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In a controversy with a familiar ring, parents of a Lexington second-grader are protesting that their son's teacher read a fairy tale about gay marriage to the class without warning parents first.
The teacher at Joseph Estabrook Elementary School used the children's book, ''King & King," as part of a lesson about different types of weddings. A prince marries another prince instead of a princess in the book, which was on the American Library Association's list of the 10 most challenged books in 2004 because of its homosexual theme.
''My son is only 7 years old," said Lexington parent Robin Wirthlin, who complained to the school system last month and will meet with the superintendent next week. ''By presenting this kind of issue at such a young age, they're trying to indoctrinate our children. They're intentionally presenting this as a norm, and it's not a value that our family supports."
She complained more than a year after Lexington parent David Parker was arrested for trespassing, because he refused to leave the Estabrook school grounds until administrators allowed him to opt his son out of discussions about families with same-sex parents. The latest incident has renewed the efforts of Waltham-based Parents' Rights Coalition to rid the state's schools of books and lessons that relate to homosexuality, and led the school system to reemphasize its stance on teaching about gay marriage and related issues as part of larger lessons on diversity and tolerance.
Lexington Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash said Estabrook has no legal obligation to notify parents about the book. ''We couldn't run a public school system if every parent who feels some topic is objectionable to them for moral or religious reasons decides their child should be removed," he said. ''Lexington is committed to teaching children about the world they live in, and in Massachusetts same-sex marriage is legal."
Ash, who became superintendent this school year, wrote a memo to parents in September defending the system's philosophy of teaching diversity. His memo, which clarified the state's parental notification law, stemmed from the controversy with Parker. Schools are required to notify parents of lessons on sex education and give them the right to opt out, but in Lexington, sex education doesn't begin until fifth grade, Ash said.
Parker had objected to a ''diversity book bag" that his son brought home from kindergarten. The bag included ''Who's in a Family?," a book that depicted same-sex couples along with other types of families.
In ''King & King," two princes kiss at the end of the book, which was first published in the Netherlands then translated into English and published by the Berkeley, Calif.-based Tricycle Press in 2002. The book was written for children ages 6 and older, the publisher said. Tricycle Press also published ''Who's in a Family?"
''Tricycle Press is proud to have published 'King & King' ," said Laura Mancuso, the company's marketing and publicity manager in an e-mail in response to questions from the Globe. ''It features an unconditional love that ignores conventional boundaries. There are many kinds of families in this country, and the children in these families and their friends deserve to see their situations in a positive light."
Mancuso said the publisher first received complaints about the book in 2004 when a North Carolina couple objected to their first-grade daughter bringing it home from the school library. Last year, an Oklahoma legislator used the book as an example of why children's library collections should have new restrictions. The Lexington teacher borrowed the book from the school library.
The two protests in Lexington illustrate the need for a broader parental notification law in the state, said Brian Camenker, president of the Parents' Rights Coalition. Camenker provided the language for a 1996 Massachusetts law that requires schools to notify parents of lessons on sex education and is pushing for the addition of sexual orientation to the topics requiring notification.
The pending bill would also require all parents to sign forms allowing their children to participate in such lessons instead of asking those who are offended to opt out, said Camenker, a Newton parent whose group is fighting same-sex marriage and opposes what it calls the ''homosexual agenda" in public schools. The Wirthins contacted his group for help in dealing with Lexington schools.
Your creation is seriously f'ing things up down here....dmp said:Please, God...show up quickly.
Bonnie said:Yeah it just keeps getting worse it seems.
dilloduck said:There you go---trying to impose your Christian values on everyone again.
oh ya--and establishing a theocracy too!
Bonnie said:I KNOW!! What could I be thinking..that parents actually have say in what their children are taught about sex? I'd better get with the new "program"
dilloduck said:What would be real cool is if schools actually taught stuff instead of being therapy groups.
I'd throw in some creative outlets, like Music or Art...Bonnie said:What a novel idea, Reading, Writing, and Math, and leave the parenting about morals and socializing up to the parents..... You may be on to something here Dillo
The ClayTaurus said:I'd throw in some creative outlets, like Music or Art...
:wank:GotZoom said:School budgets are dwindling. Funds are cut across the board for all these "extra" activities that are deemed un-important. Health, creativity, etc...just a waste of time.
They need to save money so they can buy "I Have Two Daddies," "King & King," and other important books to teach our kids diversity.
Bonnie said:But Zoom how do you really feel about this?
I agree 100% there is an obvious motive here, if it isn't apparent to everyone by now then they need a lobatomy.
GotZoom said:I admit I can be somewhat subtle at times.
Unfortunately, I think a lot of parents don't care. Their kids are at school - which has become a babysitting service for a lot of parents. These parents don't care if homework is done, don't show up for Parent-Teacher conferences, pay no attention to report cards, don't monitor what kind of music or TV shows their kids are watching. They don't enforce bed-time hours or even punish their kids.
All this goes back to parental responsibility. One mother bitching about the book will result in nothing.
However, if 100 parents starting complaining, something would be done.
Bonnie said:if it isn't apparent to everyone by now then they need a lobatomy.
It's hard to believe, but, I think what Zoom said is true. Too many parents really don't care.Bonnie said:Sometimes I wonder what it takes to get parents motivated. Im not even a parent yet and I'd be at those school board meetings screaming!!
Some I have met do care about if the kids are safe, fed, clothed, and not sick, but that's where it ends. Moral, intellectual, and emotional development are not even on the program. And they think I am a little nuts for having objections to stuff.
mom4 said:It's hard to believe, but, I think what Zoom said is true. Too many parents really don't care.
mom4 said:It's hard to believe, but, I think what Zoom said is true. Too many parents really don't care.
GotZoom said:Parents are leaving the moral, intellectual and emotional development of their children to the schools.
A tragic, tragic mistake.[/QUOTE
unfortunately this is true. I have 4 children in the school system and my wife and I take a very strong interst in our childrens education.
I would like to add that when you take a vested interest, the schools will sometimes label you as a trouble maker even when you are not over the top or are just looking out for your childs well being.
We deffinitely need to get back to the basics!!!!
this is how I feel when dealing with the schools (sometimes)
