REPLACING TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD WITH
Behind the decision to switch the ninth grade literature curriculum THERESA NGUYEN
perspectives editor/photo editor
For over 20 years, To Kill a Mockingbird has been a staple of Cupertino High School’s American literature curriculum. However, the novel’s time at Tino is about to end. The freshman English Department will no longer use To Kill a Mockingbird, introducing the contemporary novel This Time Will be Different in its place. This change will take effect next year for the class of 2026. Written by Harper Lee in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird chronicles life during the Great Depression through the eyes of nine-year-old Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer who takes o n
the controversial case regarding a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. The novel explores the injustices and racism present in the courtroom and their daily lives. Despite the book’s essential themes and messages, it is not perfect. In addi- from tion to the argument that To Kill a d i f Mockingbird perpetuates white f e r e n t saviorism, some teachers also b a c k claim that it underrepresents grounds, but marginalized communities by if we want to hear telling their story through a white about the experience of a person of color, shouldn’t person’s perspective. it be from a Said freshman Entext written glish teacher and ELD BUT IF WE WANTTO by a person instructor Jenna Ray HEAR ABOUT THE EXPE- of color?” in an email interview, RIENCE OF A PERSON “First, we had some teachers express OF COLOR, SHOULDN’T Specific martheir growing dis- IT BE FROM A TEXT g i n a l i z e d comfort with using WRITTEN BY A PER- students at Tino were the text. [...] We SON OF COLOR? n e g a t i v ely JENNA RAY agree that we impacted by would like to the book as well. Said Ray, “Our have more texts that Black students, in particular, felt explore the exlike the book was a very poor periences of representation of their experip e o - ences and lacked the nuance p l e needed to discuss race in today’s world.” According to curriculum support and English teacher Greg Merrick, the idea to change the curriculum has taken shape over the past five years. Said Merrick, “We started by thinking about the book and looking through some of the feedback we received from members of our community. [...] I would say it was probably two to three years ago
“
6 | THE PROSPECTOR
”
