School Book Bans and Curriculum Controversies
Examining the Facts
School Book Bans and Curriculum Controversies
Examining the Facts
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Description
One of the many issues dividing Americans today is the debate over the extent to which parents, politicians, and other community members can and should be able to 1) censor or ban books deemed to be of "questionable" content and 2) dictate curricula choices to teachers, school administrators, and other educators. What kinds of subject matter are targeted most frequently in book banning campaigns? How has parental involvement in school policies and academic instruction ebbed and flowed over the decades? How traumatic are these bitter clashes for school and public librarians and the collections in their charge? What are the facts about the efficacy of comprehensive sex education and abstinence-only education programs? This book answers all these questions and many more about one of the fiercest flashpoints in America's ongoing culture wars.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1 Book Bans and Challenges
Q1. Are books being banned in U.S. schools?
Q2. Where are books banned most frequently in the United States?
Q3. Which books have been most frequently targeted in book banning campaigns?
Q4. What are the distinguishing features of the increase in book bans and book banning campaigns across the USA?
Q5. Are pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit books available on school library shelves or in classrooms for students?
Q6. How representative of general public opinion are book challenges?
Q7. What impact have book banning campaigns had on the professional and personal lives of librarians?
2 Educational Censorship in Historical Context
Q8. What is the history of educational book bans in the United States?
Q9. Is educational censorship and book banning a global trend?
Q10. What legal protections exist for the free expression of ideas by students in schools?
Q11. Does providing certain content to minors violate the law even if it is done within an educational context and for educational purposes?
Q12. What role does textbook selection play in educational censorship?
Q13. What other educational institutions are facing censorship efforts?
Q14. Why are most school book banning efforts, past and present, led by political conservatives?
Q15. What examples of “cancel culture” have been criticized as left-wing education censorship?
3 Gender, Sex, and Sexuality
Q16. Does comprehensive sex education (CSE) put children at higher risk for being “groomed” for sexual exploitation?
Q17. Does “abstinence-only” sex education lead to higher rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among teens?
Q18. How have laws banning or restricting discussion of gender identity and expression in school curricula impacted LGBTQ+ youth?
Q19. Do Florida laws really mandate to teachers: “Don't Say Gay?"
4 Political Pedagogy: Civics, Critical Race Theory, and Social-Emotional Learning
Q20. How and why are disputed definitions of terms like “divisive concepts,” “DEI,” and “woke” being used to justify censorship in schools?
Q21. Are U.S. schools indoctrinating children into socialism and communism?
Q22. Are conservatives “whitewashing” American history and politics?
Q23. Why is Critical Race Theory (CRT) being banned in schools?
Q24. How have ethnic studies courses in public schools grown in popularity while also becoming a source of controversy?
Q25. Why are some school systems banning social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula?
Q26. What rights and restrictions exist for students or teachers who want to express their religious faith in public schools?
5 School Stakeholders: Boards, Unions, Parents, Students, and the Government
Q27. Are school board elections becoming more politically partisan?
Q28. What control do local school boards have over education funding?
Q29. Do teachers' unions influence the shaping of school curriculum?
Q30. What “rights” are parents' rights groups asking for?
Q31. What privacy protections exist for students attending school?
Q32. In what ways are schools legally empowered to monitor student activity?
Q33. Does the federal government determine school curriculum across the U.S.?
About the Authors
Subject Index
Product details
| Published | 13 May 2027 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 256 |
| ISBN | 9798765120934 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Dimensions | 235 x 156 mm |
| Series | Contemporary Debates |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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