I reside in Richland with two children in the Pine-Richland school system. As a veteran ELA teacher in a neighboring district, I have absolute confidence in our ELA teachers -- knowledgeable, dedicated and empathetic professionals who consistently contribute to near-perfect Literature Keystone scores.
Some school board members believe all students should read "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1960). As the community continually anticipates learning their reasoning, noneducators may not realize that a novel may become less essential as our society evolves.
Maybe teachers can't responsibly teach the origins of systemic racism and the n-word due to time micromanagement. Maybe students don't want to be reminded of an absent parent. Maybe students don't want to read about an addict because they live it every day. Maybe a child's narrative perspective is unrelatable while desperately navigating newfound adulthood. Maybe minority students shouldn't be taught they can't win -- even when they do everything right -- and are always in grave danger.