Public School Summer Reading List...Baldwin County, AL

[brooklynite]

[RKP5637]

1. No wonder so many in this nation are outright stupid! n/t

[Bettie]

2. Jeez

Nothing like getting them indoctrinated early. Luckily, I'm guessing most of them won't read any of them.

[treestar]

3. How objective!

Be indoctrinated, don't expose yourself to any contradictory ideas.

[JHB]

4. What (alleged) class is this for?

Remedial Ranting Crank?

FOX News Pundit Prep?

[Igel]

7. AP government.

The list was pulled because the students wouldn't be exposed to a variety of viewpoints.

Each student was to pick one book, so that doesn't hold water. If you read one book, where's the variety? Odds are kids would pick one that already matched their views.

I'd have assigned two books, one for each side.

[hunter]

49. "One for each side" doesn't work any better than "fair and balanced"

On the scales of justice both sides are expected to have some positive values.

There is no positive value in this reading list. It's full of shit worthy only of mocking and disdain.

Let's say I'm teaching biology or judging science fair competitions (I've done both). Would you want me to accept Creationist spew? Because every science fair you'll get a kid or two with a Noah's Ark flood explanation for all geology and biology, rejecting all science.

No, you don't tell those kids their parents are ignorant fucks, but you don't legitimize that crap either.

My county doesn't deny these kids a display space; instead there is a section of the bizarre. All the Answers in Genesis plastic dinosaur stuff is just sad, but occasionally you get kids who may not ever be scientists but they are already gifted surrealist artists.

[raccoon]

5. Extremely right-wing list....In PUBLIC schools? Sheesh! nt

[Tanuki]

6. The list has been pulled, but they ought to fire the teacher's sorry ass.

This GOP troll has no business using a public school classroom as a forced indoctrination camp. "Pulling the list" is not sufficient. If I were a parent, I would be incensed.

http://www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com/stories/spanish-fort-high-ap-reading-list-pulled-after-concerns-from-residents,50812

"Concerns from local residents have led to a summer reading list for a Spanish Fort High School AP Government/Economics being pulled.

Spanish Fort High teacher Gene Ponder’s summer reading list for his class included a number of texts from a majority of conservative and right-leaning authors including Ann Coulter, Michael Savage, Ron Paul, Thomas Sowell, Chuck Colson and Ronald Reagan.
..........

Ponder had previously been a Republican candidate for Alabama’s lieutenant governorship back in 2010.

Posts shared on social media on June 21 questioned if the Baldwin County School System had endorsed the reading list and the perceived lack of diversity of ideas, as well as whether it met the reading levels required for a 12th grade AP class.
.......

“As the school board rep for the SF area, I saw a concern and addressed it with the Superintendent,” Cauley wrote in a Facebook post. “As a courtesy, the school principal called to let me know that the list had been removed and assignment cancelled. He'll be sending an email to all Senior students/parents to notify them that there will be no summer reading assignment for this AP government class.”
.........

“Mr. Ponder’s reading list that is going around on social media has not been endorsed by the school system,” Tyler wrote. “The list has been removed by the teacher. Baldwin County Public Schools has a process to vet and approve reading lists so that a variety of sources are used. I expect all employees to follow our processes, procedures and policies.”

[Crunchy Frog]

10. Is it possible to initiate a lawsuit?

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Yup but at this point it would be too late

because those parents who support RW loons will go out and read the books for themselves, thus reinforcing the stupid.

These types of people strictly follow the - "It's easier to seek forgiveness than ask permission" rule of engagement knowing whatever they say or do is now out in the wild regardless of "consequences" (if they even receive any), and that was the goal.

[Tanuki]

9. And if you think his reading list was bad....

imagine what he says in the classroom.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.mic.com/articles/amp/180564/alabama-public-school-assigns-anne-coulter-and-other-right-wing-pundits-as-required-summer-reading

...."Gene Ponder isn't just a public school teacher, but a former candidate for lieutenant governor of Alabama who lost the Republican primary. During his campaign, he cited the power of the federal government to enforce its laws on noncomplying states — the very means by which battles like school segregation and marriage equality were won — as his reason for running.

Ponder told AL.com that this kind of law enforcement is tantamount to "coercion, intimidation and blackmail."

[lostnfound]

11. That could backfire.

Especially in an AP class.

[hatrack]

12. "In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice."

"Then he made school boards."

Mark Twain

And this, ladies & gentlemen, is why school board elections matter.

[pangaia]

21. Nice statement.

[HelenWheels]

25. Tea Baggers trying to take over school board

I live in Wisconsin in a red area. My daughter has been on the school board for 10 years. The past two elections we have had really conservative candidates running. They have used signs and robo calls, something never done before in this small community. I don't know who is funding them but it is making running for the board very expensive.
Last election one of them got on mainly because a popular board member died right before the election
.

[Tanuki]

37. It didn't come from the school board. It was an individual teacher's reading list

for his 12th grade AP students. When the school board found about it, they pulled the list, although that was not sufficient, IMHO.

[calimary]

44. YEP!

Back 30-or-so years ago, this dude Ralph Reed, head of the so-called "Christian Coalition," was spouting that gospel everywhere and in every way he could. It was the overall concept of RUNNING FOR OFFICE, but doing so in arenas small enough where victory was not only possible but less expensive. Little "pipsqueak" elections where not too many people were paying attention and it was/still is possible to nab a win with much less effort than for higher profile citywide or state-wide office. Besides, start at the bottom and you can BUILD from there, and after you build, then you try for bigger and better and higher-level things.

He specifically singled out school board elections because they're a great launching pad for more ambitious things. And we're seeing the results of that, now.

[Permanut]

13. Ponder would fit right in..

with the current Administration.

[gilligan]

14. Public Summer School Reading list

How about adding.
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn.
Sorry that will never happen.

[calimary]

46. Welcome to DU, gilligan!

How 'bout such things as "Profiles in Courage" by JFK, "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking, and "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood? Just off the top of my head.

It's been awhile since I had to follow a summer reading list. Heck, it's been awhile since my kids had to follow a summer reading list!

[hatrack]

52. "Down And Out In London And Paris" and "Politics & The English Language" - George Orwell

"Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" - Dee Brown
"In The Spirit Of Crazy Horse" - Peter Mathiesen
"America In The King Years" - Taylor Branch
"Collected Writings" - Thomas Paine
"The Autobiography of Malcolm X" - Alex Hailey
"The Education Of The Senses" - Peter Gay
"Big Trouble" - Anthony Lucas
"War Is A Racket" - Smedley Butler
"The 'Good' War" - Studs Terkel
"The Feminine Mystique" - Betty Friedan
"This Changes Everything" - Naomi Klein
"The Beauty Myth" - Naomi Wolf
"Blue Highways" - William Least Heat Moon

[gilligan]

55. Welcome tunnel du

Thank you.
dam auto dpell

[Lonestarblue]

16. They should read founding documents.

Last edited Thu Jun 22, 2017, 10:30 AM - Edit history (1)

Reading the Constitution and the papers of Jefferson and Madison would be an excellent summer assignment. The site teachingamericanhistory.org has a list of 50 core documents that every student should study. I have downloaded the documents, and I'm re-reading many of them myself. They include the Federalist papers, court cases, and other key documents that helped inform the development of our democratic government.

[Tanuki]

38. Thanks for the link!

[calimary]

47. Welcome to DU, Lonestarblue!

That would be highly recommended, too, assuming that most schools have done away with "nuisances" like civics class, and art and music classes also.

[Nitram]

17. Is this for real?

[Nitram]

18. Apparently the list has been pulled in response to community reaction.

http://www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com/stories/spanish-fort-high-ap-reading-list-pulled-after-concerns-from-residents,50812

[calimary]

22. At least SOME are noticing, and reacting as they should.

Good Grief!!! Wall-to-wall wrong-wing propaganda, NINE of those books are from hate radio figures. Five of the top six by Michael Savage alone. CRIMINY!

Thank goodness someone complained.

And that somebody in the media picked up on it.


SHEESH - shouldn't summer reading lists for school include things like "Huckleberry Finn" and some of the classics?

[Nitram]

23. Not just some. Most, including school and community leaders.

The teacher should be fired.

[tblue37]

26. This list is disgusting, but for an AP Governmnent class reading list, classics

like "Huckleberry Finn" would be entirely off topic.

[Baitball Blogger]

19. Holy shit!

Why don't they remove Mr. Ponder?

[pangaia]

20. Is this serious? THAT is a serious question..

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

24. There is something about this list that is making my BS meter quiver.

For one thing, aren't AP classes rigidly structured? I doubt there's any room for extra reading, even if this is supposed to be a list to pick one book to read over the summer.

And if it is for real, the teacher's sorry ass should be fired, but probably won't happen in a place like Alabama.

[Grins]

29. Look at my post (#28) below...

It is real. And go to the link and read just exactly WHO that teacher is...! And then you won't be surprised.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

27. Jeeeeezzzus Effing KKKrist on white bread with Bologna.

This is horrible! 😵 😨

[Grins]

28. I'm calling "Bullshit!"...

Such a wild, "Are-you-effing-kidding-me" crackpot of a list - and no link? I called "Bullshit!" and looked around for proof.

Well, whaddya know: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article157540954.html

It's real.

[Chemisse]

32. Omg - I thought it was BS too.

This is really disturbing. A public school should not allow political indoctrination - from either side - under its roof.

[Aviation Pro]

30. This is Alabama....

...do you really expect these kids to read anything?

[hatrack]

53. Part of our family lived in Alabama for a while (about ten years ago)

We went down to visit, and we took my cousin's little girl, who was about eight at the time, to the Bug Zoo in town. Not a bad museum, thought I - hissing cockroaches and scorpions and centipedes and so on.

Then we got to the fossil leaf and bug display. The sign on the wall talked all about these fossils and rocks, and how they were formed during The Flood.

[Phoenix61]

31. Not at all surprised

I used to live in Fairhope, Al which is about 10 miles south of there. Got to meet my first, and hopefully only, card carrying Klansman. He and his wife were real proud of themselves. Couldn't wait to get out of there.

[knightmaar]

33. Gotta be fake

Not nearly enough bible stuff in there.

[Lee-Lee]

34. I see exactly one book that would be appropriate

And that is the first one.

I love the Freakanomics books and the show. They don't give a damm about politics they just look at the numbers and facts, and when it's a political issue on the show they always do a great job of presenting all viewpoints.

He should have stopped after the first one.

[retrowire]

35. Lmao look at that safe space! XD nt

[Honeycombe8]

36. OMG. OMFG. Explains a lot. nt

[Aristus]

39. Approved reading list for future Wal-Mart employees.

People that devoted to not thinking are never going to get anywhere in life. And this set of books gives them the perfect preparation for a life of blaming everyone else for their own failures.

[eppur_se_muova]

40. "Lies My Teacher Told Me" ?? I don't think he actually read that one !

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies_My_Teacher_Told_Me

[QC]

41. He took down his presentations, but I grabbed a screenshot yesterday.

This guy needs to go work for some corporate charter $chool.

[Wawannabe]

42. Surprised no one has noted

That Gene Ponder's email addy is listed on the orig OP photo. or...maybe it was noticed.

I would bet it doesn't work right now. Probably flooded with all kinds of mail!
The bcbe.org does resolve to the Baldwin County Pub School site tho.

[QC]

43. He has taken down his Twitter feed and his PowerPoints,

so I suspect he's getting some blowback right now.

[NightWatcher]

45. If the federal government is so terrible, let's cut Alabama off

No more of that evil Socialist help.

Let's leave them with their bootstraps.

[Ilsa]

51. Give the people who would be hurt by cutting off

Federal funds a chance to fire his sorry ass.

This propaganda isn't even AP material. It is written with a target audience of high school grads, no post-secondary, in mind. Written simply enough for trump to understand if he could stay focused past two pages.

[hurple]

48. How did James Loewen get on that list?

His books are *very* liberal and *very* race-conscience.

But, here's a good example of the right-wing political propaganda machine in street-level application. These doofus right-wingers keep hearing all over *their* news (Fox, Rush, Hannity, et al) about how modern American schools are indoctrinating students to liberalism... So, this right-wing fruitcake has, apparently, taken it upon himself to "fight back" by attempting his own indoctrination into the fruitcake right-wing conspiracy-theory world.

Unfortunately, there is no left-wing liberal indoctrination-machine! But, that doesn't stop idiots like this guy from doing his best to fight it. So, the net result is that there *IS* a right-wing indoctrination machine. This guy, other teachers like him, and all the idiot fundamentalists home schooling their kids so they don't have to be exposed to "liberal lies."

And it won't get better until those myths are exposed and killed.

[TeamPooka]

50. What's the difference between a radical southern white teacher in Alabama

What's the difference between a radical southern white teacher in Alabama and a radical Muslim cleric?
Nothing.

[hatrack]

54. One has a reasonably good chance of speaking some English, along with fluent Arabic . . .

.