Posted on 09/27/2017 4:24:32 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
A Cambridge Public Schools librarian has explained why her class won't be keeping a donation of books donated by First Lady Melania Trump.
In an open letter on the book review site, Horn Book, elementary school librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro explained that her school already has thousands of books and postured that there were schools in greater need of the donation. She also took the opportunity to criticize the policies of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
Soeiro criticized the choice of donated books as well.
"So, my school doesn’t have a NEED for these books. And then there’s the matter of the books themselves. You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliché, a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature," she wrote.
Soeiro continued, writing that schools in large cities are in greater need than hers in Cambrige.
"School libraries around the country are being shuttered. Cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Detroit are suffering through expansion, privatization, and school “choice” with no interest in outcomes of children, their families, their teachers, and their schools. Are those kids any less deserving of books simply because of circumstances beyond their control? Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos? Why not reflect on those “high standards of excellence” beyond only what the numbers suggest? Secretary DeVos would do well to scaffold and lift schools instead of punishing them with closures and slashed budgets."
You can read the entire letter here.
The school district says she does not speak for them...
Your post makes me want to cry. I am glad to hear that something was done about this. It is quite refreshing.
Such class and grace on the First Lady's part, compared to vitriol.
Mrs. Trump, please know there are many who support you and your husband; you are both under an onslaught of hatred the likes of which I have never seen before (and I was an adult during the Reagan years).
btw, read Dr. Suess (sp?) with my children when they were small. They are timeless treasures.
Dr. Suess' books and of course my children. Timeless treasures all around! LOL! The above is not my best sentence structure. ;)
What idiocy to claim classic children’s books are tired cliches—they are new and fresh to any children coming to them!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.