GILROY
– During a forum to discuss the Gilroy High School reading list
Tuesday night, larger issues emerged – namely, that some parents
and teachers consider the book list criteria to be inadequate and
faulty, and they say that the English department lacks a consistent
educational program.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – During a forum to discuss the Gilroy High School reading list Tuesday night, larger issues emerged – namely, that some parents and teachers consider the book list criteria to be inadequate and faulty, and they say that the English department lacks a consistent educational program.
Criticism of the list dates back several years, particularly since a controversy erupted last year and again this spring over Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved,’ required reading for junior English courses. The novel is based on a slave mother who killed one of her children and contains graphic scenes describing rape and bestiality.
Members of the Alliance for Academic Excellence, who have long advocated for a more rigorous reading list, in June called for a forum with English teachers and district officials to discuss the books on the list and the criteria used to choose them.
Some of the major concerns about the reading list expressed by parents at Tuesday’s meeting are: The criteria for choosing required readings are unclear; the list is short on classics or essential prerequisites for college English classes; some books were chosen in a past attempt to “link” novels to social studies themes and have little value in an English class; and the list is particularly weak at the ninth-and 10th-grade levels, with similar themes in many of the books. Many of the books, such as “House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, are considered far below a high school freshman reading level.
The current list is a composite from years past, with new books added at various times by different people and for various reasons, GHS Principal Bob Bravo said.
“There were criteria, but what we haven’t seen in a while is criteria that looks at the books as a whole,” Bravo said, adding that “there are some books that aren’t the best choices.”
The current list of criteria was developed by a group of teachers in August to provide a starting point for the newly formed Reading Literature Advisory Group, charged with examining the reading list and recommending any changes to Bravo. A district policy enacted two years ago requires annual board approval of the book list.
Tuesday night’s parents forum was held so suggestions from the public could be considered at the first-ever meeting of the advisory group on Wednesday.
Based on the concerns that came up, the Alliance is now unsure whether the advisory group – a committee of students, teachers, parents and TJ Owens, as an ‘ex-oficio’ board member – can exact the kind of dramatic improvement they want to see, although they acknowledge that it is a start to the process.
“Now, we see that there’s more involved than just the reading list,” GHS parent Bob Heisey said after attending both meetings. “There’s more that needs to be addressed and somebody needs to address those needs at some point.”
Some parents and English teachers were outraged at apparent gaps in the department’s coursework and teacher resources.
“We don’t have a curriculum,” said Sara Elliott, who teaches junior English and Advanced Placement senior English. “I don’t understand why they’re trying to make the teacher’s job as difficult as possible, and that’s what I feel they’re doing. The curriculum is not concrete enough to say, ‘Well, what must a student have by the time they leave ninth grade.’ ”
Bravo said that the department is in the process of solidifying its coursework content and cited California standards as being the driving force behind the English program.
“We have the state standards, that’s the target we’re working towards,” Bravo said. “The text is the vehicle. … The state standards are the unchanging part of the equation, so the texts plus activities is the curriculum.”
The more individualized teaching method is working, although it can be frustrating to newcomers, some teachers said.
“I can use the standards to drive the curriculum in my classroom,” said Debbie DeWall, who teaches freshman English. “I look at the standards and think, ‘This is what I have to do,’ and as a professional educator, I have to make it work.”
At issue is whether the state standards combined with a reading list can be considered a solid instructional program and whether teachers should be provided with tools like uniform teacher guides, lessons, supplemental readings and testing materials.
“We’re not saying (teachers) aren’t teaching to the standards,” GHS parent Jackie Stevens said. “We’re concerned for new teachers. We don’t want teachers having to make up their own curriculum.”
Parents also said they were frustrated with the tone of Wednesday night’s advisory group meeting, where they were allowed to observe the committee at work, but not contribute. Even the physical setup of the meeting made that clear: The audience sat behind a long table in the back of the College and Career Center to observe the group’s work. At the conclusion of the meeting, parents were allowed to speak for two minutes each, but were not given a response.
“Scheduling the meetings was the right thing to do,” GHS parent Rhoda Bress said. “But the parents felt they were not given respect or the opportunity to participate. The district needs to look at how to better include parents.”
Superintendent Edwin Diaz said the meeting was to allow the advisory group to begin examining the reading list, rather than generate parent feedback.
“(The advisory group is) a process that’s representative of the community and stakeholders,” he said. “If there are other concerns that will come out, then those needs will be addressed.”
The format of the advisory group meetings may be altered to allow for more parent involvement in the future, said Jacki Horejs, assistant superintendent of educational services.
“This is a process. I think we’re staying committed to involving parents based on the comments that were made,” Horejs said.
Many of the Alliance members acknowledged that this week’s meetings were a start to the kind of improvement they are hoping to see. But they were left feeling unsure of how much the advisory group would be able to accomplish without first considering some of parents’ more basic concerns about the English program as a whole.
“The chronological order of things is not correct here,” Bress said. “There are certain key questions about the list that came out (of the meetings). I want the process to be put on hold until some of the bigger questions can be answered.”
