Summer reading in question for next year

Aragon students will likely not be required to purchase summer reading books for the upcoming school year.

Recent controversy over charging various fees by public schools has been sparked by a lawsuit in southern California last September.

The lawsuit, which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), alleged that dozens of districts were violating the California Constitution’s guarantee to a “free” public school system. In some schools, students were forced to pay for textbooks, workbooks and gym uniforms.

After the lawsuit was settled, districts were asked to review their policies and practices to guarantee this free system. In 1984, the California Supreme Court ruled in Hartzell v. Connell that public schools are prohibited from charging mandatory fees for educational requirements. The new lawsuit’s ruling essentially states that all aspects of public education must be free to students.

Summer reading, which is a required component of curriculum in English classes and many others, asks that students use the book during the summer, and have it available when the school year starts. The controversy arises with the fact that schools can no longer require students to purchase materials necessary for their education.

In the past, districts were allowed to deal with this issue as they felt necessary, and students without the proper finances could borrow a book from the library. However, with the recent lawsuit, the district either has to find a way to provide books without any costs, or they need to look into a replacement for the summer reading curriculum. In other words, the school would have to provide a book to each student, which poses an obvious financial problem.

The issue has been discussed at the English curriculum council which has recommended that summer reading become optional. English teacher Vince Bravo says, “It’s not a matter of passing, but really an understanding of the ruling. While the Principals (at the district level) have not made an official statement, the English Curriculum council did make its recommendations. Because of the ruling on the case, we felt that we could not make English summer reading mandatory.”

AP U.S. History teacher Doug McGlashan says that history will continue to have mandatory reading, but they have had to adjust as well. McGlashan says, “We took a show of hands of who would buy their books and then we bought the rest. The library only had about five textbooks before, but now they will have over 50 copies.”

McGlashan says, “I never thought of it as being a big burden because we made it clear that if it was, books would be around. However, I believe the feeling is that it puts too much of an embarrassment on the students.”

Assistant Principal of Instruction Jim Coe believes that summer reading is important to maintain skills during the summer.

He is concerned and says, “Taking two to three months off is like the old agrarian model to farm and harvest, but it is of a different era. There is steep competition around the world, and this hurts students in the long run.”

Principal Kurtz says that the school has not yet received the regulations, but they are currently operating by what they have interpreted from the lawsuit. A trailer bill was passed on March 15 and the official regulation will come to the district in April or May.

Many students also agree with the educational benefits of summer reading. Although he dislikes the work, sophomore David Kochy says, “It’s important to maintain reading over the summer to improve critical thinking.

Sophomore Anthony Privitera agrees and says, “It exposed me to new literature that I wouldn’t normally have read.”

The district must also consider implications of the lawsuit on other programs such as field trips.

Even at Aragon, students are required to buy gym uniforms, locks and some clubs charge fees to cover costs.

Depending on the outcome, the administration will still need to take extra measures to ensure the school has the funding and the means to continue providing the same educational experience.

Especially with the recent budget cuts to education, the district may need to reconsider their allocation of funds.

While the issue of summer reading may not be as extreme as the enormous sums of money some southern California students were charged to participate in activities, the district’s interpretation of the ACLU lawsuit ruling will have much larger impact than many may realize.