Below is a letter to the Editors of the Lowell Ledger and Lowell’s First Look regarding the ongoing efforts of a small group of disrupters to use the school libraries as a political tool. Written and submitted by Steve Gough, LHS Principal & Parent and Christine Beachler, LAS Library Media Director
Open Letter to the Lowell Community
The Lowell Area Schools libraries are the learning hubs of our school district. They are busy places where students can go to relax, hear a story read aloud, work individually or in groups, get tutoring, use technology resources, find a book, read, or any number of activities. They support academic achievement while helping students become lifelong learners and lifelong readers. Libraries help develop this love of reading by providing safe places for all to feel valued, welcomed and represented, where they can find books that specifically match their interests. The dedicated LAS library staff works hard to inspire, motivate, entertain, encourage, and challenge Lowell students by choosing books which represent all areas of interest, reading levels, learning styles, and curricular needs.
With almost 4000 LAS students and over 125,000 library books, maintaining book collections containing something for everyone is a complicated balance. A book may be the perfect fit for one student but not appropriate for another, either in terms of content or reading level. Our library staff continually studies the district’s collections and updates them based on the newest curricular topics, newest best sellers, student and teacher suggestions, and various book reviewing sources. LAS library staff also utilize several criteria for rating the appropriateness of books available in the collections. The industry standard which results in most K-8 grade-level titles being rated Juvenile and most 9-12 grade-level titles rated YA (Young Adult). In addition, all book choices must fall within LAS School Board policies which follow the standards for public school districts. Board policy also offers parents the opportunity to restrict their student’s access to any book, topic, genre or material they believe conflict with their beliefs or values. Parents also have a mechanism to formally challenge a book title they do not feel belongs in the school library collection. Anyone interested in reading the Board of Education’s policies regarding curriculum, materials and books can find them on the LAS website. All of this information has also appeared in each LAS school building’s newsletter and makes it very clear that parents have complete control over the books their children check out from LAS libraries.
In spite of these clearly-stated policies, there remains a small group of parents who claim the district’s library collections contain obscene and even pornographic materials that are readily available to every LAS student. These accusations are patently false, but members of this group have been stridently outspoken at Board Meetings, in the media and on social media platforms, attacking district staff, administrators and school board members by name. To date, not a single book has been challenged via the district’s established book review procedure. Yet this group’s accusations remain.
Instead of utilizing LAS policies to officially challenge district library materials, the group members use public comment time at board meetings to read the most salacious excerpts they can find from books in the district’s collection. They misrepresent which libraries the books are in, which students have access to these books, and ignore the fact that in order to be considered obscene a work must be taken in whole, not in part.
The parent group seems to be pushing a particular political agenda and want everyone to believe that only their definition of what constitutes appropriate reading materials should be used in Lowell schools. Under the guise of wanting to “protect all children,” they insinuate that they alone are qualified to review and rate the district’s collections and decide for ALL LAS stakeholders which books are appropriate. Despite the fact that the district uses its trained library staff, industry standards and book review experts to guide the selection and placement process, the parent group seems to believe all other parents, students and staff should trust them to guide the process instead.
We felt the need to respond to these baseless attacks in order to support our school board, administration and staff; good people who have dedicated their time, energy and expertise to benefiting the students and families in the Lowell school district. These professionals deserve to be treated respectfully and with a tremendous amount of gratitude for jobs well done. The inappropriate social media behavior and mean-spirited comments from this small group of parents are counterproductive to our educational goals of putting students first and instilling the love of reading. We feel it is time to concentrate on teaching and learning and turn the focus back to educating students.
Steve Gough Christine Beachler
LHS Principal & Parent LAS Library Media Director
Link to add your signature of support:
Community supporters of this message currently include:
Chaye Klomparens
Kathy Homer
Phil Beachler
Jeffrey Larsen
Katelynd Pulver
Julie Pelletier
Lindsay Bredin
Eric Bredin
Maggie Duimstra
Margaret Tuori
Kim Lum
Chelsey Liu
Robert VanderJagt
Leah M Groves
Sarah Murray
Heather Gray
Jason Liley
Emily Liley
Amy Velazco-Snell
Kaitlyn Richardson
Julie Schulz
Claire Vandenburg
Coletta Brown
Dawn Emelander
Shelly MacNaughton
Scott MacNaughton
Sarah Thompson
Anna Mainero
Sherri Billock
Allison Butkus
Parker Liu
Theresa DeWit
Elaine Buehner
Nicole Lintemuth
Sean Staudacher
Chloe Bayer
Jared Kellum
Elizabeth Sparks
Grey Grooters
David Kapolka
Jodie Seese
Rick Seese
Kristin Schutte
Carol Hovinga
Nancy Misner
Jack Misner
Sherri Billock
Shelli Otten
Freeman Billock
Erin Foltz
Antosha Duczkowski-Oxley
Emily Betz
Meg March
Sandy Liu
Mandi M Moore
Jaclyn Stouten
Brian Hook
Taylor Hook
Daven Donald
Susan Snell
Mike DeVore
Emily Cannon
Amy LeClaire
Dan Mooney
Tara DeRuiter
Lindsey O’Connor
Melissa Martin
Connie Uramkin
Melissa Tichelaar
Dorothy Anible
Sarah Allchin
David Brandt
Erin Brandt
Laurie Summerfield
Shannon Goodwin
Josh Rose
Kristin Mooney
Matt Richardson
Emma Wikstrom
Marci Billock
Sara Hood
Kortney Beachler
Hillary Coaker
Abigail Sweeney
Jailine Gomez
Whitney Hoard
Jill VanAntwerp
Chris VanAntwerp
Emily Judd
Matthew Beachler
Ted Kushion
Deb Kushion
Misty McClure-Anderson
Matthew Block
Melissa Catanach
Kate Bredwell
Anne Douglass
Amy Boston
Jennifer Barnes
Melissa Block
Bobbie Minier
Teresa Kiser
Ashley Velzen
Annie McMahon Whitlock
Katie Coxon
Al Eckman
Philip Haagensen
Erin Lyons
Leighann Kohl
Melissa Lancaster
Jennifer Wheaton
Maddi Emelander
Judy Guider
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Kristen Yeary
Michelle Chrisman
Dan Chrisman
Sue Wilterink
Jennifer Jackson
Valerie Giuliano
Carol Thomson Webb
Ann Nichols
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Dan Chrisman
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Valerie Giuliano
Carol Thomson Webb
Ann Nichols
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Terry Raymor
Vicki Danielson
James Thomas Danielson
James Franklin Danielson
Karen Burd
Megan Getz
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Justin Tatge
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Ethel Stears
Amy Boston
Amber Waldecker
Peter Schmidt
Monica Duczkowski
Donald Duczkowski
Sue Johnston
Tami Heckaman
Robin Fox
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Jack Heckaman
Greg Briggs
Mark Weaver
Sandy VanStee
Margaret Hoats
Erin Brandt
David Brandt
Julie Smith
Deborah Riley
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Jacoba Briggs-Limbers
Patrick Hendrick
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Dr. Gregory Forbes
Ann Forbes
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Carmen Spike
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Paul Mundt
Anne Miller
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Jessica Haveman
Carrie Moskal
Jake Kutilek
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Professor Sharon Wynkoop
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Rachel Francisco
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Keith Golinski
Laurie McKee
Elizabeth Malartsik
Gretchen Ballema
Kelly Lester
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Kenneth Ballems
Merrie Smit
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Sarah Allchin
Mary Bommarito
Diane and Roger LaWarre
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Perry Beachum
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Chris judge
Jackson MacNaughton
Sue Clements
Mike Curtis
Trudy Cahoon
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Dale Latva
Karen Latva
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Noelle Rottier
James Christians
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Shelley Swift
Elizabeth Couture
Jen Conner
Nancy Richter
Amy Gless
Bonnie Norment-Anderson
Maureen Kissinger
Courtney Young
Sariah Ross-Malach
Kristie Whaley
Deborah Riley
MarcyMerritt
Bisera Riordan
Clay VanderWarf
Sara Duczkowski
Janel Hafer
Kelley Stewart
Casey Saylor
Judy Mitchell
Kimberly VanBelois-Smith
Carrie Vonderheide
Danielle Churchill
Genevieve McDaniels
Lisa Plank
Lori Cyrocki
Erin Matlosz
Linne Bunn
Mindy Tiede
Ella Dougherty
Carey Hamel
Michele Morrell
Michelle Schaedig
Diane Hamel
John Hamel
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Gratia Lee
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Andrew Sargent
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Jon Ballema
Keana Fahrni
Debra Helmes
Paul Cummings
Janet McCarthy-Fabis
Erin Meendering
Lacey Charboneau
Bill Ingraham
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Colleen Miller
Brooke Miller
Juston Miller
Camille DeBoer
Courtney Willard
Evan Way
Audrey Soyka
Heidi Greer
Nancy Raymor
Brian VanVeelen
Shannon Todd
Cinda Quilitzsch
Vicki Vairet
Jennifer Hall
Bobbie White
Tuesday Gough
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Gail Hutchinson
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Tom Burradell
Michelle Tackmann
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Gen McDaniels
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Ray Wolfe
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Ken Dalga
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Bradley VanderJagt
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Tony Ellison
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Susan McDonald
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Sarah Ellis
Scott Hall
Kyle Holst
Jill Kirkpatrick
Bruce VanderJagt
Craig Fonger
Deborah MacDonald
Barbara Wismer
Tony Oxley
Amanita Fahrni
Robert Fahrni
Suzanne Carr
Jamee Willemstein
Kandice Way
Kylie Golden
Mary Carmichael
Roxanne Goff
Julie DeVoe
Alan Halbeisen
Bruce St. Pierre
Lyndsey Graham
Kristin Triplett
Kris Rickert
Bruce St. Pierre
Debra Helmes
Paul Cummings
Janet McCarthy-Fabis
Erin Meendering
Lacey Charboneau
Bill Ingraham
Alexandra McMahon
Colleen Miller
Brooke Miller
Juston Miller
Camille DeBoer
Courtney Willard
Evan Way
Audrey Soyka
Terry Raymor
Nancy Raymor
Brian VanVeelen
Shannon Todd
Cinda Quilitzsch
Vicki Vairet
Jennifer Hall
Bobbie White
Tuesday Gough
Logan McLeod
Shelly Severts
Andrew Sargent
Abby Wiseman
Phyllis Plumley
Nancy Dood
Janet Buche
Julie Niemela
Barbara Anderson
Rachel Millhisler
Kara Swayze
Jon Ballema
Keana Fahrni
Philip Haagensen
Erin Lyons
Nancy Wills
Mark Weaver
Stephanie Weaver
Kristen Redell
Sara Taylor
Cheryl Smith
Denise Stepanovich
Shannon Kennedy
Kate Henige
Jacob Henige
Terri Gless Steffens
Dan Thaler
Megan Taratuta
Colleen Nisbet
Daniel Taratuta
Victoria Pratt
Michael Bosch
Courtney Rickstad
James Gray
Rebecca Gray
Bridget Gray
Kimberly Smith
Jessica McLeod-Sopczynski