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R-Rated Films Shown In Council Rock High Schools Spark Debate
By DAVID KILBY, For The Bulletin
Some controversy has arisen from the use of R-rated content in public classrooms within Council Rock High Schools North and South. Diana Nolan, mother of a sophomore at Council Rock, has asked the school district to remove the adult content from classrooms, but has not gained much support among the students or the Board of Education.
The debate came to its most recent climax at the Council Rock School District Board of Education meeting held in the Council Rock South High School Auditorium on Jan. 21.
There are currently 70 R-rated films in the Council Rock school district’s high school curriculum; among them are “V for Vendetta”, “Hamlet” (with Ethan Hawke), and “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
Most of the parents who spoke at the meeting expressed how they agreed with the students’ concerns regarding censorship.
The school’s policy requires the parent’s and student’s consent before a student watches an R-rated film in the classroom. If the parents or student disapprove, the student is sent elsewhere before the class and given an alternate assignment. At the meeting, several students and
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parents against censorship said it’s not embarrassing to be given another assignment elsewhere, but no student who’s been put in that situation spoke up to affirm that claim.
“These students are entitled to an education just as much as everyone else who attends these movies and discussions. Why should they miss out?” said Ms. Nolan.
About five hundred students, 400 from Council Rock South and 100 from Council Rock North, signed a petition asking the board to keep the R-rated films in the curriculum. The student body of the two high schools consists of about 4,400 students.
R-rated versions of popular stories, such as Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, are chosen over PG or PG-13 versions of the same story “only when they are the most effective choice,” said the Board of Education in their presentation entitled “Visual Literacy” given at the end of the meeting.
Retired English teacher Janine Mitchell, who served the Council Rock School District from 1972 to 2009, said during her time as a teacher, “I think English teaching got better. In the early seventies I didn’t have the technology to enrich the reading of the text. In my last years at Council Rock South, I believe I did a better job because I could extend the reading from the page to the screen.”
“We are not concerned with the use of film in the classroom,” said Ms. Nolan at the meeting. “The concern is the use of visual material that is rated R.”
In the “Visual Literacy” presentation, Joy McClendon, director of elementary education and curriculum services, cited Board Policy 109, which states, “‘R’- rated material may be shown if it is directly related to a particular subject. All material must be approved by the teacher, who must then submit an approval form including the name of the film, purpose of the film, and identified controversial content. The request is reviewed and, if approved, signed by the District Curriculum Coordinator.”
The presentation also stated that “R-rated” is a very broad label and the rating has led to many “misrepresentations” and “misconceptions” regarding the film category.
In their Declaration of Grievances delivered at the board meeting, the newly formed Council Rock South Students against Literary and Cinematic Censorship stated, “These debates have created a false illusion that there are students in classrooms watching movies like Superbad, The Hangover, and The 40-year-old Virgin,” when in reality they’re watching movies like Glory, Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List.
Nolan’s grievances are not as much over the brutal war scenes being shown in the classroom, as over the profanity, nudity, prostitution and drug-use within certain films being shown, such as Garden State, Crash, Glengary Glenn Ross, Walking Life, and Michael Radford’s version of The Merchant of Venice. In the movie Glenmary Glenn Ross, the F-word is used 140 times.
The board and teachers stated they show such films to “create a mental picture, express an idea, evoke a feeling and provide an experience,” and explained how certain movies can “act as a catalyst and cross many disciplines.”
Dissenting parents conveyed that the board was missing the point. “Our students need to be taught civility and respect for women,” said Ms. Nolan.
Nearby school districts such as Pennridge, Pennsbury and Quakertown, have removed R-rated films from their curriculum. Ms. Nolan expects Council Rock to live up to those standards.
“Three films have been removed,” she said. “We appreciate that our concerns have been acknowledged. We believe that the appropriate next step is for the elected officials to act now to remove all rated-R films from the curriculum.”
But the students object, “Banning R-rated films will set a precedent of censorship,” as stated in their representative statement of grievances.
Kelly Webster, a senior at Council Rock South, began her address to the board by professing she’s a practicing born again Christian.
“My religious beliefs are an integral part of my life,” she said. “However, I do not feel that the censorship of film or literature is a policy that should be implemented at Council Rock. I would like to emphasize the positive impact such great films can have on education. Teachers use these films for valuable discussion and analysis…no matter how controversial the issue may be.”
“In order to mature into fine ladies and gentlemen,” said Ryan Carlin, a junior at Council Rock South, in his address to the board, “we need to be exposed to the problems of the world so we can arrive at solutions, develop intricate and sophisticated viewpoints and become culturally aware.”
“This isn’t censorship as far as I see it. This isn’t a college. These are minors,” said Ms. Nolan.
[PULL QUOTE]”This is about right and wrong. It’s not about censorship,” said Stewart Stone, parent of a Council Rock student. “Everyone in this room has a moral compass. We wonder why teen suicide and depression is where it is today. You have to start connecting the dots. You have to take a look at where the moral compass is today because it all comes back to that.” [PULL QUOTE]
Derek Wright, Council Rock Social Studies Department Coordinator explained the use of clips in the classroom.
“A clip chosen by a teacher many times does not contain any material that gives the film its R-rating,” he said in the presentation. “In Saving Private Ryan, the clip I show depicts the graphic nature of violence and war, but most importantly it requires students to analyze the essential question ‘How has technological change shaped America and the world?’”
No students attended the visual literacy presentation, as it began around midnight. Ms. Nolan got up to speak after the teachers finished, but the meeting was not open to further discussion at that point.
“We strongly urge the school board,” said Ms. Nolan “to consider the students who may be disturbed by the content, that don’t want to be singled out because parental consent is not given, and the parents who may sign the permission slip to spare their child’s embarrassment.”
David Kilby can be reached at kilby.david@gmail.com
The debate came to its most recent climax at the Council Rock School District Board of Education meeting held in the Council Rock South High School Auditorium on Jan. 21.
There are currently 70 R-rated films in the Council Rock school district’s high school curriculum; among them are “V for Vendetta”, “Hamlet” (with Ethan Hawke), and “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
Most of the parents who spoke at the meeting expressed how they agreed with the students’ concerns regarding censorship.
The school’s policy requires the parent’s and student’s consent before a student watches an R-rated film in the classroom. If the parents or student disapprove, the student is sent elsewhere before the class and given an alternate assignment. At the meeting, several students and
Continued On A6
parents against censorship said it’s not embarrassing to be given another assignment elsewhere, but no student who’s been put in that situation spoke up to affirm that claim.
“These students are entitled to an education just as much as everyone else who attends these movies and discussions. Why should they miss out?” said Ms. Nolan.
About five hundred students, 400 from Council Rock South and 100 from Council Rock North, signed a petition asking the board to keep the R-rated films in the curriculum. The student body of the two high schools consists of about 4,400 students.
R-rated versions of popular stories, such as Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, are chosen over PG or PG-13 versions of the same story “only when they are the most effective choice,” said the Board of Education in their presentation entitled “Visual Literacy” given at the end of the meeting.
Retired English teacher Janine Mitchell, who served the Council Rock School District from 1972 to 2009, said during her time as a teacher, “I think English teaching got better. In the early seventies I didn’t have the technology to enrich the reading of the text. In my last years at Council Rock South, I believe I did a better job because I could extend the reading from the page to the screen.”
“We are not concerned with the use of film in the classroom,” said Ms. Nolan at the meeting. “The concern is the use of visual material that is rated R.”
In the “Visual Literacy” presentation, Joy McClendon, director of elementary education and curriculum services, cited Board Policy 109, which states, “‘R’- rated material may be shown if it is directly related to a particular subject. All material must be approved by the teacher, who must then submit an approval form including the name of the film, purpose of the film, and identified controversial content. The request is reviewed and, if approved, signed by the District Curriculum Coordinator.”
The presentation also stated that “R-rated” is a very broad label and the rating has led to many “misrepresentations” and “misconceptions” regarding the film category.
In their Declaration of Grievances delivered at the board meeting, the newly formed Council Rock South Students against Literary and Cinematic Censorship stated, “These debates have created a false illusion that there are students in classrooms watching movies like Superbad, The Hangover, and The 40-year-old Virgin,” when in reality they’re watching movies like Glory, Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List.
Nolan’s grievances are not as much over the brutal war scenes being shown in the classroom, as over the profanity, nudity, prostitution and drug-use within certain films being shown, such as Garden State, Crash, Glengary Glenn Ross, Walking Life, and Michael Radford’s version of The Merchant of Venice. In the movie Glenmary Glenn Ross, the F-word is used 140 times.
The board and teachers stated they show such films to “create a mental picture, express an idea, evoke a feeling and provide an experience,” and explained how certain movies can “act as a catalyst and cross many disciplines.”
Dissenting parents conveyed that the board was missing the point. “Our students need to be taught civility and respect for women,” said Ms. Nolan.
Nearby school districts such as Pennridge, Pennsbury and Quakertown, have removed R-rated films from their curriculum. Ms. Nolan expects Council Rock to live up to those standards.
“Three films have been removed,” she said. “We appreciate that our concerns have been acknowledged. We believe that the appropriate next step is for the elected officials to act now to remove all rated-R films from the curriculum.”
But the students object, “Banning R-rated films will set a precedent of censorship,” as stated in their representative statement of grievances.
Kelly Webster, a senior at Council Rock South, began her address to the board by professing she’s a practicing born again Christian.
“My religious beliefs are an integral part of my life,” she said. “However, I do not feel that the censorship of film or literature is a policy that should be implemented at Council Rock. I would like to emphasize the positive impact such great films can have on education. Teachers use these films for valuable discussion and analysis…no matter how controversial the issue may be.”
“In order to mature into fine ladies and gentlemen,” said Ryan Carlin, a junior at Council Rock South, in his address to the board, “we need to be exposed to the problems of the world so we can arrive at solutions, develop intricate and sophisticated viewpoints and become culturally aware.”
“This isn’t censorship as far as I see it. This isn’t a college. These are minors,” said Ms. Nolan.
[PULL QUOTE]”This is about right and wrong. It’s not about censorship,” said Stewart Stone, parent of a Council Rock student. “Everyone in this room has a moral compass. We wonder why teen suicide and depression is where it is today. You have to start connecting the dots. You have to take a look at where the moral compass is today because it all comes back to that.” [PULL QUOTE]
Derek Wright, Council Rock Social Studies Department Coordinator explained the use of clips in the classroom.
“A clip chosen by a teacher many times does not contain any material that gives the film its R-rating,” he said in the presentation. “In Saving Private Ryan, the clip I show depicts the graphic nature of violence and war, but most importantly it requires students to analyze the essential question ‘How has technological change shaped America and the world?’”
No students attended the visual literacy presentation, as it began around midnight. Ms. Nolan got up to speak after the teachers finished, but the meeting was not open to further discussion at that point.
“We strongly urge the school board,” said Ms. Nolan “to consider the students who may be disturbed by the content, that don’t want to be singled out because parental consent is not given, and the parents who may sign the permission slip to spare their child’s embarrassment.”
David Kilby can be reached at kilby.david@gmail.com
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mosquito wrote on Feb 1, 2010 9:09 PM:
So much for objectivity. He also quotes comments being made by the board that night. Actually, the Board members didn't speak to the issue of R rated movies at all that evening. It was employees of the district, "The Administration" who addressed R rated movies that evening.
Mr Kilby also wrote " but no student who’s been put in that situation spoke up to affirm that claim." - actually, at least one of the students did stand up and affirm that she was not embarrassed when she chose not to be in the classroom for a topic she was uncomfortable with. It was punctuated when that same student said "rather than being embarrassed, I felt proud to stand up for my convictions."
All in all, this article represents sloppy reporting, and I would have expected more from The Bulletin. "