Ex-Teacher Says CV District Wrong

Sat., Nov. 4, 2000

Julie Young

Just like his aunt and uncle, Central Valley School District has locked Harry Potter in a cupboard.

As a former teacher, as well as a student of history, I find this action appalling.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution clearly states that we, as citizens, have a right to freedom of the press.

The school district, by not allowing the Harry Potter books to be read aloud, is violating students’ rights.

The principal at Liberty Lake Elementary, where my child is a student, told me, “Witches, demons and warlocks have no business in our educational system.”

If this is the closed-minded stance the district at large is taking, then I suggest Central Valley remove King Arthur, the Tales of Narnia and The Wizard of Oz from its bookshelves.

Harry Potter books are fun, whimsical stories about a boy, who against great odds, overcomes adversity. These are traits, I for one, want my child to learn.

What hits me in the gut the most about this situation is the fact that for years schools have been yelling, “Turn off the TV. Read a book.”

Now that children are doing just that, the so-called educators want to make it seem as if this story is evil. Will our children eventually translate this to mean that reading is somehow evil?

My daughter’s love of Harry Potter has helped her improve her reading skills immensely.

Prior to being introduced to Harry, reading, to her, was comparable to having a tooth pulled. Now she spends hours each day reading and rereading the Harry Potter books.

My heart breaks when I think about the children who cannot read.

They are the true victims of the anti-Harry Potter attitude. For without a teacher’s help, many children throughout the world will never know who Harry Potter is.

Sure, the story will eventually be turned into a movie. But wouldn’t it be nice if the nonreaders discovered the joy of reading?

It galls me to think that Central Valley School District is shutting the door on a fantastic teaching tool.

Give me a classroom filled with nonreaders, along with a set of Harry Potter books, and by the end of the year the children will not only be capable of reading Harry Potter, they will be able to read other books as well.

Local journalism is essential.

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