ANATOMY OF A BOOK CHALLENGE

In Rockwood, if someone is concerned about a book or lesson material, there's a procedure to follow, and it's outlined by regulations in policy 6241:

1) Talk to the teacher or librarian. 
2) Go to the principal.
3) Fill out a challenge form. 

WHEN FILLING OUT THE FORM

Be specific with details such as page numbers, and make sure you present facts rather than just your opinion. 

AFTER YOU SUBMIT THE FORM

The form triggers the formation of a committee. Although the regulations say the person challenging is on the committee, you're not. The challenger is offered an opportunity to make a brief presentation describing the reasons for the challenge. The challenger is not part of any discussion and does not vote.

WARNING

Parents say the decision process is not transparent and it appears to be stacked in favor of keeping the books. On the official review committee reports, Rockwood has been omitting the names of the members of the committees. 

We requested the records and learned Rockwood is using many of the same parents over and over, instead of forming all new committees each time. One parent voted on 7 of the books because she was on 7 of the committees.

Meanwhile, 27 parents who volunteered to be on the committees, were never contacted.

Those committees have voted, every time, to keep the books in their libraries.

LIST OF ROCKWOOD CHALLENGES

Here's the list of books that have been challenged so far. (All have been kept in Rockwood.)

Note: "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic" is not on the list, even though a parent challenged the book. We're told it's because the book was lost/not physically present at the ICL when they looked. The ICL is the Individualized Learning Center, a program that was temporarily on pause. 

Here's the content parents say is pornographic in nature.

For more on all the books that have concerned parents, click here.