>

Does anyone else think when the child said that out loud the person in the back went "oh fuck that's what the books actually about?! We can't have this be read"
The excuse send to be "we weren't ready to have this discussion with the kids". Bullshit. When you have (or teach) kids, you often have to meet them where they are. If they're encountering topics of racism, you talk about it. And nine is plenty fucking old, so there's no copping out there, either. >

This might be my personal biases talking, but I think it's more likely that they were worried about the parent's reaction.
"this was not the conversation we had prepared Mrs. Robek, the students or parents would take place."
I think kids of that age should learn that racism is stupid, arbitrary and socially constructed. Not sure that everyone agrees with that. >

That's another standard excuse, but it's usually about hypothetical parents. Sure, some sometimes complain, but either schools are way more gun-shy about this than the numbers bear out or it's just a way to shift the blame for a decision that they were going to make anyway.
Most parents I know would like their kids to have these conversations at school. Ideally, also at home, but a lot of parents would be happy the school is doing it for them. It was part of of curriculum from kindergarten when I was in school.
Realistically, you read s book about the stupidity of treating people differentlywho look different >

It’s not at all hypothetical. My district in a liberal state has been receiving parent complaints since the summer about books, topics, etc. >

What books, what topics, what kinds of complaints? >

Do you really need an enumerated list?  Any topics that parents disagree with or might cause their children to become independent thinkers.  The excuse the school gives by suggesting the children are not ready for the topic when they were the ones to bring it up is laughable. >

I agree with the overall sentiment but I do need a list to make an informed decision. There are things that clearly should not be discussed with anyone but a parent. >

Is that clear though?  What would be an example of a topic that clearly only parents should discuss with children, particularly when it is the children that bring up the subject in relation to the material being covered?  I can't think of a subject that can't be discussed in an age-appropriate way.  
Public or even most private education isn't set up to provide à la carte educational services.  If you want that you have to home-school or hire a private teacher. >

A good example we should all be able to agree on is politics. Conversations start that a teacher can't help but a child shouldn't come home saying "Biden is an idiot and is ruining this country" any more than "Trump is racist" and when you ask them where they got it they say "teacher said...". 
What does that have to do with math or science? Perhaps in a history class there could be some overlap. I think we should all be able to agree that a teacher should never speak in a way that gives any definite opinion on sexuality, politics, or religion. >

I don't agree.  Censoring teachers from being able to express anything that might be considered an opinion on sexuality, politics or religion is a loophole you can drive a truck through to limit student's exposure to important topics they will have to learn about to live in the real world.  
Part of getting an education is being exposed to different ideas that you don't agree with.  If your child comes home saying X politician is an idiot, 1. They are probably right, and 2 it creates an opportunity to discuss why they may or may not be and let your child reach some of their own conclusions even if they are different from your own.  I don't see how this is harmful >

What was the lesson of “The Pale Green Pants with Nobody Inside Them”? That story terrified me to the point that my siblings chased me with the book open to it. >

I think it’s just about running away from your fears and maybe realizing that once you stop running and face them, they weren’t so scary after all. >

You should read Sesame Street's "The Monster At The End Of The Book". It stars Grover.
I love that book. I think it was my first book. >

"The Monster at the End of This PDF" doesn't quite have the same oomph. >

You get to the end and it's just a message saying you need to update Adobe Reader. >

Scary shit tho. >


Beras later contacted Beeman about what happened, Beeman said, "When the book began addressing racism, segregation and discriminating behaviors, this was not the conversation we had prepared Mrs. Robek, the students or parents would take place. There may be some very important economics lessons in The Sneetches, but I did not feel that those lessons were the themes students were going to grasp at that point in the day or in the book." Beeman further told The Dispatch, "As (The Sneetches) was being read, I made a personal judgment call we shouldn’t do the reading because of some of the other themes and undertones that were unfolding that were not shared that we would be discussing with parents."
Published in 1961, The Sneetches (which is part of a collection of Dr. Seuss stories titled The Sneetches and Other Stories) is about a type of yellow creature (a Sneetch) that is either born with or without a star on its belly. While those with stars discriminate against those without, a character named Sylvester McMonkey McBean invents a machine that can either remove or add a star. The story ends with the Sneetches spending all of their money on Sylvester McMonkey McBean's machine before learning neither star-bellies nor non-star-bellies are superior.

The admin apparently hadn't read the book ahead of time.. >

That’s what is so absurd to me. How the hell was this assistant communication director caught off guard here? The kid has to teach her what’s going on before she realizes?
And it just heightens the concern—what actually nefarious messages escape the grasp of educators and get propagandized to kids, not from malice, but mere incompetence? >

Not letting them finish the book robs them of a valuable life lesson.  All they got to learn was that star bellies were better than blank bellies, they never got to the star adding machine, nor to the lesson that it was all fucking ridiculous and everyone is equal star bellied or not.  You let the kids learn to segregate, but failed to teach them why that's wrong. >

I would argue they learned an even more valuable life lesson: in America today, the fact that anti-racism is controversial is total bullshit
But you’re also right, of course >

It’s always been controversial cause America is stuck in 1823 instead of 2023. >

Oh, so now they want to cancel Dr Seuss >

Wasnt Ben Shabibo going on about how the "radical left" wanted to cancel Dr Seuss? >

Borb Sharpizzo indeed regularly complains about the radical left cancelling Dr Seuss >

Dr Zeus early cartoons contain some pretty racist looking depictions of black people(I think they were drawings for a client) however during WW2 he did a ton of anti Nazi political cartoons. >

His WWII comics also have some very racist depictions of Japanese people. As he got older, though, he wrote more books with anti-racist themes like The Sneetches and Horton Hears a Who. People can learn! >

Horton Hears a Who isn’t just an anti-racist story, it’s a direct criticism of the America’s decision to use Nuclear weapons against Japan. >

Whether this is accurate or not, it reads like that south park episode with "the tales of scrotie mcboogerballs". >

I remember about halfway through reading this as a 6 or 7 year old that I thought the moral of the story was going to be to not make rash decisions about tattoo choices at a young age - which was still a pretty darn good life lesson. >

Omg I hate our society it's embarassing >

I blame warning signs.  We've been delaying darwinism way too much. >

100%. We normalized and even glorified weakness. >

Wow, we have a rare specimen here: abuse apologist, fan of a sex trafficker, and spouting literal fascist propaganda! >

Lmao, yea coming from a literal NPC. >

It's almost fascinating just how rotted your brain is. One of the varieties of mold up there might be a new antibiotic, you should get someone to study them! >

Good thing someone was there to hit the "Critical Thinking Alarm". Kids might have accidentally learned something about people!
I'm going to save this for the next time someone asks why I moved out of Ohio. I have a large collection of Ohio racism & stupidity stories already. >

The only reason necessary for moving out of Ohio: because you realized you were in Ohio. >

Yes, but they export their stupid.  We don't want Ohioans either. >

Well, do what we Michiganders do: don't let them in. >

Great day when a third grader is genuinely the smartest person in the building >

Why is that great?  Wouldn't you want teachers or admins to be smarter? >

Woosh >

My 5yo understood this was about discrimination...9yos should be fine with this. As another commenter said it works for any "ism". >

I loved it as a kid and loved it even because I could see the deeper theme of discrimination.
I mean personally I can't remember a day in my life that I didn't know about discrimination. My mother was a teacher and never hesistated to tell me the reality of the world. >

Oh dear lord no, the Sneeches are absolutely the story about discrimination that you read to children.  It's about the best deconstruction of the idiocy of discriminatory behavior I've ever seen or read. >

When the kids understand the context.
It proves the storys are doing the job adults cant do and expaining something complex in a simple manner that even a CHILD can understand. >

It’s not even explicitly about racism at its heart. If anything it’s about how divisions between individuals are commodified and taken advantage of by outside forces whose only goal is profit. It starts out with a racist society, but that racism (it could be any -ism and the story still works) is encouraged by the outsider capitalist. >

This guy comrades >

Lol at 9 my class learned about the civil rights movement, slavery, the Holocaust, visited the Holocaust memorial, and more >

"I was all for it when I thought it showed racial stereotypes, but anti discriminatory messages? This needs must be cancelled!" >

Dr. Suess cancelled by the anti-woke mafia. >

Better not teach kids that racism is bad or else they could grow up thinking racism is bad >

“I don’t think this book is appropriate for children” ma’am it was written for children by one of the most famous children authors of all time 😂 people can be so ignorant >

And it's written for children younger than 9 years old. 9 yo is kind of old to still be reading Dr Seuss. >

Bite your tongue.  Children's books often have lessons that can be applied at any age.  I'm in my 40s and still find myself charmed and inspired by children's stories that remind me of something I needed to think about. >

HAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA BRO WHAT HAHAHA >

Well seems they have no problem with incrimination!? >

Ohio. Get it together. >

Don't want to be too progressive with a book from "check my notes" the 1960. >

This is so stupid.
The district's assistant director of communications, Amanda Beeman:

"I just don't think it might be appropriate for the third-grade class and for them to have a discussion around it."

If at 9 years old you don't think that kids can understand and recognize racism even if they can't put a name to it, then you shouldn't be in education. Kids are a lot smarter than you give them credit for. This is especially highlighted by one of the students actually picking up on the themes.
And if you don't think that racism doesn't have an effect on economics then you are crazy. The extreme of racism is slavery and slavery is ALL about economics, What's more economics than not paying for labor, so you can earn more money. >

"Dr. Seuss isn't appropriate for kids" was not a hot take I was expecting to see first thing in the morning, but here we are! >

"The Sneetches" teaches a valuable lesson about the harm of othering, which is something needed in education to deter bullies.  I hope this isn't the reason it was actually pulled. >


"I don't know if I feel comfortable with book being one of the ones featured," Beeman said. "I just feel like this isn't teaching anything about economics, and this is a little bit more about differences with race and everything like that."

I thought this was a joke but this motherfucker really was trying to teach economics with the book then got butthurt when kids realized it was about discrimination. >

And of course we all know that racism/discrimination is NEVER relevant to economics /s >

Imagine how much more horrifying those books would be if --- (dramatic pause) --- a DRAG QUEEN was reading them! (ba ba BAAAA) >

Lol.  Censorship.  Cancel culture.
Conservatives really are what's wrong with this country. >

To be clear, butter side down mother fuckers deserve death. >

The district's assistant director of communications out here making curriculum changes and not educators >

As much love as teachers get a lot of them are cowards. Parents will find any excuse to rage against them if they feel like their kids don't do well so you might as well expose them to themes everyone is aware of.
Sorry but the school district can't be sued for reading Dr suess and talking about racism. Either way the school made this into country wide news so they failed in both aspects >

I'm surprised that this didn't turn into something about being transgender, because you know those sneetches with 'no stars upon thars' wanted to change who they were to be those with stars... they even went through with a surgery!!!
edit to add: I think this is ludicrous >

Thats the entire point of the book! Goes to show the gov't isn't about providing education in schools lol! >

A book about teaching kids about discrimination is banned (in a sense), because it teaches kids about discrimination. Of course. Texas? >

"Stop learning from books!" -the school >

I remember this as one of my favorite stories because it taught me that a book could allude to a deeper metaphor. It was like "Oh-- they aren't talking about just Sneetches!" It opened up a whole new way of looking at literature.
The teacher really didn't have to dive deep into discrimination or anything like that. She could just point out that stories are not always just stories, but they often have a wider meaning. >

Remember when the Seuss family themselves decided to no longer publish a handful of Seuss books that were in fact super racist, and the Right was up in arms about protecting racist material. But if the material says racism is bad, then they are opposed to it?
What possible logical explanation can explain simultaneously having both view points unless your core ideology is that racism is good? >

The books also weren't exactly selling well. So to cut costs they decided to stop publishing them. >

No, you don't understand! That book was an attempt to teach CRT, and that clever Young Republican saw right though that! It's the democrats fault after all! /s >

Dr Seuss was all about CRT before it was a thing, original hipster. >

Schools are notoriously anti-learning >

Um. No. 
Only the (public) ones in backwards republican states are. >

Not just the public ones in GOP states. There are plenty of private, fundamentalist schools in all states that teach the world is 5000 years old, evolution and climate change are myths, gay people don't exist, and, in extreme cases, that we should trash the world to make Jesus end it faster. >

Yes, you don't go to school to learn. You go to school to become a docile slave to the system. >

Streisand effect.
I heard this podcast when it aired. I knew it wasn’t going to be the last time I heard about it.
This district rep made an issue out of a non-issue and it’s going to blow up in their faces. >

Got an episode name? I listen to planet money from time to time but never heard this one. >

So sick of seeing the kowtowing to the concerns of right-wing snowflakes. >

God forbid anybody should actually learn something in a school. And the worst part I think is that the one doing the banning was like, they're learning the wedding lesson! >

What the even fuck. >

Dr. Seuss drew negative depictions of foreign cultures for propaganda and regularly used racial slurs like they were bro slang and they want to cancel him for his commentary on segregation? Mfs are real dumb. >

Yeah, another example of why every sane person should leave Ohio and let people like this ruin each other. Never regret leaving that state. >

I have never read this story.
So I gather there is racial discrimination because of different marks?
And Sylvester McMuskey McBean gives the Sneetches who do not have a blue checkmark one in if they pay him? >

From memory.. but Mc bean was quite wrong I'm quite happy to say, that the Sneeches got really quite smart on that day. The day they discovered that Sneeches are Sneeches and no kind of Sneech is the best on the beaches. That day they forgot about stars and whether they had one or not upon thars. >

I listened to this episode on a road trip with kids and we were all flabbergasted. It was so eye opening how critical thinking is stifled in American public schools >

I often think about sneeches >

I genuinely hope we will have more situations like this, where children will 100% see through all the bullshit and smokescreens that adults have created to misinform and spread misinformation. >

I was reading a book last night to my kids, don't remember the title but it was about an Indian kid (family formerly untouchable caste) invited over to the house of a friend to watch Diwalli fireworks (Brahmin caste).  When the kid gets there, the grandmother kicks him out citing his caste.  Kid goes back home and is comforted by his grandfather who explains how he was treated and the changes that he's seen, and the hope for the future that the caste system's legacy will die with the old generation.  
My 4 year old turned to me right away and asked "why was the old lady so mean?" 
Tells me he's ready to start talking about that sorta stuff. >

Next up - GQP bans The Giving Tree - a 'socialist manifesto"... just wait. >

This is exactly the type of thing when people start saying things like, "Florida is where 'woke' comes to die." (Ron DeSantis during inauguration speech). The right-wing have tuned their dog whistles to the perfect pitch to destroy any sort of balance in our country. I can only wonder how long until Kristallnacht. >


"I just feel like this isn't teaching anything about economics, and this is a little bit more about differences with race and everything like that."

Ah, to be dumb and ignorant enough to think economics has nothing to say about racial discrimination and the economic impact of that. People like this LOVE to compartmentalize...it worked well for the Germans who aided the Nazis and feigned ignorance after the war. Really have to watch out for people who can close off their entire psyche in specific aspects of their life, very sociopathic. >

I think it boils down to the admin told the parents their kids would be discussing economics on a podcast and this lady freaked out when they started discussing racism on a podcast. Almost everything on NPR turns to racism at some point, and if I understand correctly the school picked the books, so they should have read a few pages of that book, it's theme is not subtle. >

Yeah, a recorded event, that people on Reddit are linking to, was supposed to be on economics.  When the conversation switched to racism the admin decided they didn’t want the conversation recorded and made available to the world.  Can you imagine ruining a 9 year old’s entire life because you recorded them saying something stupid during a learning conversation. >

Man...she taught those kids so much by shutting it down.
That kid is probably going to have to go to therapy after being punished for sharing her thoughts that way.
They are fucking cowards and fucking monsters. >

Sounds about white >

What is so hard about talking to kids about racism?
"Racism is bad. Don't be racist."
But Ohio Republicans will scream about it, their party relies on racism to recruit new members. >

Wait I thought the GOP didn’t want to ban dr. Seuss. >

They were offended when books were pulled from production because they had archaic representations of minorities. 
Now that the book says you should accept other people it's offensive to them. >

Aren't kids that age a little old for story time with Dr. Seuss? Certainly should be ready for books without pictures in them. >

Ironically, the administrator who shut it down somehow thought the kids were too young to learn that racism is bad >

Probably classified as Critical Race Theory /s >

I don't assume everyone in the world who isn't like me (i.e. someone who wouldn't mind teaching these lessons to children and who had several Seuss books growing up) is harboring some kind of ill intention. So, in a different kind of anti-discriminatory spirit, I have to suspend my inner moralist and suppose that maybe these guys are just way too fearful of any kind of backlash at all.
Standing up to even a nutjob parent's notion of controversy is a net negative for any school because internet points don't matter to them--only the opportunity to avoid burial in arbitrary scrutiny. Teachers can't exactly say a whole lot back, no matter what kind of nonsense is being thrown their way, but they can sure end up in court for trying, and superintendents know this. >

Or maybe read the article?  This was a recorded event, and the admin had told the teacher, parents and children that the event would be about economics.  When the event turned to racism due to the books read, the admin stopped it.
Now, I won't go into the stupidity of the admin choosing the books and not knowing what they actually entailed, that is just stupid of them.
But stopping an event that went off the rails isn't a major thing.  The event was planned for X and Y was happening instead. >

Racism and economics have a lot of overlap.  
Slave-owners didn't own slaves just because they thought less of blacks.  It was a way to ensure a source of cheap labor when any labor was scarce.  
Likewise, the scapegoating of illegal immigrants is used to distract from and secondarily justify employers paying them below minimum wage and ignoring labor laws.  
So racism can be an economic tool. >

Wait until they find out about yurtle the turtle who is shaped like a nazi helmet. >

I don't think they'll mind that at all. >

For anyone who's interested in not just letting this be rage bait, the actual article talks about how someone from NPR was given permission to come and read a book "on economics". Then she starts reading a book that was clearly meant to spark a conversation about race.
I'm a Christian pastor and I go into the schools to hang with the kids and be a general positive influence. I have had the opportunity to go and read to the grade schoolers. It's a great way to support literacy, hopefully start a passion for them to read, and just have a wholesome and fun time with them.
When I go in to the schools, it's understood those are the agendas of the visit NOT to proselytize or to teach religion. I respect that since I wouldn't want someone to go in and read a Buddhism or Muslim book.
So the equivalent here is if I decided one day I would bring a book from Answers in Genesis or something that CLEARLY is meant to spark a conversation of a religious nature. Then if I got all mad and was like, "but the kids brought it up"!?? When the administration shut it down.
So I don't blame the administration for shutting this down at all. They gave a dumb reason, but the NPR reporter was clearly coming with a different agenda than they claimed and that was a jerk move, plain and simple. >

You mean, like Sneeches? >

That's how I learned discrimination was stupid... >

100% in a red state, Conservatives are against education. >

I'm assuming the school was in Florida? >

It was Ohio.
But yeah, basically Florida without the class. >

In Ohio, can confirm. >

The title is a little misleading. In the article, the school's reasoning for stopping the reading is that the theme of racism was unexpected, so the teacher was unprepared to deal with the childrens' questions. >

Which is… a pretty transparent excuse and not a good reason to stop reading the story suddenly. Oh no, the kids could have learned something in addition to what was planned?
And god forbid an elementary school teacher gets asked an unexpected question by a child. We all know elementary school kids only ask entirely predictable questions and are never curious, right? >

The key here is that it was a recording and parents had agreed to the recording based on the topic of economics. Not defending anyone’s choices but this was sensitive from the start. >

An NPR reporter just happened to be there on the scene eh? Okay. >

That's not how professional journalism works.   
It's not Tiktok