{"id":2040994,"date":"2023-09-22T03:05:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T07:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-texas-teacher-who-assigned-anne-frank-graphic-novel-deserved-to-be-fired\/"},"modified":"2023-09-22T03:10:37","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T07:10:37","slug":"the-texas-teacher-who-assigned-anne-frank-graphic-novel-deserved-to-be-fired","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-texas-teacher-who-assigned-anne-frank-graphic-novel-deserved-to-be-fired\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas teacher fired for assigning Anne Frank graphic novel."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-texas-teacher-who-assigned-anne-frank-graphic-novel-deserved-to-be-fired%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2040994&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2>Teacher Fired for Assigning Anne Frank Graphic Novel<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Last week, a middle school \u2062teacher in Texas was fired for assigning \u201cthe graphic adaptation\u201d of Anne Frank\u2019s diary.\u2064 Judging from most headlines, this \u200dseems to be \u200can instance\u2063 of intolerant \u2064and anti-intellectual parents targeting a teacher for trying to engage \u200bher class with a text that denounces hate.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>Context\u2064 Matters: Examining the Anne Frank Book Controversy<\/h3>\n<p>Last week,\u200d a middle school teacher in Texas \u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/us\/texas-teacher-fired-after-assigning-an-illustrated-anne-frank-book\/ar-AA1gX7VB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">was fired<\/a> for assigning \u201cthe graphic adaptation\u201d of Anne Frank\u2019s diary. Judging from <a href=\"https:\/\/duckduckgo.com\/?q=middle+school+teacher+anne+frank&#038;t=brave&#038;ia=web&#038;iai=https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/us\/texas-teacher-fired-after-assigning-an-illustrated-anne-frank-book\/ar-AA1gX7VB&#038;pn=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">most headlines<\/a>, this seems to be an \u2064instance of \u200bintolerant and anti-intellectual parents targeting\u200c a teacher for trying to engage her class with a text that denounces hate.<\/p>\n<p>Newsweek\u2019s title \u2062was typical, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/us\/anne-frank-book-gets-texas-teacher-fired\/ar-AA1gYU9B\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cAnne Frank Book\u200b Gets Teacher Fired,\u201d<\/a> placing the blame on the book rather than the teacher, and purposely de-contextualizing the\u200b issue so that it\u2019s about the presence\u200b of this book, not what was done with it. Understandably, Randi Weingarten, \u2062the infamous president of the American Federation of\u2064 Teachers union, <a href=\"https:\/\/wpde.com\/news\/nation-world\/fact-check-union-boss-wrongly-claims-texas-teacher-was-fired-for-reading-the-diary-of-anne-frank-american-federation-of-teachers-president-randi-weingarten-kfdm-beaumont-hamshire-fannett-crisis-in-the-classroom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweeted\u200b to her 124,000 \u200cfollowers about the incident<\/a> to complain about a wrongful termination but had all the details wrong.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1783535505\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-4fce15363e5c5722f016e0e0f0eed18e fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-4fce15363e5c5722f016e0e0f0eed18e\"><\/div>\n<p>All this\u200b is to say that there\u2019s\u2063 more to this story that deserves further examination.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll admit, as an \u200cEnglish teacher myself, I\u2063 sympathized with this woman at first, thinking she must\u2019ve been \u2064caught in the crosshairs of some\u200b vindictive parents or administrators who disagreed \u2062with her politics or\u2062 lifestyle. I\u2019ve witnessed this and can attest the attacks \u2064can be from both\u2063 sides, and\u2064 it gets ugly.<\/p>\n<p>However,\u2062 once I made it past the headline,\u200c it became apparent why this\u200b teacher was removed\u200d from the classroom.\u2062 First, the book wasn\u2019t \u200dincluded in the class\u2019s approved curriculum. Second, the book included\u2062 sexually explicit content that was wildly inappropriate\u200b for a middle school English class.<\/p>\n<p>At best, the teacher was\u2063 incompetent and thought using this book would help her struggling readers understand \u200dAnne Frank\u2019s story, not thinking about the\u200b material in it. At worst, the teacher knew what was in the book, \u200dthought\u2063 it would be good for her students, and wanted to rebel against prescribed standards\u200d by\u2063 going off-script.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-bd7c97968d793fa81c7d823c967d4bad fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-bd7c97968d793fa81c7d823c967d4bad\"><\/div>\n<p>For most\u200b people, all \u2064this might\u2062 be\u2064 confusing. After all,\u200c how can Anne \u200dFrank\u2019s diary be inappropriate when so many millions of students read the book and \u2063missed \u2062these salacious descriptions? This is because \u200bthe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/48855.The_Diary_of_a_Young_Girl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">original version<\/a> published in 1947, which most people have read, doesn\u2019t include Frank\u2019s descriptions of puberty, genitalia, and lesbian desires, which were in the original diary. For whatever reason,\u200b the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/35794821-anne-frank-s-diary?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_29\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">graphic novel version published in 2017<\/a> includes \u2064these missing portions, as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-12537903\/Texas-middle-school-teacher-FIRED-assigning-children-graphic-novel-adaptation-Anne-Franks-diary-includes-passage-female-genitalia.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Daily Mail\u2019s writeup on this story\u200b shows<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That said, this doesn\u2019t make it a\u2062 bad book. Puberty and sexual desires \u2062are normal aspects of young adulthood,\u2063 and many adolescent readers may take solace \u200bin the fact that Frank felt the same things some of them do.<\/p>\n<p>But \u2064this kind of content does \u2064make it a bad book \u2063for whole-class reading in a middle school English class. \u2063In this context, the teacher\u2064 is effectively\u2064 acting as an authority on sensitive topics, taking it upon herself to introduce, explain, and evaluate what Frank is talking about.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of students encountering these subjects when they\u2019re ready, they are forced to adopt and apply their teacher\u2019s interpretation. Otherwise, they may be \u2062punished or suffer a bad\u200b grade.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-5e4b7b380cf915dfcd84d12fe8f52815 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-5e4b7b380cf915dfcd84d12fe8f52815\"><\/div>\n<p>Naturally, this makes for an extremely uncomfortable\u2064 classroom environment. In addition to assigning the graphic novel to her\u2064 classes, this teacher was making \u2062her students read these parts aloud, which is extremely questionable. Why would she ask 13-year-old boys and girls to read lines about how Frank feels about menstruating or how she wants to grope her friend? Either she gets a perverted thrill\u2064 from this, or she wants\u2062 to somehow de-stigmatize or \u200bnormalize this subject matter for her young students \u2014 two things \u2063most people\u2064 would consider sexual grooming.<\/p>\n<p>As a \u200bteacher, I also question the instructional merits\u2064 of assigning a graphic novel as \u200dwhole-class\u2063 reading. Most middle schoolers desperately need to practice \u2064reading texts, building their\u200b vocabulary,\u200c logic, and imagination to better \u2062comprehend complex \u2062ideas in written form. And\u2062 as much as I love graphic novels as a narrative art form \u2014 Scott McCloud\u2019s classic book, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/102920.Understanding_Comics?from_search=true&#038;from_srp=true&#038;qid=eFSJ1ZicWo&#038;rank=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art<\/a>, is still \u200da favorite of mine \u2063\u2014 their reliance on visual representation \u2062makes them unsuitable for teaching \u200breading.<\/p>\n<p>Seeing illustrations of\u2064 Frank with accompanying word bubbles and \u2062narration is altogether different from reading her words and putting them together in one\u2019s \u2063mind. The content might be similar, but the skills \u2063involved are not, and this \u200bmatters if students are going to be tested on those skills at the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, far from condemning the administrators and parents as\u2064 bullies and book banners, we can say that they\u200b did the right thing in dismissing a teacher \u200dwho crossed more than a few lines. Not only did she neglect to teach age-appropriate content to her classes, but she corrupted\u200b her students,\u2062 doing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theamericanconservative.com\/why-texas-parents-want-to-ban-books\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">untold damage to their mental and emotional health<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For the time being, a long-term\u2062 sub\u2064 has replaced her while the \u2064district looks for someone to fill the vacancy. It\u2019s \u2062unlikely the students will learn much in the meantime, but at least \u2062they won\u2019t be subjected to further \u200dharm.<\/p>\n<p>Hopefully, educators can learn\u2064 from this\u2064 story and remember what they were hired to do. Our job is to teach kids knowledge and skills\u2064 (i.e., how to\u200b think), not opinions and values (i.e., what to think), and certainly not how to\u200d become activists (i.e., not to think). This might mean reading the PG\u200c version \u2064of Frank and avoiding various hot topics that come up in class discussions.\u200d That\u2019s\u200b fine.<\/p>\n<p>The kids will grow into\u200c adults and think about \u2062these things when they\u2019re ready. We just need \u2063to\u2062 make sure they actually do grow into adults and learn \u200dhow to think in \u2064the first place.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> Was not\u200b appropriate for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-school-allows-parents-to-opt-out-of-black-history-month-curriculum-reverses-course\/\" title=\"Utah School Allows Parents To Opt Out Of Black History Month Curriculum, Reverses Course\">middle school students<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2> How can educators ensure that the material presented to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-humiliated-as-cnn-panelist-calls-her-out-for-completely-made-up-claim\/\" title=\"Kamala Harris embarrassed as CNN panelist exposes her 'fabricated' statement.\">middle school\u2062 students<\/a> \u200dis age-appropriate in a PAA setting?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  When it comes to a PAA (Puberty \u200cand Adolescent Awareness) setting, educators can\u2064 take several steps to\u2063 ensure that the material\u2062 presented to middle school students \u2062is\u200c age-appropriate. Here \u2063are some strategies:<\/p>\n<p>1. Use curriculum\u200d developed for middle school students: Utilize curriculum specifically designed \u200bfor this age group, which considers their cognitive and emotional development. Look for materials that \u200ccover topics such as puberty, body changes, reproductive health,\u2064 relationships, \u200band consent in a manner suitable for\u2063 middle schoolers.<\/p>\n<p>2. Follow guidelines \u2064and standards: Familiarize yourself with national or state standards for health education regarding\u2063 PAA. These\u200c guidelines often provide age-appropriate content recommendations, which can help educators understand what topics and information are suitable for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-attacks-extremists-in-florida-after-desantis-education-fight\/\" title=\"Kamala Harris criticizes Florida extremists amid DeSantis education clash.\">middle \u2063school students<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>3. \u2063Consider cultural and \u200bdiversity factors: Recognize cultural, religious, and diversity factors that may influence\u200c students&#8217; understanding and comfort levels regarding PAA topics. Adapt your teaching\u2063 materials and approach to be inclusive, sensitive, and \u200brespectful of various cultural perspectives.<\/p>\n<p>4. Seek \u200bparental and community involvement: \u200bInvolve\u200c parents and the community in the planning and implementation of PAA education by conducting information \u2063sessions or sharing materials in advance. This ensures that parents are aware\u2062 of the content and have the opportunity to discuss it at home with their child, ensuring a more \u200bcoordinated approach between home and school.<\/p>\n<p>5. Establish a safe and non-judgmental learning environment: Create a \u2063supportive classroom atmosphere where students feel comfortable asking questions, expressing concerns, and learning from one another. \u200cFoster open dialogue and emphasize that everyone develops at their own pace, normalizing the physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty.<\/p>\n<p>6. Provide accurate and evidence-based information: Ensure that the content shared is medically accurate, up-to-date, and supported by credible \u200csources. Stick to the \u2062facts while avoiding personal opinions or biases.<\/p>\n<p>7. Use \u2064appropriate teaching methods: Incorporate interactive activities, group discussions, role-plays, and visual aids to engage middle school students while addressing their learning needs. Recognize \u2062individual \u2064differences and \u200cadjust teaching methods accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>8. Seek professional development and training: Educators should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-texas-teacher-who-assigned-anne-frank-graphic-novel-deserved-to-be-fired\/\" title=\"Texas teacher fired for assigning Anne Frank graphic novel.\">continuously seek professional development opportunities<\/a> to enhance their knowledge \u2064and skills \u2062in teaching PAA topics to middle school students. This can include attending workshops, conferences, or taking relevant online courses.<\/p>\n<p>By following these strategies,\u2063 educators can effectively ensure that the material presented to middle school students in a PAA\u2064 setting is age-appropriate, respectful,\u200c and supportive of\u200c their learning needs.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Texas Teacher Fired for Assigning Graphic Adaptation of Anne Frank&#8217;s Diary, Sparking Controversy Over Parental Intolerance and Anti-Intellectualism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":551,"featured_media":2040995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2040994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/551"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2040994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2040995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2040994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2040994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2040994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}