Scarlet Letters

State legislation and new policies are changing the way students, teachers, staff, and parents interact with both information and each other. With Don’t Say Gay laws, book banning, and critique of the AP Psychology curriculum in Florida, we have entered a time of hesitation when it comes to controversial subject matter. 

What does Waukee think? Certain restrictions affect what teachers and staff can do or say, and furthermore, the banning of books attempts to control what students can and can’t read. 

A recent addition to the Iowa legislature, Senate File 496, was introduced by Gov. Kim Reynolds on May 26, 2023. This piece of legislation forbids instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in grades Kindergarten through sixth grade. The state also pulled certain titles from schools, including:

• Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
•  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

At Waukee, Senate File 496 mainly affects the novels that students may find in the library and restricts the novels that teachers can include in their curriculum. Here at Waukee, it doesn’t affect the class curriculum as much. However, the question is: what does this mean for the future? With another round of legislature restricting specific language within the classroom, certain subjects (such as race, sexuality, and gender) are becoming more taboo than others, and the symbolism of the call to ban books should not be overlooked. Both students and staff have their concerns regarding the changing dialogue around us.

Prior to 2022, the Waukee High School library seldom needed to take books off of shelves due to district demands or parental concerns. “With the passing of Senate File 496, WHS removed additional books in order to be compliant with the law,” Says Jennifer O’Connor.

From a librarian’s perspective, Ms. O’Connor expresses that she disagrees with the notion that the banning of books might fulfill the goal of protecting students from certain subjects. 

O’Connor says, “Contrary to the spreading narrative, students are not coming to the library to read books with examples of “sex acts.” If minors want to access information on certain topics, they have access to phones, personal devices, and/or other technology. The idea that school library books and teacher librarians are the problem is both false and insulting.

No books should be banned. It is part of our First Amendment rights. However, certain books are appropriate for certain ages of people, which teacher librarians know and adhere to when ordering books.”

The Waukee student body ranges from reluctant to passionate about the topic. The students speak for themselves:

Senior Alek Graham says, “To be completely honest, If someone is interested in learning more about these topics, they have the ability to learn more about it. Things like book banning and removing gender and sexual orientation from the curriculum are not required subjects to learn about other than basic sexual health and safety. If they want to discuss their sexuality or gender, they need to talk to someone paid and who focuses on that specific topic like a counselor to discuss what to further do.”

Other students have a different perspective:

Senior Mays Al Sharqi poses her opinion, stating: “I think this legislation is a threat to education, and the idea that kids will be “protected” from true information/different perspectives is extremely harmful. These things can lead to bigotry and discriminatory views.”

Senior Madeline Ortiz has a historical frame of reference for this matter:

“Book banning has never been effective, when the printing press came out in Germany and the Roman Catholic Church issued bans, people printed them under different names. When book bans are issued in school, people go to the library, read it on Kindle, or search it up on Sparknotes or Common Sense Media. I feel like protect is such a subjective term, determined by the parent.” She said.

Ortiz further explains her experience, “I read The Great Gatsby, the Outsiders, Killing Mr. Griffin, The Bluest Eye, and The Handmaid’s Tale in the classroom, some with group discussion and others without. Books with a purpose more than just to entertain should never be treated lightly, but thoughtfully and without prejudice. Classes are just the place to do this because they surround you with different opinions, values, and perspectives that only enhance the reading. An educator to moderate these conversations is also necessary because they can answer questions, make sure conversations are on topic, and prevent them from becoming arguments (like what we see in the adults deciding this legislature) rather than the respectful, thoughtful discussions they should be.”

ELA Teachers at Waukee are more restricted in what books and discussions they can have in their classrooms. Topics like gender, sexuality, drugs, and mental health, that may be relatable or informative to students, are under scrutiny. These topics appear to be banned simply for their contents, rather than for how they are discussed in classrooms. 

Kristin Beeson, English teacher at Waukee, stays transparent in her teaching. She publishes her reading list for parents and makes an effort to inform students about possible triggering or difficult subjects they may come across while reading. In her classroom, she provides videos with background on the novels her students read.

“I think there is a lot of forethought that should go into teaching controversial books,” Beeson said. 

Beeson urges readers to “Be open to conversations,” and sets an example for other educators faced with the issue of controversial topics. 

So far, Waukee High School remains vigilant in the face of change. Staff and teachers do their due diligence to comply with Senate 496, though each has their own interpretations of what this means for education. Students, like all people, have varying understandings and viewpoints on the issue. Still, more questions remain. With Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signing Senate File 391 (Known as “Don’t Say LGBTQ+ Law”) and Senate File 496, and similar changes happening in places like Florida, it may be just the beginning of restriction and censorship in educational institutions. As we follow these stories, it is important to discuss and understand, even as certain liberties are being redefined as we speak.