Oklahoma mom 'embarrassed' her daughter's school book was once Blake Shelton's
When first grader Marley Parker discovered that her reading textbook had once been used by Blake Shelton, she thought it was awesome. When her mother, Shelly Bryan Parker, realized that her daughter was issued a book that was already two years old when 41-year-old Shelton got his hands on it, she was perturbed.
It's nothing personal against the country singer and Voice judge — in a Facebook post, Parker said she's "embarrassed" by Shelton once using the book because it means her daughter's school isn't able to get updated texts for students. She told CNN that Louise Matteoni's Look Away (Keys to Reading) is informative and in decent shape, but kids shouldn't have to use books that are as old as their parents. "My daughter's teacher is an amazing educator, and I'm certain that if she had a way to obtain books that are not 40 years old, she would," Parker said.
Like the Parkers, Shelton hails from Ada, Oklahoma, and the inside cover of Marley's book states that Shelton was the second student to use the book, in 1982. Teachers in Oklahoma went on strike last week, calling for more funding for their schools, and Parker said she hopes the state comes to "a resolution that will fully support teachers and their classrooms. As a former educator, this is very important to me. But as a parent, this is crucial as I want the best education for my daughter."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Political cartoons for January 10Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include a warning shot, a shakedown, and more
-
Courgette and leek ijeh (Arabic frittata) recipeThe Week Recommends Soft leeks, tender courgette, and fragrant spices make a crisp frittata
-
Trump’s power grab: the start of a new world order?Talking Point Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the US president has shown that arguably power, not ‘international law’, is the ultimate guarantor of security
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
