Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Anne Frank's diary is back on Culpeper schools' reading list - washingtonpost.com

Anne Frank's diary is back on Culpeper schools' reading list - washingtonpost.com


The Culpeper County school superintendent said Monday that the school system had never formally removed a version of Anne Frank's diary from classrooms following a parental complaint that some passages were objectionable.


Director of instruction James Allen last week told The Washington Post that the definitive edition of the diary would not be used in the future and that the decision was made quickly, without adhering to a formal review policy for instructional materials that prompt complaints. The remarks set off a hailstorm of criticism online and brought international attention to the 7,600-student school system in rural Virginia.

Superintendent Bobbi Johnson said Monday that the book will remain a part of English classes, although it may be taught at a different grade level.

Johnson will convene a committee of English teachers and curriculum specialists this spring to review the diary along with scores of other books to develop a reading list for middle and high school English classes that teachers can use and that parents can