Last week, during discussion of a bill that would allow parents to request the removal of school library or classroom materials they find inappropriate, Special Education teacher Alicia Messing questioned what qualifies a parent to parent.
“”I have a master’s degree because when I got certified, I was told I had to have a master’s degree to be an Arizona certified teacher. We all have advanced degrees. What do the parents have? Are we vetting the backgrounds of our parents? Are we allowing the parents to choose the curriculum and the books that our children are going to read? I think that is a mistake.”
Do you agree?!? 👍👎
“We all have degree advanced degrees. What do the parents have? Are we vetting the backgrounds of our parents? Are we allowing the parents to choose the curriculum and the books that our children are going to read? I think that is a mistake.” pic.twitter.com/Vyp0SxZUY9— Arizona Daily Independent (@amerdailyindy) February 17, 2023
“It is because of attacks like this against parents that they are looking for education options more than ever for their kids,” said Stacey Brown, a concerned parent. “To infer that parents don’t know what’s best for their child, especially as it relates to books potentially containing explicit sexual content, parents absolutely should have a say as to what is appropriate material for their children.”
Messing’s screed shocked parents like Brown across the state, but it wasn’t the first time she dismissed the desires of parents.
Messing first came to parents’ attention in 2021 during a statewide conversation about Critical Race Theory. At the time, the Arizona Legislature was considering legislation that would have prevented the teaching of Critical Race Theory-based curriculum in the classroom, and Messing was one of 4,200 teachers who signed a pledge to defy the law should it be enacted.
The pledge reads:
We, the undersigned educators, refuse to lie to young people about U.S. history and current events — regardless of the law.
The pledge was driven by The Zinn Education Project. Signers of the “Pledge to Teach the Truth: Despite New State Bills Against It, included teachers from across Arizona:
| Avondale: Natalie Cardenas Bisbee: Etta Kralovec Black Canyon City: Matthew Schock Casa Grande: Sharon Tuttle Chandler: Angela Thomas, Anna Cicero, Audra Johnson, Beth Herbert, Deanna Celaya, James Wallace, Judith Simons, Julia PalAZzi, Melanie Ohm, Rachel Kulik, Shasta Payne, Teri Moser Flagstaff: Angelina Castagno, Beth Sanborn, Derek Thibodeau, Elizabeth Merrill, Erin Hiebert, Joe Wegwert, Leslie Grabel, Patricia Roach, Sarah Shamah, Stacy Clark, Tami Butters, Yvonne parent Fountain Hills: Vincent Sepe Gila Bend: Josie McClain Gilbert: Andrea Barker, Cary Tyler, Heather Gossler, Heather Schlemmer, Kaylie Aguilar, Kim Klett, Leda DeVlieger, Monica DaRugna, Rebecca Garelli, Stefanie Campanella Glendale: Erin Chisholm, Lisa Cantella, Melanie Cobos, Rachel Schmidt Goodyear: Cathering Barnett, Nikole Brasch, Susan Hennessy Laveen: Miguel Ramirez, Nancy Schwartz Litchfield Park: Melissa England Mesa: Andrea Box, Anica Erickson, Ann Marie Geair, Anne Greer, Bruce Nelson, Christina Bustos, Christina Jameson, Claudia Bloom, Dave Medley, Jacqueline Tambone, Julie Quiroa, Kay Crittenden, Kelly Wright, Kisha Delgado, Michelle Lantz, Paul Kreutz, Rachael Clawson, Steve Munczek Peoria: Chelsea Charlton, Kaitlin Griffin, Melissa Girmscheid, Tina Sanders |
Phoenix: Alexandra Zamarron, Alicia Messing, Carla Garcia, Claudia Chiang, Erika James, Ginette Rossi, Janel Vaughan, Judith Robbins, Kelley Gribuski, Kristin Cervantez, Lauren Gaston, Lauren Spenceley-Sheoran, Michelle Schulke, Mike Sarraino, Rodrigo Palacios-Tenorio, Roger Baker, Sarah Bennett, Shana Hornstein, Starla Dawngmastar12@y, Susan Rego, Tara La O Garcia Queen Creek: Joanna Auclair Scottsdale: Carole Ancona, Jan Kelly, Kandice Nelson, Mariah Moritz Sun City West: Harriet Luckman, Stacy Green Surprise: Jon Alfred, Paula Auble Tempe: Bernadette Lissner, Carol Johnson, Cortney Milanovich, Danielle DeGain, Deanna Smith, Dylan Wince, Haylee Newton, Jacob Bley, Jo Anne Craig, LaDawn Haglund, Leslie Ringler, Maren Mueller, Valerie Craig Tucson: Adrian Provenzano, Alexandra Mazur, Alison Climes, Ann Marie Palmer, Avis Judd, Barbara Wayne, Brieanne Buttner, Caryl Crowell, Chelsea Forer, Chris Parisoff, Corey Knox, Corina Ontiveros, Devon Holden, Edvina Velagic, Erin Donaghy, Farid Matuk, Jennifer Mullet, Jennifer Quigley, Jessica BernalMejia, Jim Byrne, Kate Van Roekel, Kevan Kiser-Chuc, Kristel Ann Foster, Linda Archuleta, Manuel R Palacios-Fest, Mario Garcia, Natalie Taylor, Nataly Reed, Peter Blankfield, Rachael Eggebeen, Rebecca Kristensen, Sheila Wilensky, Steven Ernsky, Tom McElhaney, Wes Oswald, Carole Edelsky Vail: Drew Fellows Yuma: Dorothy Higuera |
The bill to which Messing expressed opposition, SB1700, “Grants parents the right to request removal of school district (district) or charter school library or classroom materials, extends public review periods for library materials and district textbooks and removes exceptions from district curriculum approval and school library access requirements.”
The bill also requires “the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to maintain a list of books that public educational institutions may not use or make available to students, including books that are lewd or sexual, promote gender fluidity or gender pronouns or groom children into normalizing pedophilia.”