Gilbert Public Schools won't add new novels to approved reading list this year

By Tom Blodgett
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Twitter: @sp_blodgett

Gilbert Public Schools will not be adding any additional novels to its approved novel list this school year, officials said.

That despite the adoption of new English curriculum that is being implemented this year. The curriculum is “My Perspectives” from Savvas Learning Company.

Barbara Newman, the district’s teaching and learning assistant superintendent, made a presentation to the governing board during study session Tuesday on the novel approval process.

District officials decided to conduct the session after a GPS parent, Chad Thompson, spoke to the board at its July 26 meeting on a lack of transparency to parents on what is included in the curriculum. Thompson, also a school board candidate, said Savvas included some novels as supplemental material that were inappropriate for children, singling out “Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “Looking for Alaska.”

Newman said teachers can only include novels that are already on the district’s novel list and noted neither of the books singled out by Thompson are on the district’s approved list.

She also said there are two places on the district website that have the approved novel list: in the course description book and also now posted separately.

Board Member Jill Humpherys also pointed out that the district allows parents to ask for an alternative novel if they object to one that is assigned.

Tom Blodgett
Senior News Editor | Gilbert
@sp_blodgett

tblodgett@iniusa.org

Meet Tom
Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.

Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.

Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism. 

Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.  

Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).