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Intellectual Freedom Award
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From: Betty Ihlenfeldt <Ihlen>
Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 09:23:43 -0600
In response to Debbie Reese's message (we're on topic, honestly--it's a Fleishman dialogue and brief) I need to say as a classroom English teacher that self?nsorship (we're afraid often of what might arise as parents interact) is an immense problem and thus getting help from the ccbc intellectual freedom information is vital. What we say to the students goes home. What we present as "idea vaccination" rather than "idea disease" keeps the comfort zone bigger and the censors back.
Once a threatened teacher is alone with a circle of scissors-billed book banners we have a war........and s/he needs other voices to stir and shake and settle the idea-menu. I see Ginny's investment of professional focus here as my back troops; I've had a few censorship battles and I know for a fact that if I can keep the brew from boiling over I/we can do what we want to do: interact with students and ideas and books and levels of comprehension and diversity.
I for one can think of few agencies more valuable to me as a teacher--and I am delighted to know of an award for this censorship firefighting staff and leader. Other individuals on our own staffs flee when the trouble of censorship arises--and a holocaust can roll. A salute to Ginny and the program from the trenches here at De Forest High School.....and on this Saturday morning.
Betty Ihlenfeldt Instructor/English De Forest High School De Forest, WI 53532
"Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be."
(Clementine Paddleford)
Received on Sat 10 May 1997 10:23:43 AM CDT
Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 09:23:43 -0600
In response to Debbie Reese's message (we're on topic, honestly--it's a Fleishman dialogue and brief) I need to say as a classroom English teacher that self?nsorship (we're afraid often of what might arise as parents interact) is an immense problem and thus getting help from the ccbc intellectual freedom information is vital. What we say to the students goes home. What we present as "idea vaccination" rather than "idea disease" keeps the comfort zone bigger and the censors back.
Once a threatened teacher is alone with a circle of scissors-billed book banners we have a war........and s/he needs other voices to stir and shake and settle the idea-menu. I see Ginny's investment of professional focus here as my back troops; I've had a few censorship battles and I know for a fact that if I can keep the brew from boiling over I/we can do what we want to do: interact with students and ideas and books and levels of comprehension and diversity.
I for one can think of few agencies more valuable to me as a teacher--and I am delighted to know of an award for this censorship firefighting staff and leader. Other individuals on our own staffs flee when the trouble of censorship arises--and a holocaust can roll. A salute to Ginny and the program from the trenches here at De Forest High School.....and on this Saturday morning.
Betty Ihlenfeldt Instructor/English De Forest High School De Forest, WI 53532
"Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be."
(Clementine Paddleford)
Received on Sat 10 May 1997 10:23:43 AM CDT
