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."