in a world of fantasy, she couldn’t have dreamed that a lesson from her English class would land her in the center of a vigorous statewide political campaign and turn her into a target for candidates and voters on social media.

Over the past two years, the nine-year teaching veteran was growing alarmed with the Republican-controlled Oklahoma Legislature’s increasing efforts to restrict access to books in public schools. In her classroom, she covered some bookshelves with red butcher tape and labeled them “Books the state doesn’t want you to read.” She gave students a QR code link to the Brooklyn Public Library, which provides access to a variety of banned books.
She hoped to spark a discussion about the legislators’ book restrictions and a new law prohibiting lessons on critical race theory and other concepts about race and gender. Instead, she was summoned to a meeting with school administrators after a parent complained.

She hoped to spark a discussion about the legislators’ book restrictions and a new law prohibiting lessons on critical race theory and other concepts about race and gender. Instead, she was summoned to a meeting with school administrators after a parent complained.

A firestorm erupted as Boismier resigned and a reporter from a local television station covered the story. The state’s Republican candidate for superintendent of public schools, Ryan Walters, wrote a letter to the State Board of Education calling for Boismier’s teaching license to be revoked.

https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-entertainment-education-social-media-oklahoma-2a0efaa9fbd485df4e8657e2b95b901a?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=TopNews&utm_campaign=position_09

While this story has a happy ending, a lot of them don't. This crap has to be STOPPED.

[vlyons]

1. So much for free speech

Ditto for free thought too.

[cbabe]

2. "If we could indoctrinate children, we'd have them bring a pencil to class," Qualls said. "If we had

“If we could indoctrinate children, we’d have them bring a pencil to class,” Qualls said. “If we had the power to brainwash kids, we’d have them do their homework.”

[Jilly_in_VA]

3. Okies gonna Okie

That is by no means a slam at all people in Oklahoma, just the willfully ignorant a-holes.

[hildegaard28]

4. We need to start

calling these kinds of laws thought crimes legislation and attacking them as serious curbs on constitutional liberties. That is what they are, after all. If only we could get Democrats on national and local radio and tv shows to repeat the phrase "Republican thought crimes legislation" every time these questions come up it could actually make people think. We should also refer to people pushing this nonsense as the Christian Taliban.