Petitioning the "RFH Reading Assignments, Rumson NJ 07760" Petition

Appalled. I went to my 30th high school reunion, and guess which teacher we were all talking about.. Mrs. Jobs! Mrs. Jobs who taught us Canterbury Tales. Mrs. Jobs, who had to listen to angry parents who didn't think it was appropriate that kids read bawdy stuff that discussed sex and, gasp! FARTS. 30 YEARS LATER, I was at a high school reunion and we all remembered her. Remembered the teacher, and the book, and the discussions that made us think. How Dare local parents try to make better decisions than our teachers. I trust Rumson Fair Haven teachers and educators to know how to engage our students. Frankly, maybe some of neighbors need to go back to school to learn how to think. I'm embarrassed that Rumson Fair Haven is on the map for this reason. Take note, hyper competitive parents: Colleges don't WANT your narrowminded kids. Because they know that narrowminded parents come with those kids. And in a competitive market for exclusive college applications, why on earth would they want a student who already is biased and doesn't know how to discuss and doesn't know how to think for him or herself? If I were a kid applying to college, I would get myself noticed by stressing that "I, unlike some of my peers, came from a family that valued discussion and reading and books." Katy Frissora

What is happening to this school? I really thought this had to be a joke. Appalling

Book banning is not the answer. How about people have a conversation with their child at home before and after they read the book to address anything they feel their children may misunderstand or find inappropriate. Explaining to a child the reason why you think the material is offensive is far more effective than censoring it. They are more likely to get your point than if you just tell them it's bad, and they shouldn't even know about it. Banning a book is like putting up a wall around our children in an effort to "protect" them, but in reality it shuts out the things they need.

Class of 1987

SMH

As a high school English teacher, I am terrified by the idea of banning books in 2015, and equally dismayed by the messages these parents are explicitly and implicitly sending their children. Caitlin Waters, your response is excellent, relevant, and appreciated by this teacher who has just started The Handmaid's Tale with her seniors.

Any form of censorship happening in a public space is something to guard against.

We are better than this. Knowledge is the path to success - discuss books - don't ban them. My goal is to put more books into people's hands and hearts - not less!

I find the RFH parents petition to be absolutely ridiculous. I can guarantee their children have already been exposed to "those words" that they have issues with that they listed in their petition. They need to get over it and get a reality check.

1984 :)

Fahrenheit 451

I'm completely repulsed that this is how parents at RFH are reacting to Dorfman's play. Yes, there is some inappropriate language used in the story, however Dorfman's message would not be heard without it. There have also been other books read at the school that have used similar language yet those were never a problem. Teenagers will hear this language and learn about these things one way or another, so isn't it better to learn about them in an educational environment? Also, the excuse some parents are using by saying their children are acting out more by using language they heard from the book and what not, is completely ridiculous. With all due respect, it is highly unlikely that your child is just learning this language from Dorfman's play and is just starting to act in a crass manner. To all the parents that are working to ban this incredible, thought-provoking play, please take a minute to read through these comments and truly think about why you are doing this. Ignorance will help no one.

Hi Siobhan, I had a chance to read the letter that you wrote to the RFH community suggesting that certain books be banned from the English curriculum. I have an immense amount of respect for you as a member of our community, which is why I am taking this opportunity to engage with you. While I wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiment of banning books (as do the vast majority of students in our community), that is actually not what I want to talk to you about. I want to talk to you about your perspective on sex and gender. The mentality behind your argument for banning these books seems to be that sex is inherently shameful, which is actually more harmful to students, particularly female students, than reading a sexually explicit scene in a coed classroom. I am going to use lines from your initial email as framework for this discourse. “Is it age appropriate and teaching respect to describe an affair where the protagonist "shot wetly on to her stomach?"” Nothing about that scene from Cal or the particular action you are referencing is, in itself, disrespectful. In fact, I urge you to reread the excerpt because it is actually an incredibly respectful sexual interaction. There is consent, communication, and concern for mutual pleasure. Compare this eloquently written scene with the pornographic videos that students already have access to and view regularly online. I can guarantee that you will find very little consent, communication, or concern for mutual pleasure in any of those materials. And as you can imagine, our young women are disproportionately hurt by the pervasive cultural and sexual norms that develop from such internet pornography. To further address your implication that the act of ejaculating on someone’s stomach is somehow synonymous with not teaching respect, let it be said; the only thing that makes sex disrespectful is when an action is non-consensual. You can have kissing that is disrespectful if one party is trying to say no and

Class of 2004

I hope that the administration recognizes the importance of the literature that people are asking to remove from the curriculum. As an alumni of RFH, I value the books we read in our English classes. They were occasionally graphic or sexual, but they allowed us to explore different types of writing; classic writing that had the ability to teach things you can't just learn in a classroom. I feel that it's disgusting that parents don't feel they can trust their high school aged children.

Really? Banning books, RFH? I didnt realize RFH relocated to the Third Reich

Let's not regress. It's 2015, the kardashians are more harmful to your kids than summer reading. Get a grip.

Have some faith in your children.

Books should never be banned, high school is a time to tackle tough subjects, many of which the students have or will potentially deal with in the future.

Censorship is the the enemy of learning. Banning books of any kind is an extremely dangerous proposition and not something that should happen in any free and civilized country.