GILROY
– Members of the high school’s reading list advisory group took
small steps toward creating a book selection criteria list Thursday
night, over the objection of some parents.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – Members of the high school’s reading list advisory group took small steps toward creating a book selection criteria list Thursday night, over the objection of some parents.
The progress made by the group was again criticized by parents in the Alliance for Academic Excellence and some teachers who have long claimed that the Reading Literature Advisory Group is ineffective, both in terms of how it was set up and now in the way it is doing its work.
Principal Bob Bravo called Thursday’s specially scheduled meeting of RLAG to try to keep to the original timeline of completing a criteria and recommended reading list by Thanksgiving. However, with the group only partly through the criteria list, that deadline will not be met.
Parents have asked that the advisory group be disbanded, at least until a textbook is chosen.
“It was clear from the discussion at the board meeting that this high school is going to adopt an anthology-based program,” said parent Bob Heisey. “It seems that this committee should be deciding which books are necessary after the adoption of the anthology to fill in the gaps that the English department might see in the anthology-based program.”
Changes to the reading list will not happen next semester, Bravo said.
“Now that we’re taking a look at piloting textbooks … we don’t really have much familiarity with what the textbooks have in them, and I think that will affect our (novel) selections,” Bravo said.
During a test-run of two textbooks next semester, teachers can begin thinking about list revisions, he said. The Reading Literature Advisory Group’s criteria will be used by teachers – or the group, if it decides to re-convene – to recommend a revised list to the school board next spring.
“So choosing wouldn’t happen during piloting, but I think the beginning of the discussion will take place,” Bravo said.
Still, advisory group members worked on criteria Thursday night while parents hemmed, chuckled, sighed and even exclaimed in turn from the back of the room, at times to the point of distracting the group.
In previous meetings, the group has split into three smaller clusters to revise selection criteria, each bringing their ideas to facilitator Juanita Contin at the end of the meeting. Contin used each group’s suggestions to revise three different criteria lists. Thursday, the objective was to combine all three lists into one.
Contin instructed the group to vote on the various proposed criteria using a method called the “fist of five.” Rather than vote by roll-call or a single “yes” or “no,” voters raise their hands, either open or as a fist. Or they raised individual fingers to represent how much or how little they support an issue.
Agreement is declared when at least 80 percent of group members hold up at least three fingers.
Some parents and group members took issue with the “fist of five” system, saying that minority viewpoints can easily be dismissed.
“I definitely have a fear that the utility of the thing will be compromised,” English teacher Jane Singleton said.
Also, only nine of the group’s 13 members were present – fewer than 80 percent.
“It could end up being a totally subjective evaluation instrument in the hands of a person who is motivated by an under-the-surface agenda that could be used to select any book regardless of its literary merit,” Singleton said. “But I also will be very happy if it doesn’t turn out that way.”
Some agreements came easily, after discussion and rewording, and others came grudgingly, such as the decision to exclude from the criteria checklist the College Board Short List of 10 books every high school graduate should read. The College Board’s 101 Great Books and the American Library Association’s Outstanding Books for the College Bound will be considered.
Parent Rhona Chan suggested the group recommend using at least four books from the short list, or an average of one per year.
Some group members said that, since GHS already uses six of the books from the list, that recommendation is unnecessary.
“We are already teaching six of the 10 books, so we know those won’t get lost,” said parent Debra Strunk.
After a vote, the short list was removed from the criteria over the objection of Singleton and one-fifth of an endorsement from Chan.
Speaking during the public comments portion of the meeting, Mark Zappa, an Alliance parent in the audience, objected to removing the list simply because six of the books are already on the high school’s list.
“That’s assuming that this book list is not going to change. Surely, if the anthology is selected, you’re going to want to tie those books to the anthology,” GHS parent Mark Zappa said during the public comments time. “That book list will change, therefore, I think that that needs to be considered … I think it is important to specify (in the criteria) that some of these books will be taught.”
Another of the Alliance’s concerns in revising the list has been eliminating the linking of novels to social studies themes, something which Bravo has acknowledged led to weaknesses in the list. As the group discussed keeping the short list, Strunk asked whether linking would continue.
Contin indicated it would, to the vigorous head-shaking of parents in the audience, who were upset that the mistake was not corrected before the discussion moved on.
“If the group is not tied to that … there needs to be clarity on that,” parent Jackie Stevens said.