The best learning happens when students take ownership of their curriculum and can make their own choices. If parents take away those options, students will feel stifled and have negative attitudes toward learning. When I was in high school, the most eye-opening book I read was the Autobiography of Malcolm X. It taught me the importance of reading and learning different perspectives in history. It also happens to discuss sex, violence, and drugs. If I had not been given the opportunity to read it because of some of the content, I would have never become a history teacher. Now, as a history teacher, I love having students read about Malcolm X while learning about important issues that faced Americans in the mid-20th century. Some students have told me it’s the only book they’ve ever enjoyed, and many have told me it was their favorite part of the class. Please trust teachers and students to make decisions regarding their curriculum. It is insulting when parents think they know better than the experts who have spent years studying what is best for students. It’s also insulting to the very children they’re trying to protect. If parents don’t trust their children, then those children will rebel in more negative ways.