LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
It's Elementary Gets Companion Book |
Following on the heels of the award-winning documentary, It's Elementary, is the groundbreaking new book, Queering Elementary Education, the first text to deal with teaching sexual diversity in public elementary schools. Published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Queering Elementary Education presents a wide range of authors and covers foundational issues, children's sexual and social development, curriculum, family, and educators and their allies. "What a relief to finally have such a thoughtful collection of essays and research to back up what we've found in schools across the nation, said Debra Chasnoff, producer of It's Elementary. "Queering Elementary Education provides an in-depth examination of the ways children's lives are hurt by homophobia and an inspiring array of strategies educators can use to turn this problem around." The two editors of this new book, which Chasnoff calls "a must read," are James T. Sears and William J. Letts, IV. Sears, author of eleven books, said, "Queering Elementary Education is not about teaching sex. It's for teachers and parents who choose to model honesty, civility, authenticity, integrity, fairness, and respect." Sears, a South Carolina scholar and intellectual activist who has written such classics as Growing up Gay in the South, added, "Those who teach queerly refuse to participate in the great sexual sorting machine called schooling wherein little GI Joes and Barbies become star quarterbacks and prom queens, while the Linuses and Tinky Winkys become wallflowers or human doormats." In recent years professional organizations such as the National Education Association, accreditation agencies like the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, and such states as Wisconsin and Massachusetts, have affirmed the need to address gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender concerns in public schools. While these policies and statements are controversial at all educational levels, opposition is particularly profound at the elementary school level. Lacking experience or knowledge about sexual diversity issues, teachers and administrators have had to rely on intuition or common sense, or avoid the topic altogether. "Queering Elementary Education also takes into account the various cultures and subcultures found in society while blending theory with practice," observed co-editor William Letts, who teaches at Charles Sturt University in Australia. "The book includes chapters on working with African- and Asian- American children, modifying curriculum from the sciences to music and art, and working with lesbian/gay parents and teachers." In the book's Foreword, Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay/Lesbian/Straight Education Network (GLSEN), calls Queering Elementary Education a "groundbreaking volume." "Given the lawsuits facing districts due to samesex harassment and the inclusion of sexual orientation in many multi cultural education programs, Queering Elementary Education provides cutting edge scholarship that is plainly written," Jennings said. Being on the cutting edge, of course, is not new to Sears, who was once christened by Pat Robertson as "the Satan of the University." Reflecting on a quarter of a century of work in education for social justice, Sears observed, "A curriculum that is the product of the lowest common denominator may offend nobody, but it also serves no one." Queering Elementary Education may offend some, but according to author and longtime activist Warren Blumenfeld, it is "destined to be a classic." For additional information on Queering Elementary Education and Sears' other works, visit www.jtsears.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 3, Apr. 7, 2000. |