State regulation causes confusion over what’s allowed in the classroom
Eine Studentin ist am Dienstag, 24.Juni 2008, zwischen Buecherregalen der Bibliothek der Universitaet Stuttgart in Stuttgart zu sehen. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle)———-A student is seen amongst books in the library of the Stuttgart University in Stuttgart, Germany, Tuesday, June 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle)
(WCIV) — There’s still confusion over what can be allowed in the classroom a month from the start of school.
“A lot of school librarians and regular classroom teachers feel confused about what they will be able to purchase,” said Jamie Gregory, the president of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians. “People just aren’t sure how far the regulation will be taken. You start to naturally go through what-if scenarios in your head. You wanna be cautious because, of course, nobody is interested in being called to the state board of education.”
Though the State regulation has not necessarily banned any books, it grants the South Carolina Department of Education the ability to do so.
Gregory said there are also concerns about lack of clarity if someone is found in violation.
“The wording says that the state board can just investigate you if you fail to comply with the regulation,” Gregory said. “If you violate it more than once, that could lead to a hearing and any consequence that the board deems suitable.”
“We had asked them to either remove that wording or clarify it because that’s not very clear at all,” she added.
But at the end of the day, Gregory says a library is a positive tool for students. That shouldn’t be forgotten.
“It’s a place where all students can come and learn and explore and learn how to love to read,” she said. “That’s the image that we’re trying to get focused back on instead of looking at a school library’s place of fear or suspicion.”
Gregory says that her message to any librarians or school teachers who are confused is they should just follow their district policies that are still in place and follow any guidance that their districts are giving them. She also encourages educators to read through the regulations themselves.
“Our organization is encouraging people,” she said, “to make sure you read the regulation so that you know exactly what it says and that you can follow that.”
