Iowa Students Fed Up With Angry Adults At School Board Meetings

[TexasTowelie]

If you listen to the students, they will tell you they are fed up with adults.

More specifically, with parents or other community members making spectacles and sparking controversies at school board meetings.

While mask mandates remain contentious, the focus has shifted toward books in high school libraries such as Waukee’s Northwest High School. People have also complained in Urbandale and Ankeny, as part of broader right-wing effort across the country to limit what books are in schools.

What Students Say

For Adrieanah Hamand, a senior at Northwest High School in Waukee, this uproar is just one more thing that high school students have to deal with.

“It’s just exhausting that now we’re having to go through a fight about books, which has been a fight that we’ve already won by getting them in our libraries in the first place,” Hamand, who uses she/they pronouns, said.

Read more: https://iowastartingline.com/2021/11/17/iowa-students-fed-up-with-angry-adults-at-school-board-meetings/

[BlueJac]

2. Looks like some adults should pick up a book or two and read them!

That is just me thinking that some might not be able to read or understand them. Then they should grow up and act like parents if that is even possible in this crazy fucking country.

[Wounded Bear]

9. Sounds like some "adults" should take some bahavior lessons from their kids...

[NQAS]

3. Got a question

The excerpt above notes a comment by a student, concluding with "... Hamand, who uses she/they pronouns, said."

Maybe the student asked to be identified as reported. If so, okay.

If not, then wtf? Does it add to the story? Are binary gendered students identifed as such? Are students' sexuality identified. Again, if the student didn't ask to be identied in the story as she/them, then what does that description contribute to the story. The article goes on to observe that the student spoke in support of books about or with characters identifying as LGBTQ. And that's great. And she was very well spoken - outspoken? - about the book issue. But the she/they description seems gratuitous.

I follow a transgendered woman actor on Instagram. She had a post the other day where she started out by saying that she was going to explain in great deal the issue of calling people they/them, etc. She prepares as if she's in for a long presentation. Then she starts - and finishes - with one sentence. Why don't you just call them by name?

If I'm off base, tell me that. But that line in the article just bugged me.

[TexasTowelie]

5. I saw that statement and asked myself whether that was pertinent to the story.

I don't know why the journalist felt it was necessary to report that information.

[Jazz Jon]

7. LGBTQ

I go to a very liberal church where speakers at the podium will often start by announcing what pronouns they use.

They want to start a discussion about gender.

But I agree. I think it's much too much to ask people to have a discussion about gender every time they communicate.

[calimary]

4. If I were a student, I'd be fed up about this, too.

I’m a grandmother, and I’m fed up with this right now!

[TexasTowelie]

6. I'm fed up with it because the right wing is doing everything in its power to take over school

boards to solidify their domination of local politics. If they can keep the students from learning anything beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic then they can control politics for decades.

[LastDemocratInSC]

8. I want to know more about the "community members making spectacles and sparking controversies

at school board meetings."

I've always found optometrists and opticians to be responsible and considerate people.