Panel: Muppets book should stay in curriculum

MARSHFIELD - A Muppets book about how children experience poverty around the world is on track to remain in Marshfield elementary schools, despite objections from a School Board member who has garnered national attention.

On Wednesday, an eight-member panel voted unanimously to recommend that the Marshfield School District continue using the book "For Every Child a Better World" by Jim Henson in kindergarten social studies curriculum.

District officials convened the panel after board member Mary Carney earlier this year raised concerns that the book is too graphic — namely, that its illustrations of some children living in poverty and violence are not appropriate for kindergartners. Citing online reviews, Carney claimed some people said they were traumatized after reading the book.

But panel members disagreed.

"I think that a lot of times we want to protect these young kids from the reality of what's going on in the world around them," teacher Donna Smith said. "But the reality is, in our classrooms every year, we have more and more kids who are homeless, and more and more kids who are hungry, and more and more kids who are victims of abuse in their households."

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Smith and other panelists — who included teachers, district staff and community members — said it is important to expose children to the world in a way they can understand, in part to give them insight on how different people and societies live.

Teacher Judy Nicksic acknowledged some images in the book might be jarring, but she said teachers can use that reaction to cultivate learning in a sensitive way.

"Many children would be disturbed, as they should be," Nicksic said. "But it's the dialogue that follows it."

One parent who sat on the panel, Marshfield resident Preston Tippen, said he read the book to his kindergarten-age son, and the experience provoked discussion about child labor and education.

Neither Carney nor members of the public were allowed to speak Wednesday at the panel's hour-long meeting.

The School Board will consider the panel's recommendation, which could be in January, and Carney said she might again raise her concerns at that time.

"I'm disappointed in the outcome," Carney said.

Teachers plan to read the book aloud in class early next year as part of a segment about rules and being good citizens.

Jonathan Anderson can be reached at jonathan.anderson@gannettwisconsin.com or 715-898-7010. Find him on Twitter as @jonathanderson.