Making Removal of Books Public Information

Dr. Megan Che

January 2024

Mr. Christopher, School Board Members, District and Building Level Leaders, Faculty, Staff, and fellow community members, I am Megan Che, a parent in the community and a tenured professor of mathematics education with a PhD in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum. So the issue of intellectual freedom is one I have considered deeply both as a professional and as a parent.

My children have been in Anderson 4 since 2007. They are each children of color and, in our family, we have a robust range of racial and LGBTQ identities and experiences. In such a diverse society, limiting access district-wide to instructional materials erases a variety of benign ways to exist. As many of us are here in support of your efforts to implement outstanding instruction, we would also like to ask for access to information that is pertinent to our rights as parents.

Specifically, I am asking that our district leadership follow the example of Pickens County School District and make information publicly available about the status of formal book challenges in our district. Our district currently has policies for parents to restrict children’s access, district wide, to specific materials and books. However, there is currently no mechanism for duly informing the rest of the community when our district-articulated value of, “a rich educational experience fostering respect and dignity for all” is being diluted. Knowledge is power, so having this information would allow us to be able to exert our rights for our children’s intellectual freedom.

Providing this transparent information for the community is already underway in districts like Pickens County, whose website has a page dedicated to Book Challenges, which includes the statements of the relevant policies, frequently asked questions, and a link to a spreadsheet of formally challenged instructional materials. This publicly available spreadsheet includes the titles and authors of challenged materials, the name of the person bringing the formal challenge, the dates, status, and decisions for each challenge.

As a former public high school teacher, I know how vital it is that every student be seen and heard and valued in every classroom. As a parent, I realize how crucial it is to know when my family’s or my children’s identities and experiences are at risk of being erased and devalued in our school district. I ask our district leadership to please consider providing our community with transparent, accurate, and current information regarding formal book challenges in our district.

I would not have chosen any other district for my kids — I have deep appreciation for what Anderson 4 stands for, and I thank everyone serving our district and especially our school librarians for the magic you work every day for the students in our community.

Thank you also for your time and the opportunity to make this request.