ICYMI, book banning is now being pushed by county officials in Texas. This week Williamson County commissioners withheld CARES funds from @LeanderISD & @RoundRockISD based on false allegations about "X-rated" material available. More thoughts & links ahead in thread.
Good start coverage from @mikemarut of @KVUE here, but we need to put a finer point on these issues and get eyes on the situation. Because as with Abbott and Mike Kraus's claims–this is politically motivated & NOT ABOUT THE BOOKS.
How do I know? Because districts that DID receive funds–like @GeorgetownISD–also have targeted books like OUT OF DARKNESS available to students… AS THEY SHOULD. These highly vetted & celebrated works of literature serve the needs of students. (See "additional info" below.)
A reminder: in all cases, the books in question are options AVAILABLE to teens, not required course material. The only difference is that the districts denied funds (@LeanderISD & @RoundRockISD) have struggled with public controversies driven by politicized attacks on books.
And this comes AFTER @LeanderISD officially removed 11 books, including OUT OF DARKNESS, from HS book lists and classroom libraries. What is the commissioners' message? You didn't ban ENOUGH books to appease our base, so no $$ for your students.
Again: the opposition to the books is NOT ABOUT THE BOOKS. Conservative groups (links to follow) are using this to signal who matters in schools and whose very existence is "controversial"–just like the books under attack. That's a destructive message for marginalized teens.
"Concerned" adults at SB mtgs may have convinced themselves that they are worried about "sexually explicit content," but if that were true, they would be showing up to protest the many more books with sexual content that center white, straight characters. Hmm.
What's really going on, then? Knowingly or not, these parents are mouthpieces for GOP-funded orgs that direct them to harass and exhaust school personnel and attack books like OUT OF DARKNESS for quick wins to mobilize a conservative base. Some examples ahead.
No Left Turn categorizes books by "trouble" topics:
https://www.noleftturn.us/exposing-books/
Texans Wake Up goes a step farther by telling parents exactly what to object to, a letter to use, then "go get 'em!"
Moms 4 Liberty & Defending Ed encourage burdensome FOIA requests: https://defendinged.org/expose/
https://www.momsforliberty.org/resources/
(Targeted ISDs say these requests are relentless–& that those making them have the $$ to keep asking–targeting every purchase order, teacher survey, etc.)
Attacks on books & relentless FOIA requests divert resources away from student learning. The values & attitudes of those bringing them do not reflect the community at large. Most folks appreciate their schools are doing & are too busy trying to make ends meet to harass them.
Central Texas: these folks are holding your kids' education hostage. Even if you don't care about your kids' right to read OUT OF DARKNESS or the targeted books, you should care about the harm of these attacks. The endgame here is not the books. It's undermining public ed itself.
And when I say conservatives are "holding your kids' education hostage," this is NOT A METAPHOR. I just got access to this email from commissioner @cynthialong to @LeanderISD, & it could be summarized as "Ban Books for Bucks."
It's extortion, plain & simple.
That should be @CLongTX 👆 Thanks for helping me catch that, @LISDFuss
"Good" news: you (yes, YOU!) can push back. Take 4 minutes to file a complaint against the Williamson County Commission for misuse of CARES Act funds, & spread the word. This concerns EVERY taxpayer, EVERY community member.
Originally tweeted by Ashley Hope Pérez (@ashleyhopeperez) on December 18, 2021.
Scottie's Playtime 
You would think the Republicans would be happy. The deficit has actually decreased around a third of a billion under President Biden. Not a surprise, since we don’t have a grifter in the White House anymore.
This is why the Republicans needed to focus on the debt ceiling and be over dramatic about the whole thing. Most American’s don’t understand the debt ceiling has nothing to do with the actual deficit. They also understand if Biden keeps reducing the deficit, they may not need to increase the debt ceiling again for quite some time. If we could roll back some of the tax cuts to the wealthy, perhaps never.
Well, until the Republicans gain full control again, as they believe in deficit spending, but only when it’s them doing the spending.