The Language Police

March 31, 2003
Textbook publishers are guilty of self-censorship, argues Ravitch (Left Back: A Century of Battles Over School Reform) in this polemical analysis of the anti-bias and sensitivity guidelines that govern much of today's educational publishing. Looking at lawsuits, school board hearings and private correspondence between textbook editors, Ravitch, a professor of education at New York University, shows how publishers are squeezed by pressure from groups on the right (which object to depictions of disobedience, family conflict, sexuality, evolution and the supernatural) and the left (which correct for the racism and sexism of older textbooks by urging stringent controls on language and images to weed out possibly offensive stereotypes)—most publishers have quietly adopted both sets of suggestions. In chapters devoted specifically to literature and history texts, Ravitch contends that these sanitized materials sacrifice literary quality and historical accuracy in order to escape controversy. She also discusses how current statewide textbook adoption methods have undermined competition and brought about the consolidation of the educational publishing industry, leading to more bland, simplistic fare. There is no shortage of colorful examples: a scientific passage about owls was rejected from a standardized test because the birds are taboo for Navajos; one set of stereotype guidelines urges writers to avoid depicting "children as healthy bundles of energy"; editors of a science textbook rejected a sentence about fossil fuels being the primary cause of global warming because "e'd never be adopted in Texas." Readers will likely disagree about whether, on balance, anti-bias guidelines do more harm than good, but Ravitch's detailed, concise, impassioned argument raises crucial questions for parents and educators. Appendixes include "A Glossary of Banned Words, Usages, Stereotypes, and Topics" as well as a recommended reading list for students. Agents, Lynn Chu and Glen Hartley.

May 15, 2003
In this troubling account, Ravitch (education, NYU) explores a contentious topic: publishers succumbing to political interests and thus producing bland, geographically indistinguishable, and historically inaccurate textbooks and test questions for use in American schools. Ravitch recounts her own experiences as a member of a federal testing board charged with developing test questions for a standardized test. Because publishers are aware that legal challenges can hurt sales, they generally avoid anything that could be perceived as controversial. As a result, they rejected many of her selections for a variety of reasons, many of which are closely examined here. For instance, an encyclopedic passage about owls was said to reflect cultural bias (owls are taboo in Navajo culture), a story about dolphins drew complaints about regional bias (as children could not possibly imagine what it's like to live near an ocean from reading about it), and a story about pioneer quilt making by women was perceived as sexist (pioneer women should only be depicted plowing fields and chopping wood). Unlike librarians, who are familiar with self-censorship and the influence that large states have on textbook publishers, parents, educators, students, and the general public will find this detailed and highly readable analysis alarming. Recommended for all libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/03.]-Mark Alan Williams, Library of Congress

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2003
Ravitch brings experience as a member of a federal testing board and as a critically acclaimed writer about education issues to this critique. She takes to task the publishers of textbooks and standardized tests for removing language and images deemed offensive, thereby robbing text of meaning, substance, or value. Bombarded with political correctness by the Left and religious fundamentalism by the Right, publishers with well-intentioned efforts to eliminate bias have succumbed to pressure to produce texts that avoid all controversy but ultimately fail to improve students' test scores or their ability to read. Ravitch maintains that conservatives control topics (no references to evolution or nontraditional families) and the Left controls language and image (no racist or sexist inferences), devoting separate chapters to their respective censorship efforts. She cites numerous examples of policies and guidelines adopted by publishers influenced by private-interest groups that hold sway in California and Texas, two of the largest textbook markets in the nation. Parents, teachers, and librarians will appreciate this penetrating look at the factors influencing textbook publishers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)