I've gotten some pushback from #CI #TPRS folx for the #FVR #WLBookAudit that I'm doing this summer.

Some think it's unprofessional to publicly review #CIReaders. Some even see it as an attack. I've been told to "Call-in, don't Call-out"

I have some thoughts.
#langchat

I prioritize mitigating the harm done to Ss (when they encounter CI books that have racist stereotypes or that otherwise uphold white supremacy) over mitigating the discomfort of CI Authors/Content Creators (when they see public critique of their work, esp the problematic parts)

We’ve seen a number of cases where an author/publisher/content creator was directly/privately contacted by concerned teachers but chose to do nothing to address those concerns. It seems to be too easy for content creators to justify and rationalize inaction.
#langchat

Maybe that one T chose to stop buying that book or using that song, but how many hundreds of Ts continued bc they didn’t know? How many thousands of Ss had implicit biases reinforced or felt their own humanity degraded when they encountered those messages in our classrooms?

The harm done to students is real, it is not hyperbole. It occurs even if we have the best intentions. It occurs while we quietly email the publisher and patiently wait for changes to be made—which may never come. It occurs when we silence critique by calling it an attack.

Of course I don't want small business CI Publishers to go under. Quite the opposite. I want them to flourish when they publish work that has been strictly vetted to be anti-racist and anti-biased. I want to be able to trust the publishers to do that work BEFORE selling the bks

My aim is not to vilify or attack any authors.
I think it’s our duty to shine a Bright light on the problematic & sometimes racist content that has existed in #CIReaders for far too long.

I feel a sense of urgency around the need to protect Ss over businesses.

#langchat