West Nova News

The classic American novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” will remain part of the curriculum at Loudoun County Public Schools.

Andrea Weiskopf, an LCPS teacher, termed reading the book to students as “curricular violence” in a Dec. 13 tweet. However, Weiskopf, who teaches Latin, did not call for its withdrawal from the district.

“One of the most difficult steps in my journey of racial consciousness was accepting that reading ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ in the classroom is curricular violence,” she wrote. “This does not mean that TKAM should be banned. It means that it should not be a central text in the classroom.”

Andrea Weiskopf | Twitter

Loudoun County Public Schools public information officer Wayde B. Byard said Weiskopf was expressing her personal viewpoint but did not call for the book to be removed, adding, “She is not advocating taking ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ out of the classroom. There is no plan to withdraw it.”

He said LCPS does include “To Kill a Mockingbird” in the ninth-grade high school curriculum.

“It is taught with great attention to the historical context and is also taught with paired passages and novels that reflect contemporary African-American perspectives,” he said.

Published in 1960, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is the story of a young white girl learning the harsh realities of race and justice in the Depression-era South. Her father, a lawyer, defends a Black man unfairly accused of rape.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Harper Lee sells 1 million copies a year, was made into an honored film starring Hollywood icon Gregory Peck and was adapted for a 2018 Broadway play starting Jeff Daniels.

Byard said books that are used in LCPS classrooms are reviewed by district staffers with other information taken into account.

“The Loudoun County Public Schools does not have a ‘viewpoint’ on curriculum,” he said. “In the secondary English, curriculum books have been selected through a combination of staff survey/feedback, publisher materials in the core curriculum, and curriculum committees based on several considerations including, but not limited to the following areas:

"Books are based on policy.

"They focus on an essential question. An essential question frames a unit of study as a problem to be solved. It should connect students' lived experiences and interests (their only resources for learning something new) to disciplinary problems in the world. 

"The books are considered by experts in the field including American Library Association (e.g., award winners, reviews).

"They focus on developing skills and strategies outlined in the Virginia Standards of Learning.

"They reflect multiple perspectives – is part of a collection that reflects multiple perspectives.

"The books focus on building critical thinkers, readers and writers.

'"And they are reviewed through the lens of a culturally responsive checklist.

“It is important to note that common curriculum units are developed for the use of the division and schools have the autonomy to also create school-based units using the same considerations,” Byard said. “This allows us to follow the interests of students and to be responsive to history and current events.  

Byard said students and their families can discuss the text.

“Families are encouraged to talk to their children and young adults about the ideas presented in their reading. It is important to acknowledge that at the secondary level, many novels and informational pieces include sensitive topics and students, and families are given the option of selecting alternative text.”

“To Kill a Mockingbird” was one of five books removed from the shelves of the Burbank Unified School District in California following complaints from parents. The decision is temporary, according to district officials.

The other banned books include Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” Theodore Taylor’s “The Cay,” and Mildred D. Taylor’s “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.”

All five books cast racism as an evil and dangerous force, but they do contain language and terms some find objectionable.

Byard said the district has a process for protesting material taught in its classes.

“Members of the community may challenge the inclusion of a book in the LCPS curriculum or inclusion in a library collection through Policy 5-7 Regulation: Selection and review of Library Media Center instructional materials,” he said. “This policy outlines how parents may request a reconsideration of library and curriculum resources.  

"Parents can also take part in the selection of textbooks through Policy 5-9 textbook adoption. Through this policy families and community members are included in the LCPS textbook adoption.”