Renton schools let Huck Finn back in class

RENTON -- This week for the first time this school year Renton teachers are allowed to use ``The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' in their classrooms.

The controversial book was pulled from reading lists at the three Renton high schools after an African-American student said that the book degraded her and her culture.

The book, which is not required reading in Renton schools but is on a supplemental list of approved books, has more than 200 references to a racial slur. The use of that word made class discussion and reading the book uncomfortable for junior Calista Phair, when her literature class was assigned to read the book.

After Phair complained to the Renton School District, administrators assembled a team of teachers and department leaders to find a way to give teachers more training in dealing what they termed ``sensitive materials'' and to ensure that Huck Finn would be used in a culturally sensitive way. So far, Huck Finn is the only book labeled as ``sensitive.''

Phair's grandmother, Beatrice Clark of Renton, said Monday that she would have preferred to see the district dump Huck Finn from the district's reading list.

``It is not acceptable literature for African-American or any students. It negatively impacts our kids,'' Clark said.

The Renton School District team, however, developed a guide for teachers who want to teach the book. The guide includes suggested reading for teachers and offers several topics of class discussion, including the use of satire, as well as the history and use of the ``n-word.''

Use of the guide is not required for those who want to teach Huck Finn, but high school language arts teachers will be required to attend a training about using sensitive materials in class.

``We've trusted our teachers to teach this novel in a sensitive manner, and they have for many years,'' said district curriculum director Ed Sheppard. But the new guidelines may increase sensitivity and provide insight for teachers, he said.

``The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' was written by Mark Twain in 1885. It's considered by some to be an American classic and is used in high school classrooms across the country and referred to on Advanced Placement exams, a national test on which a strong performance can get a high school student credit in college. But it's also a reviled piece of work condemned by many as racist. More than 100 years after it was written, Huck Finn has a regular presence on the American Library Association's list of challenged books.

Still, the book has a value in the classroom in terms of history and character development, said Renton teacher Hilari Anderson.

In addition, addressing the issue of race, especially in a diverse school like Renton High School, is important, Anderson said. Huck Finn becomes a vehicle to have a mature conversation about race issues in the community and in school, she said.

``It forces us to talk about what our own worries are, what our own fears are,'' Anderson said.

Anderson said she's pleased teachers can use Huck Finn again in the classroom, and she's planning to work it into her schedule again next year. She said she expects that most teachers already follow the new guidelines and that it's unlikely anyone is teaching the book in an irresponsible manner.

``I think we try to make it as painless as possible. And it can be a painful book ... I don't want my students to feel pain. However, we can grow from it,'' Anderson said. ``I think it is unwise to suggest that we can create a system of education that is never uncomfortable. I think we learn from our discomfort.''

Phyllis Beaumonte, a retired teacher and current educational consultant in Seattle, reviewed the new guidelines and made recommendations about them, but didn't address whether or not the book should be used in the classroom.

While she recommended following some of the proposed guidelines, such as discussing Mark Twain's beliefs and why the book is important to Western literature, she did not agree that the history of the ``n-word'' needs to be discussed in class.

``It can psychologically damage an African-American child if teachers and students are not prepared to rise to the academic challenges of this book,'' she said.

It remains a Renton policy to allow students to work on an alternate assignment if they express concern about a book, Sheppard said.

``Some people are not going to be happy with the choices of some novels being used,'' Sheppard said. ``I think our policy that allows parents to have their children opt out is beneficial in that particular setting. There are a variety of materials teachers can use to meet the same ends.''

How other districts handle Huck

Here's how other Eastside and South County school districts supervise the use of ``Huckleberry Finn.''

Issaquah

``The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' is on the district's approved reading list. Complaints about the book or any other material may be made to an instructional materials committee. Students who object to a book may read an alternate assignment given by a teacher.

Auburn

``The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' is on the district's approved reading list. Complaints about any school material should first be made to a school principal. Students who object to a book may read an alternate assignment given by a teacher.

Kent

``The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' is on the district's approved reading list. Complaints about the book or any other material may be made to an instructional materials committee. Students who object to a book may read an alternate assignment given by a teacher.

Tahoma (Maple Valley)

``Huckleberry Finn'' is on the district's approved reading list. Complaints about the book or any other material may be made to a teacher or school principal. Students who object to a book may read an alternate assignment given by a teacher.

Lake Washington

``Huckleberry Finn'' is on the district's approved reading list. Complaints about the book or any other material may be made to an instructional materials committee. Students who object to a book may read an alternate assignment given by a teacher.

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