Teacher Panel Resists Censorship Call, Wants Book to Stay on Required List

Teachers in the Vista Unified School District believe that Maya Angelou’s autobiography stands in good company with classics such as Homer’s “The Odyssey,” Dickens’ “Great Expectations” and Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

They reaffirmed their conviction Monday that the book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” should remain mandatory reading in the ninth-grade literature curriculum, voting convincingly not to heed censorship calls by parents who claim that it contains “pornographic” and “sexually explicit” chapters.

In a packed boardroom at the school district headquarters--more than 60 people, including parents, teachers and students, were present--the Language Arts Committee voted 19 to 3 to keep Angelou’s autobiography on the honors-level, ninth-grade required reading list.

The vote by English teachers from the district who form the committee included a provision allowing parents who object to the book to request an alternative reading assignment for their child.

The critically acclaimed book that tells about Angelou’s childhood in the 1930s had recently become the subject of controversy and parental concern.

Although both advocates and opponents of the autobiography agree that the book is exceptionally well-written, several parents have complained that three of the 36 chapters are sexually explicit and inappropriate for freshmen.

The autobiography includes Angelou’s descriptive narrative of how, as an 8-year-old-girl, she was molested by her stepfather. Another passage chronicles the stepfather’s rape of the young girl.

But teachers and parents who supported the book praised Angelou for her honest and moving account of how she overcame childhood hardship and for providing a realistic portrayal of the black experience.

“The dominant image of this book is not about sex, it is about her persistence not to give up in life,” said Sandi Barnes, a Vista High School teacher. “The life of the black person before the ‘60s was not sweet and light. This is reality. And it’s worth teaching to students.”

The decision by the Language Arts Committee, which determines the reading material for kindergarten to 12th grade, is only a recommendation to the school board, said Susie Zdanowski, who chaired the meeting. She said parents will have an opportunity to appeal the decision before the board, which will decide whether the book should be used in the classroom.

The book, which was selected by the committee and is included on the state Department of Education’s approved reading list, was being used by 93 ninth-grade honors students at Vista High School when six parents complained about its content, Principal Bruce Harter said. Their children were given an alternative reading assignment, and students who chose to continue reading the book were not required to read the controversial passages, he said.

But that failed to appease some parents who continued to voice their concern about the book’s content, and they asked the Language Arts Committee to remove it from the core list.

“I believe in giving our children a broad cultural experience,” said Frank Mercardante, who has a freshman daughter at Rancho Bueno Vista High School. “But requiring our children to read this book is tantamount to giving our children an X-rated movie. It is something that would usurp parents’ responsibility in raising their children.”

Some parents expressed concern about how the book might affect students who have experienced a traumatic event similar to Angelou’s.

“What happens when a child who has been molested or raped reads this book, turns sheet-white and falls apart in the classroom?” Wendie Gifford asked. “Is that English teacher going to offer crisis intervention?”

William Jarrett, another parent, added: “I think we have to be a little more careful about the types of books we select. I would consider this pornography. I think it will pollute their minds.”

Many of the teachers defined pornography as photographs or writings intended primarily to arouse sexual desire. They argued that was not Angelou’s purpose in writing the book. They said the chapters should not be viewed as pornography but as the harsh reality that Angelou endured.

“We always want to teach about ‘good’ things,” said Steven Kocheran, a teacher at Washington Middle School. “But the problem with just teaching good things is that, when they get out into the real world, they’re shocked. If it’s not going to be taught at the ninth-grade level, I want it taught at mine.”

Kocheran teaches the eighth grade.