Class of fourth-graders protests CMS removal of e-book access
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Elementary school students are speaking out against Charlotte-Mecklenburg school leaders’ decision to discontinue the use of an online library program.
CMS district officials issued a notice of cancellation of the Epic service to educators in late February. They cited the North Carolina Parents’ Bill of Rights, which received lawmaker approval about a year ago.
“In response to state requirements put forth in the Parents’ Bill of Rights, it has been determined that the e-book platform, Epic, does not meet the requirements for use a supplementary instructional service,” the district said.
They removed student and staff access to the e-library on Feb. 26.
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Parents’ Bill of Rights supporters of the measure said it allows guardians more oversight of classroom materials and enables them to raise any moral or educational objections to said materials. Those opposed to the bill said it could lead to unnecessary censorship.
CMS administrators said the recommended alternative to Epic is a platform called Sora. Some teachers, however, don’t believe Sora is an equal replacement. They say Sora lacks the interactive features and many of the titles featured on Epic. They also note many of the materials available on Sora are often “checked out” and students must wait weeks to access books.
About a dozen parents and children showed up to Tuesday’s CMS Board of Education meeting. They held hand-made signs asking for elected leaders to reinstate their access to the online books.
Students with Paige Anderson’s fourth-grade class at Charlotte East Learning Academy led the charge. They outlined 25 reasons why they want the Epic system back.
“The best thing about Epic is it makes reading fun,” said Fincher Nelson.
“If one parent doesn’t want their child to read on Epic, it shouldn’t be blocked for others,” said Alexandra Diaz.
“We have over 500 signatures and we’re still collecting. This proves that these kids want Epic back,” said Elliot Vargas.
Anderson said Epic has been a tool she has used for many years. She said teachers have the ability to block their class from content on the site or curate collections of approved books.
She said she wants the district to reinstate access to the resource.
“I foresee that kids are not going to read as much because Epic makes reading fun and that’s the bottom line,” Anderson said. “They are learning to love to read.”
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