'Discomfort Is Not Harm': Danvers Parents, Teachers Debate 'All-American Boys' Book Selection

DANVERS, MA — A show of solidarity among members of the Danvers Teachers Association called criticisms of the 8th-grade reading selection "All-American Boys" by author Jason Reynolds "deeply troubling" amid public comment debate about the book's appropriateness for middle school students because of its depictions of violence, profanity, teen drinking and drug use, and the theme of "white privilege."

Critics of the book's inclusion in this year's curriculum, who spoke during Monday night's School Committee meeting, called its teaching part of the "equity industrial complex" and charged that inclusion of books and those like it is contributing to the exodus of students from Danvers Public Schools in recent years.

Danvers 7th Grade English Language Arts teacher and DTA member Sarah Stone told the School Committee that objections to the book raise "grave concerns" and that it was chosen to help students develop critical thinking skills while exposing them to life experiences that many of them may not be familiar with in a town like Danvers.

"We are standing at a crossroads," Stone said. "Option A is to have faculty teach with books that we select based upon curriculum review, our expertise and the developmental needs of our students. Option B is to pretend that some of the most pressing and relevant issues of our time simply don't exist and to fail in giving our students the experiences and tools they need to think critically in an increasingly complex world."

"Only one of these options sounds like a reasonable path for our school community."

Beverly Teachers Association President Andrea Sherman, a parent of two in Danvers and former English teacher, said that while she believes in the rights of parents to engage in their children's education, that "we should not allow discomfort to dictate curriculum."

"Discomfort is not harm," she said. "In fact, avoiding that which makes us uncomfortable does our students a great disservice."

School Committee member Gabe Lopes said that while he does have concerns that the curriculum presented alongside the book specifically used the phrase "white privilege" — which he said has become a "weaponized" term that hinders conversations rather than facilitates them — he read the book and supports its appropriateness for all eighth-graders.

"The limited opt-out option was a short-term accommodation for a few families — not a change in policy as we work to balance academic freedom with parental choice," he said of parents who asked that their children be excused from reading the book, adding that "no books have been banned in Danvers."

"In Danvers, we've already seen what happens when difficult issues are not addressed early," he added. "It hurts our kids and it hurts our community. So let's not avoid the hard conversations but let's approach them with care, and respect, and balance.

"Let's believe our students are capable of understanding complexity without being divided by the language we use. Opting out might feel like protection. But engaging thoughtfully and respectfully is preparation. I think what we can agree on is that we want every student who leaves Danvers to be prepared to think critically, act compassionately, and navigate a world full of differences with confidence and respect."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)