As you know, I removed my blog post "Censorship at its Finest: Remembering." I've received several emails today in which people beg me to re-post my entry, and I thank you all for the sincerity in your requests. I have also received emails in which people beg me not to back down, not to let "them" win, and I thank you all for the encouragement. I received one email in which I was called a coward, and I thank you, too, for the passion that belies your insult. But let me explain: I did not remove my post because I am afraid. I reflected on a dark time in my life. I told the truth, and I had the right. But I removed my blog in protest to the hostile, hate-filled rhetoric being sent to my former administration and colleagues in my name.
I understand that my story angers, hurts, and confuses people. And I consider your emotional reactions, however confusing some may be, to be both humbling and flattering. However, let me beg of you to stop this harassment. I do not endorse, and want no part of, vindictive backlash, as a.) it intentionally and unnecessarily hurts people b.) it has the potential to ruin not only my credibility but also that of the voices speaking intellectually and peaceably for YA in schools, and c.) it is counterproductive.
I was told just an hour ago that reddit.com has linked my story to the front page. This is honestly wonderful, and I am thankful that so many people are repulsed at the horrors of censorship. I want people to read the story (that I know is still available in cache form), but I would only have my words used to effect positive change. If people would dedicate their energy to education reform--especially with the amazing opportunity we have with most states adopting new, unified standards--we could actually help other teachers bring a love of reading to all students all over America. By raising awareness with peaceful diction and intellectual action, we do stand a chance to bring this substantial change to America. Look at how many people have responded to this! It's within our reach if we keep spreading awareness. But to mold awareness into action, it will take methodical, thoughtful, and data-supported dialogues.
So please, keep creating those dialogues. Link to this blog. Comment on this blog. Join the #SpeakLoudly group on Twitter. Get the word out. Tell my story. But know that there is a responsibility to students, our highest priority, attached. They don't stand a chance for inclusion of YA if we, the YA fighters, can so easily be labeled as volatile, unstable, amoral libertines.
Again, thank you so much for the supportive emails today (from around the world). I enjoy them and wish I could respond personally to each. Know that your support means so much to me.
P.S.
I do plan to re-post my former entry. But not tonight.
Once it's on the internet, it never leaves:
ReplyDeletehttp://rorr.im/reddit.com/r/wtf/comments/dmzok/
And be thankful it does not.
ReplyDeleteI understand the why, but self-censorship is still censorship.
We should not hide from truth.
A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble. -Gandhi
Do not cave to avoid trouble, Ms. Mullins. The teachers who would not speak up for you and your program, and the administrators are deserving of revile. It is noble that you do not wish to subject them to it, but it doesn't make them less complicit in the slow but inexorable decline in literacy and the ability to think critically in the United States.
I wish you the best of luck in your fight, even though I wish you were as willing to stand on principle in your own defense as you are in defense of YA literature.
I recently earned my MA in secondary math education. I was all fired-up about using the new methods I'd learned in the classroom. I had all these wonderful ideas for lessons, based on what I'd been taught about how teenagers learn and on memories of my own high-school experiences.
ReplyDeleteThen I got to my student-teaching assignment, and my host school wouldn't allow me to use any of the new stuff I'd learned. Any of it. I had to use the same old methods to teach the same material at the same pace as every other math teacher in the school. I had to do things the old-fashioned way, and every time I tried to insert something fresh and exciting into my lessons, the parents complained. The only thing I was allowed to use in my student-teaching that wasn't in use 30 years ago, was the graphing calculator. That's it.
It seems the main problem is that parents don't want anything new in the classroom. It doesn't matter that we know more now about how children learn. It doesn't matter that the new methods are proven to work better than the old. "That ain't how I learned it! Teach 'em the way I was taught!" Meanwhile, schools in other countries use the new methods, and students thrive. And then parents wonder why American students are falling behind!
You are a courageous teacher and a national role-model.
ReplyDelete... so i guess we should all stop sending gift subscriptions for "banned book of the month club" to your old boss?
I figured the overwhelming response your post received made you take it down, and I don't see you as "backing down" because of it; it's your decision to make. No government or school official made you do it.
ReplyDeleteI've thought more on why the parents did what they did, and I empathize with their concerns; nonetheless, they were still wrong because children have to be exposed to ideas that contravene their parents' upbringing and values, because such things occur frequently in the real world, which is what both teachers and parents prepare children to enter.
Risha Mullins, I tracked down your post via Reddit, and can confidently declare that YOU ARE AWESOME!!
ReplyDeleteMs. Mullins, my name, or rather the name I'm best known for, is TeraDyne Ezeri. It's both a pen name, and a name I prefer to go by.
ReplyDeleteI'm 24, and an aspiring author from Arkansas, specializing in poetry, stories and unusual syles of writing. I was in public schools until the 6th grade, and continued in homeschool. Why? Because of situations like your own. In my area, parents who have chosen to act before understanding a situation have all but ruined the local public school system.
As I grew up, I missed having a teacher who understood the value of knowledge, but realized that there were few, if any, who would be allowed to teach outside of the "social norm", especially in a Bible Belt town like my own. I have yet to go to college, but plan to do so as soon as I can, and it will likely be a the local university.
I'm hoping I have the chance to meet teachers like yourself, who are open-minded, and willing to assign subjects and books that others might find offensive. I'm hoping I recieve the level of care and support that you showed to your students. You are a rarity in your own field, mam, and I can only hope to be taught by someone like you.
Thank you for giving hope, not only to students, but to those who care about education, literature, and creativity. Above all, thank you for giving me hope that there are others like yourself who can teach me.
So... you pulled the post "in protest to the hostile, hate-filled rhetoric being sent to my former administration and colleagues in my name"? I don't think anyone but you can send any message in your name. People can react angrily however, and this is their prerogative. By pulling the post, you demonstrate that you are insincere in your regret that you didn't properly defend your cause, or that you didn't learn any lesson.
ReplyDeletehay que ser valiente, lo escrito, escrito queda,no deberías haberlo borrado. fue injusto y para que algúndía cambien las cosas hay que cantar las verdades.
ReplyDeleteThe cache of your removed blog post was one of the saddest things I've read in a long time. I wish you the best of luck; hopefully you'll find a position in a school that actually values intelligent individuals like yourself.
ReplyDeleteRisha did what she thought was best. She wanted to make people aware of the ugly behavior that some misguided readers showed.
ReplyDeleteIf you're going to comment on Risha's actions and motives, put our name on your post. It's easy to criticize when no one knows your name. It's also easier to ignore what you say, especially you cowards calling her names like insincere. Get overself and find a new post to troll.
Risha shared her story for a reason. She took it down for a reason. If she ever puts it back up, it will be because she chooses to, not because you anonymi think she should.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHang in there!
ReplyDeletePublic school is not about teaching students, but about appeasing stakeholders. Innovators will be forever stifled until this dynamic changes.
ReplyDeleteI admire your courage...both for posting the original story and then for explaining why you took it down. I hope you do eventually post it again. It shocked and appalled me.
ReplyDeleteIt also provoked me to action.
I hadn't read any of your "banned" books, and I immediately went and put them all on my goodreads.com to-read list.
I’ll look forward to broadening my mind and giving a ‘poke in the eye’ to all who would censor our kids.
I am thoroughly impressed with you and with your message, but it pains me to hear what you were made to go through. However, I believe in forgiveness and moving on; it seems you share my feelings. It has been teachers like you in my life that made all the difference, and I am grateful for people like you. I still remember my freshman high school teacher, Mr. David, who gave me his copy Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle because it had been removed from the school's curriculum - someone's mother had found it offensive and brutish. Keep pushing for positive change. Blessings upon you, Teach.
ReplyDeleteIf only I had a few more teachers as passionate and as dedicated to learning as you were. Keep it up and the best of luck to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story. There really is no justice in this world.
ReplyDelete"around the world"
ReplyDeleteWhat countries were represented in emails to you?
I'll be very pleased when you repost the original story. Seeing that you had taken it down upset me almost as much as the contents of your story. Change is so hard to effect as it is, let alone if the people most aware of the need for change are too timid to stand behind their beliefs. Other people could do horrible things and claim to do them in your name (consider un-Christlike Christians), but that doesn't mean you are responsible for their actions.
ReplyDeletePeople think these kinds of things don't happen but my wife and I watched it happen to our daughter's teacher a few years ago. She got the teacher of the year award that year, in the face of opposition from administration as well as other teachers who thought it unfair they had to compete against a teacher willing to put that much effort into her students lives. (Apparently it was unfair competition as they would have to work harder.) We watched this teacher limited by "new rules" and other methods to bring her into compliance with teachers who didn't want to put out any more effort. It was sad really, as it was obvious how much she loves the students and loves teaching. Our daughter moved to a Montessori-style high-school this year. The most amazing thing is to see so many teachers who just love to teach and the students who thrive because of it. Keep up the great work. Many parents appreciate it as well as their children, your students.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably the silliest thing anyone has ever told you about your struggle. But, if it matters, Harry Potter called Severus Snape a coward. Harry didn't know how much Snape had sacrificed to help him. Harry didn't know how much pain Snape had been through to fight for what he loved. Harry called Snape a coward, and Snape proved him wrong.
ReplyDeleteThat may be meaningless to some people, but believe it or not, young adult fiction changed my life. I loved reading when I was very small, but over time, I lost my passion.
When I discovered Harry Potter, suddenly I was excited about reading again. At the time, the first four books had already come out. I finished all of them in less than a week. And I didn't stop there. I consumed books after that. I'm still a pretty voracious reader. I love Pratchett. I go way out of my way to find quirky new things to try.
I'm not sure I would ever have become so familiar with my local library if it weren't for young adult literature. No, that's not it. I wouldn't have become so interested in reading if I weren't so curious about Snape.
Even after all you've been through, you've given young people a chance to develop that vital curiosity.
I think you're a pretty brave person for that.
I don't blame parents for wanting to protect their children, but I think we as a society have to learn to embrace curiosity. We tell our children that curiosity killed the cat, but a society that silences questions never finds answers.
Maybe you had to wear a black hat for a while, but in the long run, you've won. It may not feel that way, but you've given these kids a chance to like reading, and some of them almost certainly grabbed it.
Where you said "Speaking with hate against those who stood against me is just as wrong, to me, than people speaking with hate against me and my promotion of reading."
ReplyDeleteYou were wrong. It is OUR DUTY to speak out against those who promote ignorance. They deserve derision. Ignorance is the enemy.
You are a good person Risha.
ReplyDeleteDo not forget the issues at hand here, we almost had a public book burning not more than a month ago? Ignorance and fear rule over us daily. There comes a time to stand up and openly discuss issues that would otherwise cause a knee jerk reaction such as yours.
ReplyDeleteI thank you for your time in the system but it seams it devours the hopes and idealism of even the adults hoping to bring about a better future..what hope do the kids have?
Your request for a peacefire has also made it to reddit.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/dne4d/censored_teacher_responds_to_reddit_calls_for/
I sent you an email earlier today when I read your story. I posted an extensive diatribe to my facebook that eneded up linking to your story. Shortly after I saw that you had taken done the story.
This is the comment I posted in thread mentioned above
. Self censorship is still censorship.
While I understand her taking down the story and her reasons behind it. I will not endorse it. Why? because it continues to endorse the behavior that caused the censorship in the first place. I don't think calling the former school and administrators and making threats is the right thing to do either. However I also understand this reaction also.
Risha pointed out the results of a flawed system that had a direct impact on her, the students and the community. She also waited a few years before she posted this. So maybe she thought that she could post this and it would end up buried in some little corner of the internet and she had been able to vent.
What ended up happening is that the disaffected part of the internet came across her story and basically put it up on a billboard. It is like suddenly some little story seems to take on a life of it's own. This story however is important it points out in a very real matter what happens to individuals with good ideas confronted but those with ideas of fear. It's needs to be told. Those who continue to espouse fear need to have a spotlight shinned on them. Threatening those that espouse fear don't need threats that reinforces their belief.
What they need is shame. They need that spotlight to show them that they have done wrong. They need to realize that they have disappointed the rest of the community. They need to realize what they are doing isn't benefiting anyone and that their fear has no place here. Because there is no justification for it.
So to Risha, I understand you call for a peacefire. I will not honor it. I will continue to shine a light on those that deserve to be shamed. I will not threaten I will not intimidate. I will wonder after two years did anyone ever really apologize to you for what they did to you and the program you ran?
In my previous post, I forgot to say that we, as Redditors, should not seek recourse against the school through e-mail. It only harms this instructor's reputation and further aggravates the situation. If we appear belligerent, they will see themselves as right. I suggest that instead we write to our own local school boards in support of events like banned book week and against censorship in our own communities. Constructive action is better than destructive action.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to say something more poetic but it made less sense than
ReplyDeleteyou are awesome, thank you for your efforts
I'm glad that there are agents of good in the world. We'll support you however we can.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your endeavors. I know my comment will be lost in the wash. I just wanted to be that glimmer of encouragement. Your blog entry, the one you retracted, kept me up reading. Keep up the good fight, in the end you will prevail.
ReplyDeleteParents who insist on banning books are guilty of child abuse. Ban books and you may as well blind your students. You fought the good fight Risha. I wouldn't want to live in a world without people like you.
ReplyDeleteYour love for young adult literature is rejuvenating and you should not let closed-minded, bible-thumping idiots stand in your way. The reason everybody is encouraging you is that these same idiots are a poison to the education system.
ReplyDeleteIf you could help post ways to get rid of them without threatening their physical welfare, that'd be great. They need to get out of the education system and work somewhere else and bother somebody else. Our kids deserve more than what they have to offer.
i wish you were my teacher.
ReplyDeleteToday I read your post on Reddit. It is the longest, saddest tale I have heard in a while. I really hope all of this internet attention trickles into the real world and things change for the better.
ReplyDeleteminor correction to this post: you wrote "affect positive change." Should be "effect."
@Understudy
ReplyDelete> They need to realize that they
> have disappointed the rest of
> the community.
Who have they disappointed? School administrators don't serve the Internet, or reddit. They serve their superiors, and in a more narrow sense serve the local slice of vocal, involved parents and students.
Did the parents on the book review committee stand up when every one of their approved books was silently taken away? Did anyone other than Mrs. Mullins? I daresay that this community is getting the quality of education it richly deserves, and I doubt anything that the Internet does is going to convince them otherwise.
I am thinking a million thing so I will just say this..
ReplyDelete<3
Thank you for your courage as a teacher and your attempt to not accept status quo and fight for your students. Would it be possible for you to post in your blog the books you love for YA?
ReplyDeleteYour former students I am sure would love to have an outlet. The power hungry parents can stop you in the classroom, but those who love and appreciate you can benefit outside the classroom.
Thank you again for your struggles and passion.
Weather you realize it or not
ReplyDeleteyour "popularity" is your greatest strength.
yes, it's your tendency to retreat and make logical and passionate arguments
but where has it gotten you?
I suggest you try a different tactic and ride this wave all the way to the shore.
let people write in your defense. Let the popularity grow and the force multiply. You really have NOTHING to lose and much more to win than a crappy job at some small town school mired in professional mediocracy.
Please look to the other teachers that courted the wrath of the mediocre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Louis_Clark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_on_Me_(film)
What you have to do is gain national attention
let this be a national movement to improve education and at the same time open up your job prospects. :)
You are not alone in this... there are those that are out to help you.
This and your earlier blog post make me angry. Not at you, but at the people who think that hiding literature is good for anyone.
ReplyDeleteTheir ignorance astounds me.
You handled the situation with far more grace than I would have. You weren't looking for it, but you have earned far more than any respect or sympathy than I can express in a comment box. Keep fighting the good fight.
Oh I'm pretty sure reddit users have dedicated their energy to education: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/09/reddit-users-raise-200-000-for-charity-for-colbert-rally/63080/
ReplyDeleteDear Risha,
ReplyDeleteI'm a student from Germany. I don't have kids yet. However, as soon as I send my kid(s) to school, I promise you that as a parent I will do everything I can to support teachers like you. Everything.
Your story could easily be mistaken to be about children and education. However, it is about parents and ignorance. I truly feel sorry for those parents challenging you. Sadly, it seems that most of them do not understand that school is supposed to help their children to think for their own. Instead, they act in an extremely selfish manner based on some crude ideology which will eventually restrain their childrens' education. I hope your students won't suffer too much from the actions of their partens.
I truly hope that you'll find new courage. But a person can only take so much. If these parents win, their children lose. Simple as that.
Sincerely,
a soon-to-be-parent from another country.
I just read what occurred to you and it's really depressing to realize that there are parents who act irrationally in a sense, scared of the "bad" influences of literature in today's society filled with our illustrious teen idols . Honestly, as a high school student with a new found passion for literature, you really seem to be one of the few teachers I have met who actually care about their students to such an extent that they are willing to go out of your way to help them succeed. I'm lucky to have such a teacher teaching me right now, and I know there will be a lasting impact upon my life. As she, and I'm sure you did too, opened up literature for students who would never have had the chance to.
ReplyDeleteSo, thank you, and keep on enduring.
bravo, and well done :)
ReplyDeleteI saw your original post via mirrors, and I've got to say, you are awesome. Anyone who cares enough about teaching to put pretty much everything on the line like that must really love kids and education. We need more people like you in the education system in the US.
ReplyDeleteDon't ever let anyone say you're not an asset to education. And if they do say it, don't ever believe them.
Barbara Streisand would like a word with you
ReplyDeleteI did read the original post.
ReplyDeleteYou my good woman, show us what is worong with the current system. I mean, you do this fantastic thing, to bring learning to the students and they enjoy it. Its a rare thing these days. Until you got stepped on and forced out. The power of ignorance, and other "interests" are ruinign the system by forcing suche as you out.
I think i can speak with confidence when I say most of us that are not as ignorant as teh parents who started this support you!
Thank you. I also disagree with your decision to remove the post, but I also have an immeasurable amount of respect for you, and all the teachers like you that I've had the unbelievable good fortune to know.
ReplyDeleteI know that you know you're doing the right thing; I'll add my voice to the chorus that knows it as well.
Hate and ignorance and stupidity will not win, so long as there are people like who who are willing to fight the ugly little battles with small-minded, cowardly sheep.
I was "forced" to read certain books I would have never considered picking up in high school for an IB HL English class. To call those books provocative might have been an understatement. Unlike your students, I was unenthusiastic, however, I will acknowledge that at the end of the year it did open my mind on culture and the English language. I'm pretty sure my conservative Chinese parents would've balked if not frowned at the idea of their child reading such material back then, however without those books as a stepping stone I would not have the insight and open-perspective that I have today, capable of convincing my parents that those books did more help than harm. I'm glad you shared this incident with everyone, and I wish you the best on future endeavors.
ReplyDeleteHi, from France.
ReplyDeleteI benefited from an amazing public school education (plus two years in a parochial private school) in both Europe and the US. The teachers were motivated, intelligent, open people -- even the highly religious ones at my junior high school. They exposed us to new ideas, controversial books, contrarian opinions, and made us think, think, think. And their school administrators accepted it. If there was ever any contention from parents upset with their children's intellectual horizons being broadened, they never let that get through to the point where it might negatively affect our education.
Both my parents were teachers, and your original posting made me almost shake with anger and frustration.
I know that you're not enamored with negative actions resulting from your post, but I am encouraged by the reaction. I want to see intelligent, thinking people get mad as hell and not take it anymore, from the forces of darkness, ignorance, censorship, and intolerance. And for sparking just a little bit of that, intentional or not, I thank you.
That should be "effect positive change". Since this blog is about English and literacy, broadly speaking, I just thought I'd point out the typo.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI stand saddened but inspired by your blog. The only thing I can say is that your situation breaths new life into the quote,
ReplyDelete"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
I wish I could have had a teacher like you.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are given more freedom to teach.
My wife, a teacher of more than 30 years experience, says this, "If you remove your story from the public forum, only their side will be told. This is a battle." Please keep it (the story and your fight) up. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteRickRussellTX said...
ReplyDelete@Understudy
>> They need to realize that they
>> have disappointed the rest of
>> the community.
>Who have they disappointed? School >administrators don't serve the Internet, or >reddit. They serve their superiors, and in a >more narrow sense serve the local slice of >vocal, involved parents and students.
>Did the parents on the book review committee >stand up when every one of their approved >books was silently taken away? Did anyone >other than Mrs. Mullins? I daresay that this >community is getting the quality of education >it richly deserves, and I doubt anything that >the Internet does is going to convince them >otherwise.
You missed something in her original post:
>Last month, Montgomery County’s test scores >came out. Reading went down six points.
So if that is your idea of getting the education it so richly deserves I will not agree with you.
Please put the story back up. You have silenced a voice that needs to be heard.
ReplyDeleteI understand why Risha removed the story. She is not a vengeful person, but some who reacted to the story made it seem that way. We need to concentrate on changing the culture of schools back to the ideal of opening our children's minds to the rich world of literature available to them. The story needs to be told, but making it into a witch hunt does not help Risha or the culture.
ReplyDeletewell isn't that something. The internet takes an interest in your story, as we can all relate to similar situations in school, whether we were teachers, students or parents.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit ironic that you are now requesting that everyone censor themselves now. If you never expected the internet to contact your former employers, you simply have a misunderstanding of how the internet works.
I refuse to believe the best way to fight is to fight silently. Whats the big deal if everyone thinks those that are passionate about reading (YA) are volatile? I'd much prefer that over apathetic or being a pushover.
The story did a lot more positive than negative. It reached a lot of people. I'm impressed that you want to spare the administrators, that caused you such grief, the derision they deserve. For the sake of those in similar situations, don't be afraid to share your story.
ReplyDeleteReading your story (both cached and this new post) made me feel physically queasy.
ReplyDeleteI'm from Massachusetts. Granted sometimes the classroom lessons felt stale, but my teachers always promoted reading whatever was interesting to us. I would have loved to receive the kind of guidance you provided your students, but at that point I already enjoyed reading and didn't need the extra push that so many students do at that point.
There's so much wrong with so many school districts. I attended my sister's high school graduation and was disgusted to watch the principal *beg* the students to behave (then watched as they destroyed the assembly, even to the point of seeing an old woman get slammed in the face with a beach ball.) It was as though the teachers were beaten back, too scared to retaliate or show any authority.
How *can* they show authority when parents run off and blame everyone and everything but themselves? A parent who is involved in their child's life is a wonderful thing. However, they need to realize that teachers have a job to do...
Gah, I don't even know where I am going with this sentiment, as the entire thing downright disgusts me.
Risha please put the story back up.
ReplyDeleteIf the administration is getting hate-filled rhetoric is because they have sparked those feelings in people that actually care. Indifferent people don't write anything, don't act on anything.
You fear that your own credibility and that of the authors will be "ruined". Ruined where? Back in Kentucky where they don't believe in what you do or what the authors have to say? How can your reputation be ruined in a place where your goals simply don't exist. Those people do not understand what you stand for, otherwise they wouldn't had let you go in the first place.
Outside the community that decided to kick you out, people actually understand the difference between your post shedding light on a huge problem and random people acting stupid and harassing your former administration. You had and you still have to speak out and whether the internet decided to act stupidly or not is not in your hands, your reputation won't be diminished by other people's acts. The persons that matter, let's say people that act against censorship (and when thinking about your reputation you should think of them NOT the censors), know you have done right.
The internet chose your post out of billions for a good reason. Some really angry people will act angry and vent on your administration, because they are ANGRY. Others will not only shortly vent but actually support you and make this worthwhile in a more lasting way and they need the evidence which is your last post.
Put it up, now!
Keep fighting. It's through the type education that you are trying to offer to children that we can see a true change in this world.
ReplyDeleteFor the folks who vow to continue attacking, keep in mind that the person you support (this teacher) is the one who will suffer the consequences. She's already lost out on one job opportunity because of the original controversy, if she's associated with a spiteful, anger driven campaign then it may affect her ability to get future employment.
ReplyDeleteThe cause is just, and she deserves vindication, but please keep the consequences in mind when crafting your messages on this. Using profanity or giving her opponents clips they can wave to the media that dismiss the flood of feedback as "obscene" or "vengeful" only helps the people that hurt her.
However our opinions may differ on the issue at hand, and the speed with which I re-post, we do agree that I've used "affect" incorrectly. "Effect" as a verb is rare. Excuse the slip. It's both exciting and unnerving to know the world is watching my grammar.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the world, one comment inquired of the countries represented in the hundreds of emails to me. Here are some:
All over America, obviously. Austria. Australia. Norway. Germany. France. England. Brazil. Canada. New Zealand. Indonesia. Mexico. South Korea.
Please put the story back up. Thanks for your dedication!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know, I haven't read anything other than a magazine or a newspaper since graduating high school ages ago, and the last book I read was Fifth Business in grade 12.
ReplyDeleteAfter going through your original post, I got talking with my girlfriend and I started reminiscing about everything I read in high school and started questioning why I'd just stopped.
As a result, we got into a long discussion about what our different reading lists were in high school and what we liked and didn't like and I realized how much I had enjoyed reading and discussing characters and authors, and that I should start up again.
Through all that has happened to you, I just felt you would like to know this.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me cry to see so many people caring about education.
ReplyDeleteYou are the change I wish to see in the world, Ms. Mullins. Thank you for all your efforts and know that they HAVE made a difference.
ReplyDeleteAside from your good intents, I have to say I see quite the irony in a group that is promoting reading by using Twitter of all things to promote it.
ReplyDeleteTwitter is EXACTLY what is wrong with the way we young minds are interacting via their language today. I've never seen so many abuses of the English language as I have on Twitter.
Right on
ReplyDeleteRisha,
ReplyDeleteI read the cached version of your Censorship entry, and cried. No one so obviously in the right should have to go through what you did.
I too am asking you to make the entry you took down available. Aside from the obvious reasons that many have voiced, I ask from a slightly different perspective: I used to teach Mass Communication at a four-year university.
I had a writing assignment (of my own design) as part of the Freshman-level, introductory course.Through grading that assignment (200 papers a semester), I saw the long-term results of the kind of people you had to fight: Ignorance; the inability to articulate or communicate in writing their thoughts and ideas; their attempts to not only justify their willful ignorance, but tout it as a strength.
It was obvious that the students who were better read did better on assignments. They also tended to be the students that showed up for class, and were most engaged. They always had the better grades.
Currently, I hear the results of the kind of people you had to fight. I am still at the same university, as staff. My office is next to one of the main computer labs. Listening to students talk to each other about classes and assignments, it sounds like things are getting worse. Please don't stop showing The Light. A beacon of that light was the entry you took down.
Be Well,
Mike Nomad
Only want you to know, that you got support from Sweden to. Keep doing what you feel is right, because you ma'am is a Role model.
ReplyDeleteLove from a Swedish supporter.
The superintendent is a UK fan isn't he?
ReplyDeletePlease come to Australia.
ReplyDeleteAn Australian Teacher.
There will be no more Steinbecks nor Salingers once the fools have their way. Let them abide in ignorance, but never let them impose it upon us.
ReplyDelete"What they need is shame."
ReplyDeleteThey haven't felt shame in years and they won't start now. People learn how not to feel what they "need" and part of that learning translates into the actions of censorship and hate. It's too late for them, but maybe the children who have been exposed to YA will grow up to recognize their parent's hypocracy.
Outstanding blog post. Well said.
ReplyDeleteTell me, since I and others value your opinion, what do you think of this:
School Media Specialist Passes Sexual Content Review to Students; Dee Venuto Says It Is Discrimination to Keep Children From Material Including Lengthy, Vivid Descriptions of a Ménage a Trois
Sorry, but this is no longer about you, and their treatment of you. The way they acted in your case is reprehensible, but this is now an issue of censorship in that district, and the people fighting against it are doing so because they believe in the free exchange of information and learning. Not solely because they're upset with the way you were treated.
ReplyDeleteThose of us protesting this censorship are doing so ultimately out of concern for the students, and the education system as a whole. Those of us protesting this censorship are doing so because we are just as angry as the parents who called for your head in the first place. We are just as angry and feel just as justified in our actions.
In a perfect world, calm discourse and logical thought and rational arguments would be all that we need to defend ourselves and prove our points. This is not a perfect world.
The reality of this world is that it takes passion and fire in many cases to affect change, to defend ourselves, and to preserve freedom. It often takes righteous anger.
I do not protest censorship out of ill will towards the proponents of it. I protest it out of my faith in the freedom of information. It is regretful that this attack on censorship has the potential to hurt people. But it is reality.
The march of progress has always crushed people beneath its boots. Indeed, it even has the chance to make you one of its victims. But if you truly believe in it, then that is something you have to be willing to accept.
Are you a coward? Not in my eyes. You have a family, and have fought for as long as you are willing. But please do not ask for those of us that wish to continue on to back down, because we are fighting for what we believe in. Just as you once did.
I think using the word "diction" has made your blog pornographic and it should be banned.
ReplyDeleteI kid, I kid. As a Kentuckian, with a mother who taught there for years, in schools and the prison system (which she preferred,) I experienced the ignorance you faced first hand. It's frightening how those people are insulted by the concept of learning. They have proud walls around their feeble brains and feel any attempt to educate is a personal attack on who they are.
Risha Mullins has explained her self-censorship well: "I removed my blog in protest to the hostile, hate-filled rhetoric being sent to my former administration and colleagues in my name. [L]et me beg of you to stop this harassment."
ReplyDeleteIt has been my experience that the free speech advocates are the meanest of the mean bent on pure harassment to shut down the few voices that are not cowed into speaking like them or shutting up. What Risha Mullins has said is brave yet again since she is a free speech advocate, but one who speaks the truth about the viciousness of those who claim to be for free speech.
As Dan Gerstein said, "The ... elites have convinced themselves that they are taking a stand against cultural tyranny. .... [T]he reality is that it is those who cry 'Censorship!' the loudest who are the ones trying to stifle speech and force their moral world-view on others."
Thank you, Risha Mullins, for making that point crystal clear.
I just read the cached version of your censorship post. It brought me to tears. I am so sorry what fearful and ignorant people did to you, and to education in general. The first step in teaching a child is making them want to learn!
ReplyDeleteThroughout my primary school career, teachers would see the books I was already reading and hand me more. I had teachers hand me The Giver, A Wrinkle in Time, The Lord of the Rings, Bridge to Terabithia and so many more. Many of them I'm sure would never have cut it as "approved classroom reading", but I loved reading them. They were engaging stories, written in a way that a pre-teen or teenager could understand. And better, these teachers didn't ask me to write reports on them, or assign me papers, they just wanted to know what I thought of them afterwords. I learned the joy of leisure reading from them, my vocabulary increased, as did my reading speed. And I need both of them today, for a career in the medical field that requires me reading heavy journal articles just to stay current on new treatments and procedures.
It's a shame that we live in a country that's so hostile toward education. Yet, in the same breath we lament how poorly our children do in school. How can we, as a first world nation, have such a high rate of illiteracy amongst native English speakers? Why can't we just allow teachers to do their jobs in the best way they know how?
Keep doing what you're doing, I'm going to keep following your blog. Thank you for being willing to share such a personal and painful story with the world. I hope that wherever you're teaching now will end up more receptive to your teaching philosophy.
We are the internet. Vindictive backlash is what we DO.
ReplyDeleteCan we please name the beast? It's religion, it has no place in the classroom directly or indirectly. Until we all recognize that we will continue to see this sort of tragedy repeated.
ReplyDeleteStay strong. You are a hero. History will vindicate you.
ReplyDeleteYou don't need to think so hard and suffer so much if you let JESUS do your thinking for you!
ReplyDelete/hug Don't feel bad for leaving and not staying to fight till the end. You fought as hard as you could and nobody can blame you for not being able to take all of that negativity and persecution. I hope your story will be passed on and help to make things better.
ReplyDeleteRisha,I admire your grace and strength throughout the whole ordeal. You deserve an award for your passion and commitment to your students and the promotion of good literature. People like you are the unsung, every day heros of our society.
ReplyDeleteOn a somewhat related note, you are really into Young Adult books, and I created a free service that will notify you about new YA releases (and you can choose other genres as well): http://anynewbooks.com. Take a look, you and your students may find it useful.
I wish you only the best for your future.
Please understand that I am not asking anyone to stop the fight against censorship. I want the opposite. That's why I am speaking out against the real enemy: censorship.
ReplyDeleteBy fighting my former district, by focusing on an isolated place in this country and attempting to beat the decision-makers into submission with hateful, explicit, borderline-terroristic emails, we do not advance the cause; rather, we run the risk of hurting it.
Also, let me be clear: I know I'm not the cause, only the accidental catalyst. YA for students is the cause. A literate nation is the cause. But as this is my blog, and the international attention seems to be focused on my story as the catalyst for change, I have the right to make a personal statement against what I believe is severely misguided venting.
Someone indicated a great idea in an earlier comment: send letters of support to teachers using YA and creative methods to promote a love for reading; send emails to your own administrations, your kids', your friends', peacefully requesting change; look at your own school policies and tighten them; or contact NCTE (National Council for Teachers of English) with ideas to help teachers safely include a diverse reading curriculum. Whatever you do, vent in such a way that students and teachers can actually be supported.
It took me two years to finally talk about what happened; and it is no less painful of a situation when people "on my side" are speaking without compassion or understanding against me now that I have spoken. So, again, I'll re-post, but not until word has had time to get around that those ugly emails are hindering progress.
Until then,
Risha Mullins
First, I have to say that when I read your story on Reddit, I literally cried - tears rolled down my cheeks. I was a bookish kid growing up in the UK and Canada and I can't imagine what this must be like.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I think this worked out perfectly for you. You did honestly take down the posting, it's not associated *directly* with your employer, and you had no idea that it was going to be reposted somewhere else - but it did get reposted.
I just wanted to say that humans all over the world are rooting for you, that love of learning and freedom will come back after the collapse that's unfortunately brewing and we'll need people like you even more than ever. Stay strong!
And one more comment - he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day. Sometimes it takes MORE bravery not to go down in flames but to back off, bide your time, and try again.
ReplyDeleteWith any job you have to CYA. Get everything in writing. If it's not in writing, send an email summarizing your conversation. You never know when someone might pull something dirty, and when you have Christian groups out to get you they will say anything and do anything no matter how divorced from reality it is. They don't question their leaders, they follow, so you need to document reality and expose them as liars. You will never change their minds, but you will marginalize them.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see that so many people feel strongly about this issue, and I really admire the attitude you are taking in trying to raise awareness without raising hostility. This country needs more teachers like you!
ReplyDeleteRisha, Risha, Risha you never fail to amaze me. I recieved your text and I had to immediately logged on. I think youre wonderful and I love you dearly....as in the bird.
ReplyDeleteThe parent had the right to not want their kid reading about homosexuality and an abusive relationship. The student can read it on their own, without having the school provide it to him/her. I think the Scarlet Letter, Tess of the D'Urbervilles and and Catcher in the Rye are all plenty risque and mature for high school reading. There is no need for literature to be as explicit as the book that was challenged
ReplyDeleteYou're amazing. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIf you had read the blog carefully, you would have seen that the email that was originally received by the superintendent, board members, and principals and which started this firestorm was from "a parent whose child had chosen to read Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles".
ReplyDeleteThe child "chose" this book. In which case, common sense requires the question, "why didn't the parent simply request that the child read a different book?"
Instead, this person didn't say anything to the teacher involved. This parent went straight to the top and caused a lot of damage for a lot of students because of ignorance. The chosen form of action indicates a fundamentalist mindset.
"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." ~ Albert Einstein
ReplyDeleteAs a person who has been reading since the age of three, I simply cannot fathom the idea of someone telling me at any point in my education what I could or could not read. It is people who are fearful of having their own prejudices exposed who seek to curtail the activities of others. Never doubt that you have done the right thing. You have my deepest respect.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor the love of YA said:
ReplyDelete>Please understand that I am not asking anyone >to stop the fight against censorship. I want >the opposite. That's why I am speaking out >against the real enemy: censorship.
Your reply continues but I not going to repost the whole thing here when people can scroll up. . The second reddit thread which I had in my link contains most of the reply I made here earlier. What it does not contain are the replies I made to other comments that were made in that second reddit post.
I would hope that maybe you would take the time to look at that. You may find that there are more of us who understand you and agree that threats of violence are not what is desired. With that said as I mentioned earlier I have no problem with shinning the light of shame on them. I stand by that.
I have not sent one email or letter or made one phone call to any of your former employers. What did I do. I posted on facebook a link to your original story. Which you then took down. I read the article from the safelibraries blog and saw how they are basically foaming at the mouth with delight that you took down your post.
What I should be doing is contacting the local news channel but the story is almost two years old. I should contact the local newspaper and ask for them to do an interview with you on the aftermath. The school administration should have to justify the lower reading scores. Those would be things that as part of the older generation would make sense.
However you need an introduction to the new generation. I turn 43 tomorrow so I am not the person who should do it but I will. You have had a fast hard greeting of the internet hivemind. Sometimes called Anonymous, sometimes refereed to as the Internet Hate Machine. This is a machine it is neither good nor evil. It is a reaction. It is not a reaction to you it is a reaction to censorship. The hivemind is just that a collective. However the collective does not mean that everyone is going to do the proper thing. Nor should they have to. The hivemind is not about creating more conformity because that can and does lead to the very issue you confronted, censorship.
I am not going to endorse threats of violence or harm from the hivemind but I not going say they should not call the administrators responsible for what happened and give them a mental beat down. The hivemind can bring attention to issues like this and it does it really well when it is something tangible. The hivemind does not turn a blind eye, it does not forget and it does not forgive and it does not apologize. This is not my doing or my endorsement. This is very mush the reality or the situation. Someone on video gets caught abusing an animal the hivemind reacts. It is not subtle. It is a kick in the complacency that has been allowed to fester. It is not a brain surgeon it is a witch doctor.
part 2 of my comment continues here.
ReplyDeleteIt can be a very scary and intimidating thing to be the focus of the hivemind. However this can also be a wonderful thing. The hivemind in a bizarre way actually cares. You want an example of that as a teacher go right now and contact a charity donarschose.org which is designed to help school teachers. Ask them what happens when the hivemind wants to make a difference.
So why tell you about the hivemind something you probably already have a clue about. Because you did something perhaps with good intention that was in the eyes of the hivemind the incorrect thing. You contributed to that censorship when you removed that post.
You don't have to agree and there are plenty who will say that self censorship can be a form of responsibility. That is an older generation mentality not a newer one. The hivemind does not do passive. It does not do diplomacy. Also let me state this I feel that while I understand the removal of your post I disagree with it because it fed the hivemind even more and it fed your opposition even more.
It is very tough when people are coming up to you and saying you did this this is your fault. Your article started all this trouble. Guess what, that is a lame excuse from them. You waited almost two years before you posted this. The story was well written articulate and contain facts that could be verified. The hivemind was able to go through this in what seem like an instant. However once your story was picked up it was no longer about you. It was about censorship it was about repression. You wrote about what happened not just to you but your students. The hivemind does not feel that you owe them even so much as a courtesy. And guess what the hivemind is correct in that aspect. The people responsible are still there and nothing has changed.
I wrote what my personal view on this was. Some agreed some did not. Then I went further, I posted a second comment on the catalyst moment and the book itself. I made a conclusion or two based on the evidence out there. There is a lot of it. There is plenty about Lessons from a Dead Girl, about Jo Knowles, about the moo moo book club, and even videos with you in them. The more I delved into it the more frustrating it got. There is very real very palpable evidence of the good things you did and more importantly of the good things that happened to those students that were part of your program. So after becoming more frustrated it became even harder to accept your self censorship. I understand it but I won't endorse it. I just scratched the surface imagine the level of frustration if even more information came out.
People can claim this is their community and they can run it how they want. No, the community brings up students to be a part of the larger picture. They aren't all going to stay in Montgomery county. They will travel all over for work, school, and life. They will end up with lives outside of that area. The lack of education and low reading scores will have an effect that is broad reaching. That is a good reason for the larger community to give notice to the smaller community.
It will be a better day when you put your story back up.
I have some grammar and punctuations errors in my comment. I cannot edit the comments to make the corrections.
ReplyDeleteSorry but revolutions are paid for in blood. Censoring yourself is not only backing down, it is exactly the religious right wants. You must be strong and hold your moral values, even if it costs yourself and those around you. Be strong, repost the article. Censorship of any kind is a cancer.
ReplyDeleteI am an FCA sponsor at my school, a Christian former missionary who is very concerned about questions of character amongst young people today. I am also very concerned about the way that values are being decoded and re-encoded in ways that I feel are harmful. I don't like Harry Potter books or Twilight books (I'm a Dracula fan). I am also an English and Latin teacher.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I am very saddened by your story. I see very clearly that the people who objected to your teaching methods did not honor you by entering into a dialogue with you about your reading groups. This is decidedly un-biblical as well as un-Christlike behavior. The problem here is more than just a censorship problem. It is the same problem we see every day on our political landscape. We argue and attack those who hold a different view from us instead of seek to understand and bring peace.
I am only partially aware of the "Fields of Grace" program you wrote about, but my understanding of the experience is that students have the opportunity to confess to others mistakes they feel they are making and gain support to repent of those mistakes. The program is not intended to be a rallying point for people to go off and attack others and correct their mistakes.
The people who stood outside of your room praying but did not find the courage to talk to you were not allowing the Spirit of God to work deeply enough in their hearts to engage in conversation with you. Prayer without legs and arms, as it were, is just empty words thrown into the air. It is like a sounding gong that is meaningless.
Has anyone from FCA spoken with you at all? If not, I hope that someone does. You have been mis-treated in a way that FCA does not, I feel, approve.
I will check into this myself.
I am truly sorry for the un-Christian way that my brothers and sisters in Christ have treated you.
I am posting as "anonymous" here, not because I don't wish myself to be known, but because I don't have the digital credentials to identify myself.
For what it is worth, I support you an appreciate your courage, Risha.
ReplyDeleteRisha, I found your article and Blog through reddit's mirror.
ReplyDeleteI was moved by your story, and read through your other postings. I hope when I have children that they have a teacher who is as passionate as you are. I hope you do post your original article again soon, but don't blame you, either.
Please, please, re-write your story! Hear me out, and I think you'll agree, it's worth it.
ReplyDeleteFirst, your story needs to be told. I think the anger and venom that it produced was because we were following a story about _you_, the person, and how it effected your life. But there is another character in your story with a less emotional hook: The Moo Moo club and your "matrices". The reading program itself could be the focus of another account of your tail, and let the rise and fall of the Club and students test scores be the main character and focus.
This way, you get to tell a... a more neutral version of your story that takes the heat away from the persons of your old school district. Write it with the Superintendent being the beaten and weak, unwilling to even stand up for education against the uneducated parents/antagonist.
Let the feelings generated by your story stand guard around the institution of public education.
Understudy said, "I read the article from the safelibraries blog and saw how they are basically foaming at the mouth with delight that you took down your post." That is false. I was saddened it was removed. I posted other links where it exists precisely so people can still read it. And when it is reposted here, I'll link to that as well.
ReplyDeleteFurther, I may write a blog post on how much class Risha Mullins has displayed. She is a rare role model. While she tells people to stop harassing others, as shown above and in her comments, the ALA sets the example that harassing people is the proper response. What a contrast between Risha Mullins's grace and the ALA's propaganda. If I get a chance, I'll be writing in full support, yet again, of Risha Mullins.
By the way, the following may be of interest:
Why the OIF Can’t be Taken Seriously, by Annoyed Librarian, Library Journal, 6 October 2010.
@safelibraires
ReplyDeleteYou site is disgraceful. You have no interest in the betterment of students or what Risha did for them. The only thing your site gets out of this a misguided form of validation. I do not believe you. The fortunate aspect is that for the most part you are an insignificant spec on the internet.
@Understudy. Sir, have you no respect for Risha Mullins? Here she is, in this very blog post, speaking out forcefully against people behaving in the very same fashion you just behaved or something substantially similar. Have you no respect for Risha Mullins?
ReplyDeleteI chanced upon it via Reddit. After reading the 'missing' piece twice, including comments, i can only refer it as a 'profile of courage & conviction.'
ReplyDeleteAmerica needs more like you as to avoid raising the 'next generation of young nincompoops' as manifested by this article here:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/09/27/are_we_raising_a_generation_of_nincompoops/
I admire you. I want to be a teacher like you but reading the Censorship post makes me rethink because I know I would be fighting the idiotic parents who think that abstinence and sheltering their kids is the best way to protect their children.
ReplyDeleteI hope that when I become a teacher, parents learn not to be so ignorant.
Risha, I found your article on reddit yesterday. It turns my stomach that censorship is still an issue in this day and age. But seeing how the country is becoming more polarized by the day, it is not surprising. I would like to follow you on twitter (but you have your tweets protected), and hope that you will approve my request (I requested to follow you today). Thanks!
ReplyDeletePS: Please don't grade on grammar - I got a C in English back in HS! :)
My hope is that those students who endured that year of censorship with you will grow up to be accepting adults and parents. Parents who realize that the real enemy is ignorance.
ReplyDeleteI think you gave them an amazing gift besides raising reading scores.
Fear is like a pandemic. Your efforts to combat it with integrity and data shows a lot of maturity. There has to be a principal that would enthusiastically welcome you to her school. Your story will be shared with my English Education students. I wish you all good things.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone wonders, some students have made their way to this blog. I am therefore removing comments that could seem vulgar or explicit.
ReplyDeleteFYI
I admire you for that. Just one more thing to admire about you.
ReplyDeleteRisha, thank you. I want to say that I am a young college student, only a freshman now, but aspiring to be a high school English teacher. Your story is inspiring. I've been doing a paper on censorship and it is apalling some of the things that go on in the education system. Quite honestly, it discourages me a little about becoming a teacher. However, your story gives me hope. I would like to add one note (call it a personal vendetta) that I am a Christian. I do hold personally to a very conservative lifestyle, but still very much value literature and what it has to offer and respect people like you who are willing to stand up for the good of students and actually love to teach. I aspire to be a passionate and loving teacher like you. Thank you so much for giving me hope for my future.
ReplyDelete