All Alabama
Alabama school board member calls for removal of 'The Bluest Eye,' says Common Core creates 'de facto national reading list'
By Challen
August 29, 2013 

DOTHAN, Alabama -- Alabama school board member Betty Peters said she supports calls to remove "The Bluest Eye" from the high school curriculum, a novel she calls pornographic and says forms part of a "de facto national reading list." 

"This book is indeed utterly inappropriate and should not be on any required reading list for high school students," wrote Peters in an email supporting objections raised on Wednesday by Sen. Bill Holtzclaw, R-Madison. 

Peters also objects to the way the national reading and math standards, known as Common Core, may influence teaching choices throughout Alabama schools. 

"What I have concluded is that the 'exemplars' of the Common Core State Standards provide a de facto national reading list and to a large degree, a partial curriculum," wrote Peters. 

In November of 2010, the Alabama state school board voted 7-2 to align the state course of study for reading and math with Common Core standards. ''Quite simply, they are better than what we currently have,'' said former state Superintendent Joseph Morton at the time. Peters voted against. 

Toni Morrison's first novel, "The Bluest Eye," is listed among national exemplars for teaching literary concepts to meet those standards in the 11th grade. 

"This process of using 'exemplars' did an end run around local and state textbook committees and school boards because it was accomplished without the knowledge, review, or knowing vote by board or committee members," wrote Peters. 

Alabama's course of study for English language arts does suggest, but does not require, that the national exemplars be used in local schools. 

"The list and excerpts should prove extremely useful in assisting local school systems and schools in developing local reading lists," reads the Alabama course of study. 

Some of them are excellent choices, some are questionable, and some are totally inappropriate. 

"Are they mandatory?" asked Peters. "No, not legally, but schools are likely to use all of them when they decide on their local reading lists because they want their students to score well on the high stakes Common Core-aligned assessments." 

Holtzclaw this week said "The Bluest Eye" is inappropriate for high school students, as the book includes depictions of rape and incest... 

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