|
Smithville High School National English Honor Society
The Origin of the “Sarah Byrnes Society”
In September of 1995, students of Smithville High School were formally introduced to the writing of Chris Crutcher. Darryl Johnson, in his first year at Smithville, acted on the suggestion of his mentor, Dr. Virgil Albertini, Professor of English at Northwest Missouri State University, to read, research and design a literature unit over Crutcher’s Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes (1993). Johnson, with the support of his department and building administration, successfully integrated the novel into the ninth grade curriculum in that same year.
Its inclusion, however, did not come without controversy. A parent of a freshman wrote Johnson a letter asking for her daughter to be excluded from reading Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. The letter was critical of the novel, its themes, and Johnson’s professional decision to make it required reading. Johnson agreed to give the student an alternative assignment; this did not satisfy the parent, though, as the novel became the subject of meetings with the principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent, and eventually the Board of Education.
As a result, the district and building administrators asked Johnson to stop teaching the work due to its “objectionable language.” Not yet tenured and fearful of acting insubordinate, he conceded. Both Johnson and the Department of Communication Arts (7-12) formally expressed concern over this decision-making process while the district reviewed the book selection process.
Since then, the department has made great effort to recognize the significance and necessity of incorporating contemporary literature with literary classics in its course offerings. The voices of Robert Cormier, Laurie Halse Anderson, Walter Dean Myers, and Maya Angelou have made important contributions to the academic and social development of the students of Smithville High School, and the communication arts teachers are encouraged to utilize their work in the classroom.
The work of Chris Crutcher, meanwhile, continues to serve as a powerful curricular vehicle; furthermore, his novels remain popular choices for Smithville students’ independent reading assignments and personal enrichment. Crutcher was honored by the National Coalition Against Censorship in 2005, and the conclusion of his acceptance speech expresses the sentiment and spirit of the students of Smithville High School.
“And I accept this award in the names of all of us who know why the caged bird sings, and who stand fierce for the right of every human being to hear her song.”
In 2006, Smithville High School became the second school in Missouri to obtain a charter for the National English Honor Society. The application process included a request for a local chapter name. After much reflection and little deliberation, the department agreed on naming the Smithville chapter the “Sarah Byrnes Society.”
This chapter name will serve as a reminder that academic excellence and intellectual freedom form the foundation on which the National English Honor Society is built.
[This history was written by Darryl Johnson, Department of English, Smithville High School,
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
.] | 
