Is it appropriate to have religious representation on your review committee?

My district insists that a clergy member sit on our materials review committee. It just so happens that this particular member almost always votes against retaining challenged materials. Is it important to have religious representation?

It’s up to the school board to decide the makeup of the materials review committee. The religious community is so strong in some districts that it’s wise to include them. Don’t assume that every clergyperson will always vote against materials that have been challenged. Most will read or view the materials like any other committee member and offer an intelligent and thought-provoking perspective. Their point of view may or may not be shared by other committee members, but it’s important to include their opinion. The school board’s policy should specify the length of service for committee members and set a rotating schedule. That way, there will always be an experienced person on your committee. The clergy position should rotate among the various religious faiths in the community. It’s also a good idea to add a high school or middle school representative to your committee. Student voices are important, too.

Our district requires each of its schools to have a materials review committee, consisting of a principal or assistant principal, teachers, and parents. If somebody challenges a title and disagrees with the school committee’s decision, they’re free to appeal the decision to a district-level committee. What are the advantages and disadvantages of our policy?

Since you’ve asked, I assume that you feel your policy needs to be revised. Policies should be evaluated regularly and changed if they’re not working well. There’s no one policy that fits every district’s needs. Remember, the most important element of a good materials review policy is that all parties have a say.

The benefits of having a school-level policy include the following: (1) a potentially volatile situation may be contained by reasoning with the challenger; (2) the challenge isn’t a direct threat to the district’s other schools; (3) the complainant may be required to read or view the entire work before appealing the committee’s decision; and (4) the challenger may be satisfied with an alternative materials choice, especially if they have felt empowered by the local school.

On the other hand, the problems or liabilities of your policy are: (1) it’s unlikely that a district-level appeal will be made if the challenged materials are removed; (2) faculty committee members may fear retaliation from the administration if a decision proves unpopular; (3) it’s difficult to elicit unbiased views when the committee members are coworkers or parents of students; and (4) a controversial decision could split the school community and damage relationships among teachers and parents.

Even if a district doesn’t have a materials review committee at the school level, most districts require schools to get involved in the first step of a challenge. For example, if somebody challenges a title, they should be encouraged to talk to a teacher or librarian before appealing to the administration. If the issue still can’t be resolved, then a formal challenge must be made in writing.

Last year, our school board decided to allow some of our eighth graders to take a high school English course for credit. Although these 13-year-olds are eager to take the course, many of their parents feel that the literature is too mature for them. Should we revise the curriculum to accommodate their parents?

When it comes to maturity, there’s often not much difference between eighth and ninth graders. Since this particular course carries high school credit, its content is probably the same as a regular ninth-grade English class. Parents who are concerned about the maturity level of the literature in freshman English may elect to have their children wait another year before taking the course.

By the way, every school should offer its gifted middle-school students a challenging curriculum—without expecting them to begin accruing high school credits. That approach gives educators more flexibility in selecting literature. If parents are assured that gifted students are intellectually challenged, then they’ll be more likely to be satisfied that the school is properly serving the needs of their children.