[csusbpeace] Florida teachers told to remove books from classroom libraries or risk felony prosecution
- From: "raccoon" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> ("bigraccoon1")
- To: "CSUSBPEACE@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <CSUSBPEACE@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2023 05:54:27 -0800
https://popular.info/p/florida-teachers-told-to-remove-books?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1664&post_id=98356417&isFreemail=true&utm_medium=email
Florida teachers told to remove books from classroom libraries or risk felony
prosecution
Teachers in Manatee County, Florida, are being told to make their classroom
libraries — and any other "unvetted" book — inaccessible to students, or risk
felony prosecution. The new policy is part of an effort to comply with new
laws and regulations championed by Governor Ron DeSantis (R). It is based on
the premise, promoted by right-wing advocacy groups, that teachers and
librarians are using books to "groom" students or indoctrinate them with
leftist ideologies.
Kevin Chapman, the Chief of Staff for the Manatee County School District,
told Popular Information that the policy was communicated to principals in a
meeting last Wednesday. Individual schools are now in the process of
informing teachers and other staff.
Teachers in Manatee County lamented the news on social media. "My heart is
broken for Florida students today as I am forced to pack up my classroom
library," one Manatee teacher wrote on Facebook.
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2fb787d-899e-4c36-879c-7ff08acad482_858x798.png>
Another Manatee teacher called the directive "a travesty to education" that
interfered with efforts to "connect with books and develop [a] love of
lifelong learning."
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd31a6a46-865e-4ebf-9f16-c223d59ccc22_1104x1408.png>
In an interview with Popular Information, Chapman said that the policy was
put into place last week in response to HB 1467, which was signed into law by
DeSantis last March
<https://www.flgov.com/2022/03/25/governor-ron-desantis-signs-bill-that-requires-curriculum-transparency/>.
That law established that teachers could not be trusted to select books
appropriate for their students. Instead, the law requires
<https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1467/BillText/er/PDF>:
Each book made available to students through a school district library media
center or included in a recommended or assigned school or grade-level reading
list must be selected by a school district employee who holds a valid
educational media specialist certificate, regardless of whether the book is
purchased, donated, or otherwise made available to students.
In Florida, school librarians are called "media specialists" and hold media
specialist certificates. A rule passed by the Florida Department of Education
last week states that a "library media center" includes any books made
available to students, including in classrooms. This means that classroom
libraries that are curated by teachers, not librarians, are now illegal.
The law requires that all library books selected be:
1. Free of pornography and material prohibited under s. 847.012
<http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0800-0899/0847/Sections/0847.012.html>.
2. Suited to student needs and their ability to comprehend the material
presented.
3. Appropriate for the grade level and age group for which the materials are
used or made available
Chapman says that school principals in Manatee County were told Wednesday
that any staff member violating these rules by providing materials "harmful
to minors" could be prosecuted for "a felony of the third degree." Therefore,
teachers must make their classroom libraries inaccessible to students until
they can establish that each book has been approved by a librarian.
In response to the policy, some teachers packed up their classroom libraries.
Others covered up the books students are no longer allowed to read with
construction paper.
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6301f7a8-c5c3-4aec-9d4f-9f61085a522d_1260x948.png>
Restoring student access to classroom libraries is a complex process. First,
someone must cross-check each book in their classroom library with the
district library catalog. If the book is available in the district libraries,
that means it was approved by a media specialist and can be made available to
students again. But any book not currently held in the district libraries
must be individually evaluated and approved by a librarian.
And that's just the beginning. Materials prepared for an upcoming Manatee
County School Board meeting include a 21-point list of procedures
<https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/manateeschools/e9486c4c-981d-11ed-96ab-0050569183fa-1953f2a7-3f27-42c1-986d-3eed5bc3d9f0-1674247143.pdf>
to ensure that classroom libraries comply with the new rules.
As a result, one Manatee teacher reported being forced to take Sneezy the
Snowman and Dragons Love Tacos off the shelves pending review. Other
teachers, fearing criminal liability, are telling students not to bring in
"unvetted" books from home:
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Chapman said he was not aware of teachers being told specifically to prohibit
students from bringing books from home but, as a policy, "all materials we
use in a classroom are all state approved."
One high school teacher in Manatee County told Popular Information that they
would not comply with the new policy. The teacher has spent the year
carefully curating books donated by parents or sourced from their personal
collection. "I'm not taking any books out of my room," the teacher said. "I
absolutely refuse." The teacher spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing
that speaking out about the policy could put their job at risk.
Librarians in Manatee County are now expected to review thousands of books in
classroom libraries to ensure compliance with the new law. Manatee County has
64 public schools and 3,000 teachers, many of whom maintain classroom
libraries. Chapman said that every school in Manatee County has a media
specialist but that the process could take a while because it is "one person"
and "they are human." Any book approved for K-5 students must also be
included on a publicly available list.
Similar policies will be implemented in schools across Florida. Some Florida
schools do not have a media specialist, making the process even more
cumbersome.
That review must also be consistent with a complex training
<https://web02.fldoe.org/rules/doc/6A-7.0715_2918.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0M_s401tJbiKY_IEFp3rPv0zYeuyFdlrJK-ZDlA23Brxb_-Y0hXD71rWg>,
which was heavily influenced by right-wing groups like Moms For Liberty and
approved by the Florida Department of Education just last week. Any mistake
by a librarian or others could result in criminal prosecution. This process
must be repeated for any book brought into the school on an ongoing basis.
But librarians and teachers are not being provided with any additional
compensation for the extra work.
Stephana Ferrell, a co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, said
the new policy followed "a pattern of fear-based decisions that prioritize
staying in good favor with the Governor over doing the right thing for our
students." Ferrell said she blamed "the Florida Board of Education that
passed this rule change last Wednesday without an ounce of consideration for
its impact." Now, "thousands of students are without classroom access to fun
and engaging literature."
Ironically, Manatee County is making thousands of books inaccessible to
students just in time to celebrate "Literacy Week
<https://www.fldoe.org/academics/standards/just-read-fl/celebrate-literacy-week/>"
in Florida, which runs from January 23 to 27. Only about 50% of students
<https://www.manateeschools.net/Page/10417> in Manatee County are reading at
grade level.
"Err on the side of caution"
Popular Information asked Chapman if Manatee County librarians and teachers
were expected to remove books that violated the Parental Rights In Education
Act, known by critics as "Don't Say Gay" or the Stop WOKE Act, which limits
classroom discussion of racial issues. Chapman did not answer the question
directly, saying only that librarians are expected to apply the "specialized
training for media center specialists" approved last week
<https://web02.fldoe.org/rules/doc/6A-7.0715_2918.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0M_s401tJbiKY_IEFp3rPv0zYeuyFdlrJK-ZDlA23Brxb_-Y0hXD71rWg>
by the Florida Department of Education. That training, Chapman says,
includes "new definitions of inappropriate material."
The Parental Rights In Education Act prohibits all instruction on "sexual
orientation or gender identity" in K-3 classrooms and instruction in other
grades that is "not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate." But the
law applies only to "[c]lassroom instruction by school personnel or third
parties" — not library books. Similarly, the Stop WOKE Act is limited to
classroom instruction.
The teacher training approved by the Florida Department of Education,
however, does not inform librarians that the Parental Rights in Education Act
and Stop WOKE ACT do not apply to library books. Rather, librarians are told:
"There is some overlap between the selection criteria for instructional and
library materials." One slide says that library books and instructional
materials cannot include "unsolicited theories that may lead to student
indoctrination."
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e71962d-3008-47c1-8c14-a242feae0aa8_1600x434.png>
A subsequent slide provides a list of "unsolicited theories that may lead to
student indoctrination," which includes information about "sexual orientation
or gender identity." It also includes a variety of topics related to race,
including "Critical Race Theory" and material that might make someone feel
"guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress" as a result of
their race. The training instructs librarians to "err on the side of
caution."
As Popular Information reported
<https://popular.info/p/dont-say-gay-florida-schools-purge> earlier this
month, Manatee County schools have already removed several books from school
libraries because they contain LGBTQ characters or themes.
This interpretation of the law runs directly counter to the arguments the
DeSantis administration is making in court. In federal court filings
<https://popular.info/i/94741557/what-the-desantis-administration-told-a-federal-judge>,
lawyers representing DeSantis insist that the Parental Rights in Education
Act does not apply to library books. Nevertheless, the DeSantis
administration, through its media specialist training, is encouraging a much
more expansive interpretation of the law.
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