Stories Matter

atie Storms, an English teacher at Clayton High School, has structured her classes’ curriculum to provide students with literature tailored to them,—but Storms, who often selects titles recommended by educators as part of the #DisruptText movement, also allots time for such books as , by Laura Halse Anderson; , by Angie Thomas; and , by Nic Stone. Her hope is that novels with diverse characters who experience complex emotions will foster classroom discussions—and empower students’ voices in the discussion. “It was really refreshing to read a story not about the typical white teenage boy or the hardships of a Black family who are sharecroppers,” says former student Zoey Hall, “and she made us feel like we were wanted there and we all had something to say that mattered.” Through a grant, Storms’ ninth-graders also choose age-appropriate and culturally significant titles to read with early childhood students at the district’s Family Center. The program teaches the high schoolers how important representation and inclusivity is in the stories that students consume, no matter their ages. “We can be educators who the pattern of centering white voices in our classrooms,” Storms says. “Our students deserve better stories.”