Sunday, December 7, 2014

Final FOI post


 

I was not able to receive any more documents, forms or information from Fort Worth ISD regarding banned books. I posted the documents I received from the school district in regards to one elementary school. A grandparent of one of the students expressed concern about three graphic novel series. In the documents, you will see there is written communication about this issue. The district resolved to allow the graphic novels, the Bone series, Ghostopolis, and the Amulet series to remain in the school, but will not be shelved among all of the other books. Instead, only upper elementary students may have access to and may check out the books.
 
The materials I received helped to explain the formal process Fort Worth ISD undergoes when handling concerns about books available in the schools. I would have liked to have seen the filled out Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials form for these graphic novels, but that was not available.
 
Overall, my project was not as challenging as I expected it to be. Fort Worth ISD officials were helpful and compliant in trying to find the documents and materials I requested. They contacted me within ten days after I faxed my FOIA request. Although I did not receive the exact documents that I had originally set out to find, it helped me better understand how this whole process works. Sometimes you can't find the exact documents and information you envision, and you must make do with what you receive. The school district just did not have many requests for book suspension in the school district. My original goal was to simply see how the book suspension/banning process is handled, and the documents I received help answer that question.