GENERAL REPUBLICAN BRAD SCHIMMEL HAS FORMALLY ANNOUNCED HIS RUN.
IN EDUCATION NEWS, SATURDAY MARKS THE END OF NATIONAL
LIBRARY WEEK DEDICATED TO GETTING YOUNG READERS INTO THE
LOCAL LIBRARIES. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WISCONSIN
SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH MORE BOOK
CHALLENGES AND BANS THAN EVER BEFORE, MORE THAN DOUBLING IN
2023. DENZIN, HAS MORE.
>> I WOULD SAY OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIANS ARE UNDER A LOT OF
STRESS AND IT'S THIS CULTURE WAR OF CONTROL.
>> I THINK THERE WAS 280 SOME BOOKS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT
WERE BEING CHALLENGED. >> EVEN NONREADERS WERE COMING
UP TO ME, LIKE, "WHAT IS GOING ON?"
>> WISCONSIN IS SEEING A HUGE RISE IN BOOK CHALLENGES SINCE
2021 ADMINISTER THE INQUIRIES ARE SO STRONG THAT IT HAS
SHIFTED THE PRIORITIES OF MY POSITION AND MADE THAT ONE OF
THE FOCUS AREAS IN SUPPORT OF OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIANS.
>> MONICA TREPTOW IS THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF
INSTRUCTION SCHOOL MEDIA LIBRARY CONSULTANT.
SHE HELPS EDUCATORS UNDERSTAND THE ENVIRONMENT OF BOOK
CHALLENGES. >> THERE'S THE BOOK CHALLENGES
FOR DECADES. THAT'S NOT A NEW THING.
BUT IT IS NEW IN THAT THE TECHNIQUES ARE DIFFERENT.
>> THOSE TECHNIQUES ARE OFTEN SPREAD ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
>> WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION THAT IS
SPREAD. MISINFORMATION IS DESIGNED TO
STOKE OUTRAGE. >> DR. JILL UNDERLEY IS THE
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
FACEBOOK.COM/LOCAL2MFACEBOOK OR. THE NUMBER OF CHALLENGED HIT A
HIGH IN 2023. IN WISCONSIN, THERE WERE 27
CHALLENGES AIMED AT HUNDREDS OF BOOKS.
BOOK CHALLENGE USED TO BE OVER A SINGLE BOOK.
A CONCERNED PART WOULD BRING IT TO THE LIBRARY OR AN EDUCATOR,
INCLUDING LONG LISTS OF BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT STRAIGHT TO
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS OR SCHOOL BOARDS.
>> THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS OVER 600 PAGES LONG AND FOR THE HIGH
SCHOOL, I BELIEVE IT WAS OVER 1,400 PAGES LONG.
>> YOU LOOKED AT IT AT FIRST AND WENT, OH MY GOD.
>> WE KNEW IMMEDIATELY IT WAS NO WAY TO READ ALL OF THE BOOKS.
>> JASON TADLOCK, DAN TEAL WORKED IN THE SUPERINTENDENT.
KIEL IS THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND McBURNEY IS THE
MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL. IN LATE 2023, ELKHORN ISSUED A
CHALLENGE TO A WHOPPING 444 BOOKS.
THESE TWO STACKS REPRESENT ABOUT ONE-SIXTH OF ALL OF THE BOOKS
THAT WERE CHALLENGED IN ELKHORN. DISTRICT STAFF SAY IT TOOK
MONTHS TO SIFT THROUGH ALL OF THE MATERIAL.
TITLES LIKE THE GRAPES OF WRATH AND GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
WERE AMONG THOSE CHALLENGED, AS WERE BOOKS INVOLVING LGBTQ OR
RACE TOPICS. >> IT WASN'T JUST SEX.
IT WAS DRUGS, ABUSE, ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TOPICS.
>> THE POLICY ALSO REQUIRED AT THAT TIME AND REQUIRES FOR THOSE
BOOKS TO BE PULLED OUT OF CIRCULATION UNTIL SUCH A TIME A
PRINCIPAL MAKES THAT JUDGMENT. >> THAT CAUSED ABOUT 160 BOOKS
FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ABOUT 280 BOOKS FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL TO BE
TEMPORARILY PULLED FROM SHELVES. IN ORDER TO GET INFORMATION
ABOUT ALL 444 BOOKS, THE PARENT HAD PULLED REVIEWS OFF OF
BOOKLOOKS.ORG. AFFILIATED WITH MOMS FOR
LIBERTY, WHICH IS CONSIDERED A FAR RIGHT ANTIGOVERNMENT
ORGANIZATION BY A GROUP THAT TRACTS EXTREMISM IN AMERICA.
>> THE MESSAGE THAT PARENTS DON'T HAVE PRIVACY OVER THEIR
CHILD'S EDUCATION HAS BEEN PREVALENT FOR YEARS AND FOR TOO
LONG, WE HAVE STAYED SIEBT AS OUT-OF-TOUCH ADMINISTRATORS,
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND EVEN UNION LEADERS BEHAVED AS PARENTS
AREN'T SMART ENOUGH TO CHOOSE WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THEIR OWN
CHILDREN. THE FOUNDERS OF MOMS FOR
LIBERTY. SHE'S USED SOCIAL MEDIA TOPEKA
OUT AGAINST NUMEROUS BOOKS ALL OVER THE STATE SINCE 2020.
SHE DID NOT RESPOND TO A REQUEST TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS
STORY. PUSHED BACK WHAT SHE CALLS
INDOCTRINATATION. >> WE SEND KIDS TO SCHOOL TO BE
EDUCATED, NOT INDOCTRINATED, AND ALSO WE DON'T SEND THEM THERE
FOR THERAPY. >> Reporter: IN MADISON,
GROUPS LIKE THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE DEFENSE OF TRADITION,
FAMILY AND PROPERTY CAN BE FOUND PROTESTING CONTENT IN SCHOOLS
AND LIBRARIES. >> THE LITERATURE THAT THEY'RE
PROMOTING IN THE LIBRARIES, A LOT OF IT IS PORNOGRAPHIC OR
OBSCENE. MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN TFP,
WHICH IS AN ANTILGBTQ ORGANIZATION.
ALLOWED IN LIBRARIES. >> OF COURSE PARENTS SHOULD HAVE
A SAY IN WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE READING, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE
CHALLENGES, IT'S REALLY A SUBSET OF PEOPLE ARE DICTATING WHAT IT
IS THAT YOU CAN READ AND WHAT YOUR KIDS CAN READ.
>> Reporter: IN ELKHORN, PARENTS HAD TO TAKE ON MORE
DUTIES. >> PRINCIPALS, LIBRARIANS,
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS, DIRECTORS, ALL HANDS ON DECK TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING, WITH THE SHEER VOLUME OF IT,
GETTING ALL THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
>> WE TRY TO DO OUR BEST TO GET A CONSENSUS ON WHERE IS THIS
BOOK -- WHERE SHOULD THIS BOOK BE RATED AGE-WISE.
>> Reporter: TO DETERMINE AN APPROPRIATE AGE RANGE, THEY USED
A COMBINATION OF PROFESSIONAL REVIEW SITES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
THE CONTENT OF EACH BOOK. ULTIMATELY, NONE OF THE BOOKS
WERE BANNED BECAUSE STAFF DID NOT FIND ANY OF THE BOOKS TO BE
OBJECTIONABLE. FROM THE MIDDLE TO THE HIGH
SCHOOL AND ANOTHER HANDFUL HAD A GRADE OR AGE RESTRICTION
APPLIED. DESPITE THE LONG HOURS, DISTRICT
STAFF SAID THAT THERE WAS ONE POSITIVE.
BOOK IN THEIR SCHOOL'S LIBRARY. >> IT'S NOT BAD FOR ME TO GET
INTO THE LIBRARY, SEE WHAT'S THERE, WHAT ARE PEOPLE CONCERNED
WITH. SIDDIQUI IT WAS A DISTRACTION
FOR SOME OF THE STUDENTS. >> I THINK THAT IT WAS
DISRUPTIVE. ANGST AMONG STUDENTS AND
PARENTS. AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
>> Reporter: REBECCA BELLUM IS THE SPECIALIST FOR THE ELKHORN.
>> SOME OF THE CIRCULATION WENT UP A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THEY'RE
LIKE, OH, WHICH BOOKS ARE ON THAT LIST?
>> WE HAD A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM PARENTS THAT HOW DARE AN
INDIVIDUAL DETERMINE OR TRY TO DETERMINE FOR ME WHAT'S
APPROPRIATE FOR MY KID OR NOT. >> I WOULD JUST SAY THE MORE
DIVERSE SELECTION WE HAVE IN HERE, THE MORE OPPORTUNITY WE
HAVE FOR THESE KIDS TO REALLY GROW.
>> LIBRARIES ARE PLACES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE, THEY'RE
SUPPOSED TO BE INCLUSIVE FOR EVERYBODY.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH A BOOK CHALLENGE.
BUT WHEN IT GOES TO THESE EXTREMES AND YOU'VE GOT
RAISING -- PEOPLE RAISING CONCERNS IN VERY -- EITHER
DISTANT RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR IN MASS
AMOUNTS, THEN IT TURNS INTO SOMETHING THAT DOES THREATEN
DEMOCRACY. >> UNDERLEY AND MONICA TREPTOW
SAY NOW IS THE TIME FOR DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE TO
REVIEW THEIR BOOK CHALLENGE POLICY.
>> REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS LOOK AT THEIR
POLICIES SO THAT THEY CAN BE PREPARED.
ELKHORN DISTRICT IS REVISING THEIR CHALLENGE POLICY SO A ONE
PERSON CAN'T CHALLENGE MASS BOOKS.
>> IT WILL REQUIRE UP TO FIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND WOULD LIKE
TO HAVE FIVE INDIVIDUALS FROM DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLDS WOULD HAVE
TO SUBMIT THE CHALLENGE. >> Reporter: THE POLICY WILL
REQUIRE THE CHALLENGER TO HAVE READ THE BOOK IN FULL BEFORE
SUBMITTING. THE DISTRICT ALSO DEVELOPED A
FORM FOR PARENTS THAT WOULD GIVE THEIR PARENT STUDENTS ACCESS TO
ANY RESTRICTIVE BOOK. >> PARENTS CAN SAY MY KID CAN
READ THE RESTRICTIVE BOOKS AND THEY'RE OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE TO
ALL KIDS. >> MY ARGUMENT FOR THAT IS
SOMETIMES, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE BOOK IS, THEN MAYBE PUT THAT IN
THE PARENTS' HANDS AND LET THEM HAVE THOSE CONVERSATION WITH
THEIR KIDS. >> WE WANT OUR LIBRARIES TO BE
THAT INCLUSIVE SPACE FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO FIND
THE RESOURCE THAT THEY NEED. >> WHAT WE'RE DOING IS KEEPING
BOOKS IN THE HANDS OF STUDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN SUPPORT THEIR
LEARNING. LEARNING.