Vernon Minor, Superintendant of Republic, MO school district, has resigned, three months after the school board voted not to extend his contract.
This is the district that banned Speak, Slaughterhouse Five, and Twenty Boy Summer after a local man, Wesley Scroggins, complained about the books. In addition to book banning, Minor faced a number of other challenges during his tenure in Republic.
Speak was later put back in the classroom, I believe. (Can anyone with first-hand knowledge confirm this for me?) The other two books are in a “secure” spot in the library. Here is my original blog post written when the books were first challenged.
What do I think about this latest turn of events?
I think that the people who live in that school district have probably spent a lot of time discussing the controversies. I suspect that the school board members have heard from many of their fellow citizens. I hope that this change in administration will help the district move forward. I hope that teachers and librarians will be able to do their jobs without fear. That students will be able to read freely, and think, and discuss any and all topics, even the ones that can frighten and challenge adults.
What do you think?
I think it’s about time and hope there will be a change for the better.
Hi Laurie!
Today is voting day for the school board in Republic as well. There are 4 candidates running, and we get to choose two. It’s funny how I have not been able to find much on any of these candidates. They say they want us to stay informed and vote, but when there is no information out there, it’s very hard to make an informed decision. All I know is, two candidates are largely supported by teachers and people who support Dr Minor in all his past decisions, support the current school board and all their past decisions and want the district to keep doing what it’s doing. From what I can tell, the other two want change in the district and they are largely supported by the people who disapproved of Minor and the board’s decisions. It seems quite divided and I’ll be interested to see how it all pans out. This new board is who will appoint the new superintendent so it’s crucial we get the right people in there. I’ll try to keep you informed with how it goes!