(Maybe False according to PA) Girls Who Code book series banned in some US classrooms

pauldun170

Diamond Member
Sep 26, 2011
9,133
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Just so you are aware, it's not just about gays and blacks that the right wing and their apologists are going after.

updates
 
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nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,055
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Hm, anyone interested in seeing the cover art for some of these books? Gosh, you know, I've no idea what issue Moms for Liberty could possibly have with them.GirlsWhoCodeCovers.JPG
 

Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
14,452
9,837
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That's a good visual representation of the US. Love it!
I used to work with an woman, that immigrated from India when she was 15, was married to an immigrate from Ethiopia, both engineers. But she did a lot of work with the Society of Women Engineers and the Girls Who Code program. People like her make me like America so much more than some white dude waving a flag on the back of his F250 rolling coal.
 

pmv

Lifer
May 30, 2008
12,973
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I guess the reasoning is that if women are encouraged to work with computers and do hard sums and similar taxing mental endeavors, their wombs will shrivel up and they won't be able to have babies as God intended.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,388
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I did see that some of the groups in question had not yet responded in the initial article.

I'm going to have to order some sets to donate to my local elementary school & community library. All sold out right now tho!
 
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ImpulsE69

Lifer
Jan 8, 2010
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Well, the party of free speech are in a book banning frenzy, so it tracks, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt here.
 
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IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
68,852
26,641
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Post was deleted.


True, as soon as a liberal f’s up, you come out lashing. You ignore treason and murder by your fascist brethren, but one liberal mistake and up pops your pathetic ass, fountaining rage.
 
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kt

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Apr 1, 2000
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Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,388
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Is it really fake news though? I mean sure it may not have been banned, but it's not like they didn't try to have the books banned. The intention is there whether they succeed or not.

Yes, it is fake news. It is incorrect that they tried to have the books banned. Nuance is important, as sensationalist news articles skip critical details these days:


From the article:

1. "The book series was not actually banned in classrooms, according to the Central York School District in Pennsylvania."

2. "Instead, the books were included on a list of resources that was later pulled. The four “Girls Who Code” books — “Team BFF: Race to the Finish!” and “The Friendship Code” by Stacia Deutsch, “Spotlight on Coding Club!” by Michelle Schusterman, and “Lights, Music, Code!” by Jo Whittemore — were included in a Diversity Resource List of some 200 titles the Central York School District curated after the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Shortly after the school district released the Diversity Resource List in 2020, there were complaints, according to The Guardian."

3. "The school board voted to put the resource list on hold and told teachers not to use the titles for class instruction — with the exception that they could continue to use resources that were already in place before they were put on the Diversity Resource List. That included the “Girls Who Code” series. The decision to withdraw the list that added Black voices to the curriculum dredged up national attention, and the board then voted to reinstate the list and make the resources available to teachers again in September 2021, according to The Guardian." The key clarifying point here is that the books were never banned nor removed from the school; a Diversity Resource List was withdrawn after complaints, not the books themselves.

So the ACTUAL timeline of events is:

1. After George Floyd was killed, the school district created a Diversity Resource List of books. There were complaints about the list, so the school board puled the list & told the teachers not to use those titles in their official school curriculum; the exception being they could still use existing resources before they were put on the list. The "Girls Who Code" books were NOT banned; the Diversity Resource List was simply withdrawn (for reasons unknown, other than the board received "complaints"). The books remained on the shelves & available to teachers & students.

2. Then national news picked up the story & the board voted to reinstate the list (not the books, which were always available and never banned)...last year (2021).

3. PEN America published a "banned books list" this month (2022). The "Girls Who Code" founder got an alert & went on social media with it, which then blew up without appropriate context & got circulated by Insider.

We don't know the nature of complaints about the diversity book list, but the books were never banned nor removed nor made inaccessible by the school, period. Also:

* "She (company founder) tweeted that she was angry and linked the book ban to Moms for Liberty, one of the groups behind banning books in schools. Rhonda Garman, chair of the York Moms for Liberty chapter, said neither the local chapter nor the national group challenged the “Girls Who Code” series." So there was an incorrect accusation against the liberty group & an incorrect accusation about the book being banned in schools. A diversity list containing the book series was withdrawn after complaints & then reinstated after it made national news a year ago. No banning by the school nor the Moms for Liberty group & no removal of the books from schools.

On the flip side, free marketing for a good cause! I love the concept of the books!
 

pauldun170

Diamond Member
Sep 26, 2011
9,133
5,072
136
Yes, it is fake news. It is incorrect that they tried to have the books banned. Nuance is important, as sensationalist news articles skip critical details these days:


From the article:

1. "The book series was not actually banned in classrooms, according to the Central York School District in Pennsylvania."

2. "Instead, the books were included on a list of resources that was later pulled. The four “Girls Who Code” books — “Team BFF: Race to the Finish!” and “The Friendship Code” by Stacia Deutsch, “Spotlight on Coding Club!” by Michelle Schusterman, and “Lights, Music, Code!” by Jo Whittemore — were included in a Diversity Resource List of some 200 titles the Central York School District curated after the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Shortly after the school district released the Diversity Resource List in 2020, there were complaints, according to The Guardian."

3. "The school board voted to put the resource list on hold and told teachers not to use the titles for class instruction — with the exception that they could continue to use resources that were already in place before they were put on the Diversity Resource List. That included the “Girls Who Code” series. The decision to withdraw the list that added Black voices to the curriculum dredged up national attention, and the board then voted to reinstate the list and make the resources available to teachers again in September 2021, according to The Guardian." The key clarifying point here is that the books were never banned nor removed from the school; a Diversity Resource List was withdrawn after complaints, not the books themselves.

So the ACTUAL timeline of events is:

1. After George Floyd was killed, the school district created a Diversity Resource List of books. There were complaints about the list, so the school board puled the list & told the teachers not to use those titles in their official school curriculum; the exception being they could still use existing resources before they were put on the list. The "Girls Who Code" books were NOT banned; the Diversity Resource List was simply withdrawn (for reasons unknown, other than the board received "complaints"). The books remained on the shelves & available to teachers & students.

2. Then national news picked up the story & the board voted to reinstate the list (not the books, which were always available and never banned)...last year (2021).

3. PEN America published a "banned books list" this month (2022). The "Girls Who Code" founder got an alert & went on social media with it, which then blew up without appropriate context & got circulated by Insider.

We don't know the nature of complaints about the diversity book list, but the books were never banned nor removed nor made inaccessible by the school, period. Also:

* "She (company founder) tweeted that she was angry and linked the book ban to Moms for Liberty, one of the groups behind banning books in schools. Rhonda Garman, chair of the York Moms for Liberty chapter, said neither the local chapter nor the national group challenged the “Girls Who Code” series." So there was an incorrect accusation against the liberty group & an incorrect accusation about the book being banned in schools. A diversity list containing the book series was withdrawn after complaints & then reinstated after it made national news a year ago. No banning by the school nor the Moms for Liberty group & no removal of the books from schools.

On the flip side, free marketing for a good cause! I love the concept of the books!
Thanks for adding the details.
 

pauldun170

Diamond Member
Sep 26, 2011
9,133
5,072
136
Due to the numerous cases of actual book banning (including my county), when this one popped up on the news I just treated it as BAU.
 

kt

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2000
6,015
1,321
136
Yes, it is fake news. It is incorrect that they tried to have the books banned. Nuance is important, as sensationalist news articles skip critical details these days:


From the article:

1. "The book series was not actually banned in classrooms, according to the Central York School District in Pennsylvania."

2. "Instead, the books were included on a list of resources that was later pulled. The four “Girls Who Code” books — “Team BFF: Race to the Finish!” and “The Friendship Code” by Stacia Deutsch, “Spotlight on Coding Club!” by Michelle Schusterman, and “Lights, Music, Code!” by Jo Whittemore — were included in a Diversity Resource List of some 200 titles the Central York School District curated after the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Shortly after the school district released the Diversity Resource List in 2020, there were complaints, according to The Guardian."

3. "The school board voted to put the resource list on hold and told teachers not to use the titles for class instruction — with the exception that they could continue to use resources that were already in place before they were put on the Diversity Resource List. That included the “Girls Who Code” series. The decision to withdraw the list that added Black voices to the curriculum dredged up national attention, and the board then voted to reinstate the list and make the resources available to teachers again in September 2021, according to The Guardian." The key clarifying point here is that the books were never banned nor removed from the school; a Diversity Resource List was withdrawn after complaints, not the books themselves.

So the ACTUAL timeline of events is:

1. After George Floyd was killed, the school district created a Diversity Resource List of books. There were complaints about the list, so the school board puled the list & told the teachers not to use those titles in their official school curriculum; the exception being they could still use existing resources before they were put on the list. The "Girls Who Code" books were NOT banned; the Diversity Resource List was simply withdrawn (for reasons unknown, other than the board received "complaints"). The books remained on the shelves & available to teachers & students.

2. Then national news picked up the story & the board voted to reinstate the list (not the books, which were always available and never banned)...last year (2021).

3. PEN America published a "banned books list" this month (2022). The "Girls Who Code" founder got an alert & went on social media with it, which then blew up without appropriate context & got circulated by Insider.

We don't know the nature of complaints about the diversity book list, but the books were never banned nor removed nor made inaccessible by the school, period. Also:

* "She (company founder) tweeted that she was angry and linked the book ban to Moms for Liberty, one of the groups behind banning books in schools. Rhonda Garman, chair of the York Moms for Liberty chapter, said neither the local chapter nor the national group challenged the “Girls Who Code” series." So there was an incorrect accusation against the liberty group & an incorrect accusation about the book being banned in schools. A diversity list containing the book series was withdrawn after complaints & then reinstated after it made national news a year ago. No banning by the school nor the Moms for Liberty group & no removal of the books from schools.

On the flip side, free marketing for a good cause! I love the concept of the books!
Thanks for detailing all the facts. I'll admit that I fell for it because there were so multiple sources reporting the same story and it is not a far fetch idea that Moms for Liberty would advocate for the banning of these books. I mean it's not a coincidence that they got on someone's radar and included on a "list".

Like you said, it's free marketing for a good cause. I'll take it.
 

ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
37,734
18,003
146

Yikes, I doubt they take this pledge and apply it to everyone
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,402
8,038
136
I guess the reasoning is that if women are encouraged to work with computers and do hard sums and similar taxing mental endeavors, their wombs will shrivel up and they won't be able to have babies as God intended.
A few of the best programmers I have met are women, amazing women.
 

kt

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2000
6,015
1,321
136

Yikes, I doubt they take this pledge and apply it to everyone
Just reading that pledge made me lose my lunch.