HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-04-04, Page 43Teachers fight for books
BY JEFF SEDDON
If teachers in Huron
county want to use
controversial material in
classrooms they better be
prepared to fight for it.
The Huron county
board of education
agreed in principle
Monday to a policy that
will make teachers,
department heads and
principals•responsible for
handling complaints and
criticisms of material
used in county
classrooms.
The endorsement of the
policy was given after
director of education
John Cochrane gave the
board an example of a
policy designed to handle
complaints. Cochrane
told the board he had
drafted a policy too be
presented to the board
and had taken it to
teachers and department
heads for their com-
ments. He said the
teachers agreed with the
intent of the policy . but
felt that some changes
should be made in the
director's model before
-the policy was adopted.
- The director said
teachers had' some
"housekeeping
suggestions" •for the
policy to clear up vague
areas. He said he hoped
to have the changes made
for the May board
meeting but wanted the
board to give some in-
dication if it supported
the idea of putting
teachers in charge of
40's look.
The look of the 40's was apparent In, the
new styles shown at the spring fashion
show sponsored by the Lueknow Kinettes.
Straight skirts as featured in this two piece
dress suit from Shirley's House of Fashion,
.Wingham, were one of the influences frons
the 40's. For women, narrow -legged pants
and yelled hats and for men the look brings
narrower lapels tin jackets and ties.
defending material they
use.
"Which route does the
board want to take?"
Cochrane asked. "Do you
want complaints to go
back to the source or do
you want to deal with
them right off the top?"
The policy is aimed at
preventing •further
headaches for trustees
trying .to defend
classroom material the
board approved for use.
Under the present system
teachers recommend
material to department
heads, department heads
and principals send that
recommendation on to
the board and the board
approves it for use. In
many cases the . board
takes the teacher's word.
that the material is
suitable and does not,
screen it.
Cochrane indicated
that the policy should
help to prevent problems
the board had over.
English literature novels
used in the county. The
novels thatcame under
fire, The Diviners by
Margaret Laurence,
Catcher in the Rye by
J.D. Salinger and Of Mice
and Men by John
Steinbeck, stirred a
controversy in the county
that is still a thorn in the
board's side.
Cochrane's suggestion
would require and parent
or ratepayer with a
complaint about.
classroom' . material to
take that complaint to the
school their child attends.
The complaint would be
handled bythe teacher,
department head and
principal of the school: If
no suitable arrangement
can be worked out the
matter would be sent to`"
the board tobe handled
discreetly. Cochrane said
he hoped the policy would
enable individual con-
cerns of,, ratepayers to
stay glow .key and not
become county wide
issues,
Seaforth trustee John
Henderson said the
system of approving
material for classroom
use had been taken away
from trustees. He said it
seems "trustees don't
have anythjng to say
anymore" pointing out
that books that come to
the board for approval
get there a month before
school starts. He said the
board has little , op-
portunity to make any
changes in the list of
approved materials.
Board chairman John
Elliott explained that the
material for classroom
use is sent to a committee
of the board and that
committee makes
recommendations to the
board:. Hesaid approvals°
have to be made by the
whole board giving all
trustees a chance to
comment.
Goderich trustee Dave
Gower said he had not
had an opportunityto
study the implications of
the policy and asked it be
tabled: He said he had not
received the material
provided on the policy
until just before meeting
time and had not had an
opportunity : to study it.
He said he felt the
decision was important:
enough to have all
problems trustees had
clarified:
Gower said ` . one
problem he had was
understanding what
materials the board
approves and what is
approved by the ministry
of education.
Cochrane said the
ministry approves tex-
tbooks in subjects like
mathematics,' science
and history leaving
decisions on English
literature novels up to
individual boards. He
pointed out that material
the ministry approves "is
usually. not , too con-
troversial".
Lpdceow Sentinel, Wedacsday• Aped 11, 1979 -Pae 15
A
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