The students of Plano Independent School District have proved that they are truly a force to be reckoned with.

On Nov. 15, the district withdrew its plans to remove a Humanities textbook from classrooms after various photos of ancient nude statues drew complaints from the parents of a Jasper High School student. The book in question, Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities: Alternative Volume, has been used in Plano schools for over ten years and had never drawn complaints prior to this incident.

Jim Hirsch, Associate Superintendent for Academic and Technology services, said that the district was alerted about the issue when the parents contacted the Advanced Academics department during the last week of October.

“The parents had a concern about the number of images in the book that they felt were of an intense nature,” Hirsch said. “Anytime a parent contacts a board member or superintendent, each phone call is reviewed and responded to because each question deserves an answer.”

Hirsch stated that a mistake was made with the book’s classification. The Humanities course has three textbooks, two of which are state adopted. The approval process for state adopted textbooks is lengthy, but districts are allowed to stop using them if they choose.

“A request was received from a parent concerning the Humanities textbook,” Hirsch said. “Part of my team is responsible for the curriculum, and we contacted the parents to see what the issue was. Then we saw that there was an opportunity to provide an alternative book and opted to begin that replacement process.”

The staff initially believed that Culture and Values was state approved, but later they discovered that it was actually issued by the district. PISD policy states that locally approved material must go through a process before it is removed, resulting in the return of the textbook to the classrooms.

 “After hearing the impassioned pleas from students, I asked the group to reconsider the textbook,” Hirsch said. “The team looked at the book and realized it was a PISD supplementary book. The parents have to follow a process if they want the textbook removed.”

Sophomore Tushar Madan, a current Humanities student at Shepton High School, says that the books were pulled on Thursday, Nov. 11, and at first, it was not clear why.

“The teachers initially didn’t know anything more than we did,” Madan said. “The reason was given to the teachers during a staff meeting, and it seemed to be because a Jasper student’s mother had called the district complaining about nudity. The students in my class originally perceived it as a joke because we didn’t believe any adult could be upset over something so insignificant.”

As an added complication, the Shepton Humanities students were expecting a test soon after the books were taken up.

 “That weekend, everybody was forced to study for the upcoming test with just notes, since we no longer had access to the textbook,” Shepton freshman Dylan Hunn said. “The teachers were quite nice about it. They promised the test wouldn’t cover specifics such as names or dates. But everyone was still a little bit nervous about studying sans textbook.”

The textbooks were only pulled for a couple days, but during this time, both current and former students launched passionate campaigns to return Cultures and Values to the classroom. The movement gained a strong following – over 500 members in two days – on a Facebook group called “Fight PISD: Save the Humanities Textbook.”

Chelsea Goldstein, one of the creators of the group and a 2006 Plano West graduate, was initially shocked to hear the news.

“You hear about these things happening in other parts of Texas, but I always assumed that PISD was above the absurdity,” Goldstein said. “That class taught us about the perils of censorship and marginalization throughout history. Obviously, we learned a lot and now, we are thoughtful citizens that stand up for what we believe in.”

Cultures and Values is the primary textbook in Humanities, and many students credit the book for exposing them to college-level reading material as well as the world of art history.

“The class is designed to tell the story of world history through the lens of art,” junior Zachary Stone said. “Humanities teaches its students how to view the world through a more critical lens. It greatly improved my critical reading and writing skills and simultaneously taught me a wealth of knowledge on art and culture of the world.”

Even former graduates recall the importance of the textbook. Halley Radebaugh, a 2008 Plano West graduate and a current junior in college, says that she gained valuable study skills through Humanities that she was able to apply to her college coursework.

“Without a doubt, Culture and Values singlehandedly prepared me for the type of learning I do now,” Radebaugh said. “Since this book is technically a college text, with few bolded vocabulary words and pictures, the Humanities teachers often start off with note-taking seminars. This seriously impacted my ability to comprehend course material.”

When the textbooks were given back on Nov. 15, students celebrated the victory.

 “Seeing our textbooks returned on Monday morning was one of the best feelings I have had, because it showed that the students’ voices can be heard,” Madan said. “Even if our district makes a wrong choice, the students will always be there to fight for the right one.”

Hunn also appreciates the motivation the Humanities students displayed to save Cultures and Values.

 “I doubt students in many other districts would become angry over the recall of a textbook,” Hunn said.  “I think it’s great that Plano students care about learning so much. Humanities is a tremendously fun course, and I’m glad our textbook was rescued.”

Former and current students alike demonstrated their devotion to Humanities with their massive response to this incident, and the continued support for Culture and Values shows a deep commitment to learning.

 “The fact that students rallied together in support of a textbook shows that Plano ISD really is a distinct institution with exceptional students,” Radebaugh said. “Freshmen and sophomores are absolutely ready for the material in Culture and Values, and they demonstrate profound maturity in their will to stand up for their own learning and futures.”