North Carolina Is On A List Of States With The Most Banned Or Challenged Books
It feels as if over the last few years the attempts to ban or challenge books is on the rise. And, the numbers indicate that’s the case. Then, I see that one of the states with the most banned books or challenges is North Carolina.
According to a story from U.S. News, the American Library Association released data showing that the number of attempts sharply increased in 2023 over 2022. Attempts soared to a 20 year high in the U.S. in 2022. However, data from the first 8 months of 2023 showed nearly 700 attempts to restrict access to nearly 2000 different titles.
So, how do these attempts to ban or challenge books start? Well, citizens usually begin with local petitions to remove certain books from public schools. And, understandably so, the ALA points out that many of the challenged books contain sexually explicit content among other topics. North Carolina came in at number 9 with 114 titles challenged and 18 attempts to restrict access. North Carolina’s most challenged book in 2022 was “Looking For Alaska.”
Of course, I’m not one to be a huge believer in banning artistic materials. However, there needs to be common sense judgement applied. First of all, minor children don’t need access to adult materials. But then, who decides what’s appropriate? It certainly does not need to be required reading for the student. And, I am a firm believer that parents need to play an active role in what students are reading. We decide when and how to introduce certain sensitive topics.
Obviously, it’s difficult to police everything the kids see, read or hear. After all, I remember my middle school friends and I passing around things that would have made our parents blush. There was “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret.” And, then we snuck “Forever” into our math books to read during breaks. Yeah, we were rebels. And, we survived.
But, that was about as racy as our content got. These days, it seems some of the stuff creeping onto the shelves is there for shock value. Anyway, my ‘child’ is a college senior. Lately, I’m happy if he just reads my texts! See here for the full list of states with the most banned or challenged books.
8 North Carolina Schools Earned The Distinction of National Blue Ribbon Schools
Yesterday 8 North Carolina schools were named National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. According to the Department of Education, “the recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups on assessments. These schools demonstrate what is possible to make an enduring, positive difference in students’ lives.” A total of 353 schools nationwide received this distinction, this included 313 public schools and 40 private schools. Each of the 8 North Carolina schools recognized was a public school.
The award-winning schools will be formally recognized at an awards ceremony on November 16 and 17, 2023 in Washington, DC. This is the 40th year the Department of Education has selected the National Blue Ribbon Schools. According to the department the criteria for public schools are as follows:
Performance Award Criteria for Public Schools: In order to be eligible for nomination, a school must meet several criteria based on the performance of its students on state assessments in reading (or English language arts) and mathematics or a composite of performance on these assessments with other measures of student performance (e.g., student growth on state assessments, performance on state assessments in other subjects, graduation rates, or other indicators in the state’s accountability system).
You can read more about the eligibility requirements here. Congratulations to each of these eight North Carolina Schools that received the National Blue Ribbon Schools recognition. They represent elementary, middle, and high schools across the state. In fact, there are 7 different school districts represented with the remaining school being a charter school. Keep reading to see and learn a little more about each of these schools. Congratulations and thank you to the teachers and staff of these schools for giving your best to the children of North Carolina!
Debbie Nance is the afternoon co-host along with her husband on "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been with the station for 18 years. Debbie is a CMA Award winner for Radio Personality of the Year. And, she has worked in radio for 40 years. Before her current afternoon position, Debbie spent more than a decade as co-host on morning shows in several markets across the Southeast. As a content creator for Country 1037, Debbie writes articles about food, new restaurants in the Carolinas and travel experiences.
