Educators sound the alarm on DeSantis' classroom censorship

2 months ago

Column: Inside the abortion case that prompted a federal judge to call Florida officials ‘stupid’

LA Times

Ron DeSantis speaks out against Amendment 4, which would protect access to abortion, during a news conference with Florida Physicians Against Amendment 4 on Monday in Coral Gables, Fla. “To keep it simple for the State of Florida: it’s the First Amendment, stupid.” This warning from federal Judge Mark Walker of Tallahassee, Fla., to Gov. Florida’s Amendment 4 would place …

Law Florida Abortion Rights Judge State Amendment

54 years, 11 months ago

Ron DeSantis’ Administration Is Threatening to Prosecute the Media for Airing Pro-Choice Ads

Slate

Ron DeSantis’ administration is threatening TV stations that air ads in support of an abortion rights ballot initiative with criminal penalties, including jail time. The Florida Department of Health claimed that airing the “Caroline” ad may violate the state’s ban on a “nuisance injurious to health,” a second-degree misdemeanor. Related From Slate The Giant Threat Lurking Behind Florida’s November Abortion …

Law Health Human Rights Media Florida Abortion Ads

4 months ago

School choice and history of segregation collide in Florida

Associated Press

MADISON, Fla. — Tens of thousands of students have left Florida’s public schools in recent years amid an explosive expansion in school choice. But the Madison County School District’s decision to do so has exposed tensions around race in a community where for years some white families have resisted integrating public schools. “Who wants to move into a community that …

Kids Florida Students School Families School Choice Schools

4 months, 3 weeks ago

Judge permanently overturns part of Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE Act’

CNN

CNN — A federal judge has permanently blocked the restrictions Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers placed on handling race-related issues in workplace training – part of the controversial Individual Freedom Act, better known as the “Stop WOKE Act.” The act was one of several bills the Republican governor signed in 2022 as part of his war on “woke …

Law Florida Act Desantis Woke

5 months, 1 week ago

Newsom signs bill banning schools from notifying parents about student gender identity

LA Times

The LGBTQ+ Pride Flag, bottom, flies for the first time with the California, top, and Los Angeles flags during Pride Month outside L.A. City Hall on June 6, 2024. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Monday that prohibits mandating that teachers notify families about student gender identity changes, capping a yearlong battle between conservative school boards concerned about parental rights …

Parents School Student Rights California Newsom Lgbtq Gender Student

6 months ago

Florida Republicans terrorized a teacher because of a Black Lives Matter flag. She hit back and won

Salon

"Jesus himself never condemned slavery," one Florida man said to defend the honor of Confederate leader Robert E. Lee during a March 2021 school board meeting in Jacksonville. Jacksonville, Florida protest against changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School So Donofrio took photos and videos from the school board meeting, including another one of a man asking, "If …

Florida Students School Teachers Black Lives Matter Administration Flag

6 months, 1 week ago

Florida education panel decides former teacher who supported Black Lives Matter can reapply for her teaching license

CNN

CNN — A former Jacksonville, Florida, teacher who said she was fired for displaying a Black Lives Matter flag outside her high school classroom will be able to reapply for her teaching license, an attorney representing the teacher confirmed to CNN. “You can stand up to a system that’s been attacking teachers and prevail.” Thursday’s hearing was prompted by administrative …

Education Teaching Florida Students School Black Teachers

6 months, 1 week ago

Florida school board bans book about book bannings

Raw Story

A book about book bannings has itself been banned by a school board in Florida at the behest of right-wing Moms for Liberty activists. The Guardian reports that "Ban This Book" by author Alan Gratz has been removed from libraries in Florida's Indian River county school district after the school board opted to ban it in a 3-to-2 vote last …

Florida Board School Book Ban Gratz

8 months, 1 week ago

Florida Schools Must Teach 'Evils Of Communism,' DeSantis Orders

Huff Post

LOADING ERROR LOADING Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed a bill requiring public K-12 schools to teach what he called “the truth about the evils of communism,” claiming it’s necessary to do this before students can be misled about the topic when they enter higher education. “It’s going to give the students the truth about communism,” DeSantis said of …

Florida Students School Truth Schools Desantis Communist

8 months, 1 week ago

Ron DeSantis finally admits that Florida book bans went too far

The Independent

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ron DeSantis conceded this week that Florida may have gone …

Law Florida School Led Desantis Inside Washington Washington Email

8 months, 1 week ago

DeSantis tweaks Florida book challenge law, blames liberal activist who wanted Bible out of schools

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Two years ago, Democrats repeatedly and forcefully warned Republicans and Gov. That’s political.” Coincidentally, PEN America, a group that fights book bans, issued a report Tuesday saying Florida is responsible for 72% of the books that have been pulled from the nation’s schools in the first half of the current school year. The dispute between them erupted …

Law Florida School Republican Capitol Stevens Pen America

8 months, 4 weeks ago

High school teacher and students sue over Arkansas’ ban on critical race theory

Associated Press

— A high school teacher and two students sued Arkansas on Monday over the state’s ban on critical race theory and “indoctrination” in public schools, asking a federal judge to strike down the restrictions as unconstitutional. The lawsuit by the teacher and students from Little Rock Central High School, site of the historic 1957 racial desegregation crisis, stems from the …

Law School Race Lawsuit Republican State Arkansas

9 months, 1 week ago

LGBTQ bill lawsuit: Florida teachers can discuss sexuality, gender identity in some classroom settings, legal settlement clarifies

CNN

CNN — Florida education officials and a group of LGBTQ advocates and families have reached a legal settlement that clarifies the scope of a statute referred to by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, spelling out that students and teachers are allowed to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms, as long as it is not part of …

Law Education Florida Students Rights Gender Teachers

9 months, 1 week ago

Florida teachers can discuss sexual orientation and gender ID under ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill settlement

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — Students and teachers can discuss sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms, provided it’s not part of instruction, under a settlement reached Monday between Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys who had challenged a state law which critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” The settlement clarifies what is allowed in Florida classrooms following passage two years …

Law Education Identity Florida Gender Settlement Disney

9 months, 2 weeks ago

Sexual orientation, gender ID can be discussed in Florida classrooms under lawsuit settlement

LA Times

Ron DeSantis’ office described the deal between state education officials and civil rights attorneys as a “major win” that allows the Parental Rights in Education Act to remain intact. Students and teachers will be able to speak freely about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms, provided it’s not part of instruction, under a settlement reached Monday between Florida …

Law Education Identity Florida Gender Settlement Disney

9 months, 2 weeks ago

Court rules Florida’s ‘stop woke’ law restricting business diversity training is unconstitutional

Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Florida law pushed by Republican Gov. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld a Florida federal judge’s August 2022 ruling that the so-called “Stop WOKE” act violates the First Amendment as it applies to businesses and is impermissibly vague. And by barring only speech that endorses any of those ideas, it penalizes certain viewpoints — …

Law Florida Court Speech

9 months, 2 weeks ago

Court rules Florida’s ‘stop woke’ law restricting business diversity training is unconstitutional

LA Times

Ron DeSantis poses at a public signing ceremony for HB 7, informally known as the “stop woke” bill, in April 2022. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld a Florida federal judge’s August 2022 ruling that the so-called “Stop WOKE” act violates the 1st Amendment as it applies to businesses and is impermissibly vague. And by barring only speech that …

Law Florida Court Speech

10 months, 1 week ago

Education Secretary Calls Diversity Program Cuts Latest 'Boogeyman' To Divide Schools

Huff Post

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON ― U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Tuesday that he believes attacks on diversity programs in public schools are part of a larger campaign to “decrease the confidence in our public schools.” In a roundtable discussion with Black journalists at the Department of Education building in Washington, Cardona referred to the rollback as a “boogeyman” that …

Education Students Public Schools Programs Boogeyman Cardona Calls Diversity Latest Boogeyman

11 months ago

Oklahoma gives education job to far-right influencer linked to bomb threats at schools

Raw Story

Despite having no public education experience, Chaya Raichik — a former real estate agent who runs the controversial LibsofTikTok social media account — has just been appointed to a position where she will wield influence over educational materials made available to Oklahoma public school students. Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters announced on Tuesday that Raichik had been appointed …

School Walters Bomb Threats Oklahoma Raichik

11 months ago

DeSantis allies start to back off book bans amid national outrage: 'May have gone too far'

Raw Story

Florida Republicans might be backing off support for Gov. Florida has become infamous as the epicenter of book censorship activism in schools, even as DeSantis has insisted the whole thing is a liberal "hoax" to make his state look bad. But the state's Republican legislature is starting to worry the action has gone too far, reported Politico, with lawmakers considering …

Florida Desantis Book Challenges Bans Amid

11 months ago

Animal control to pick up 'furries' from schools? Oklahoma's bizarre new proposed bill

Hindustan Times

A Republican legislator in Oklahoma, who previously stated that transgender people suffer from a “mental illness”, introduced a bill that would empower animal services to expel students who identify as furries from schools. Rep. Justin Humphrey introduced a bill on Tuesday that would ban furries from public schools in Oklahoma — and allow animal control to apprehend individuals who disobey …

Animal School Oklahoma Bill Bps Furries

1 year, 2 months ago

‘Teachers will be punished’: Fox News host busts Ron DeSantis for denying Florida book bans

Raw Story

Fox News host Shannon Bream pushed back on Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis after he claimed that his state had not banned books in schools. During an interview on Fox News Sunday, Bream told the Florida governor she had recently spoken to a group of women about the targeting of LGBT students by his policies. "And the message that they've …

Florida Book Desantis Fox News Fox News Host

1 year, 2 months ago

Children and parents begin uphill fightback against book bans in Florida

CNN

Central Florida CNN — Now that books are being banned and disappearing from school libraries, students and parents are showing up to school board meetings in Florida to argue for access to books that take on difficult subjects. “‘Wait,’ Josie said, trying to roll away beneath him, but he clamped his hand over her mouth and drove harder and harder …

Florida Reading Books Board School Cnn County

1 year, 2 months ago

Column: Not satisfied with schools, book banners are now targeting adults’ right to read

LA Times

Students and other citizens at a recent school board meeting in Orlando, Fla., protest efforts by the board and state authorities to remove books from school library shelves and suppress education on race and LGBTQ+ issues. “This year, to date, it’s 49%.” We’re seeing groups go to school or library board meetings to demand the removal of multiple titles all …

Library Florida Books Board School Free Speech Libraries

1 year, 2 months ago

California governor signs law barring schoolbook bans based on racial, gender teachings

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday to ban school boards from rejecting textbooks based on their teachings about the contributions of people from different racial backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identities. “With this new law, we’re cementing California’s role as the true freedom state: a place where families — not political fanatics — have the …

Law State Newsom School Boards California Bill

1 year, 3 months ago

Newsom bars school book bans: LGBTQ+ textbook bill signed into law amid growing culture wars

LA Times

Gia Rueda speaks out against opposition to LGBTQ+ education materials at a school board meeting on July 18 in Temecula. It comes as school boards in California’s Republican-leaning districts have approved policies reflective of national GOP culture wars regarding “parental rights” over issues such as gender identity and racial history. “We have school districts large and small banning books, banning …

Law Board School Local Districts California State

1 year, 4 months ago

How Ron DeSantis used Florida schools to become a culture warrior

Associated Press

Ron DeSantis ’ path to national prominence started in Florida’s classrooms, where he harnessed culture war passions and deployed them in education policies. “I can tell you this, I have only begun to fight.” FROM CRITICAL RACE THEORY TO MATH A major theme of DeSantis’ tenure has been a pledge to banish critical race theory from classrooms, following the lead …

Education Florida School Race Schools Education Policy Republican

1 year, 4 months ago

Protesters march through Miami to object to Florida’s Black history teaching standards

LA Times

Dozens of teachers, students and labor leaders marched to a Miami school district headquarters Wednesday to protest Florida’s new standards for teaching Black history, which have come under intense criticism for what they say about slavery. The protesters who marched to the School Board of Miami-Dade County objected to new curriculum standards that, among other things, require teachers to instruct …

Florida School Black History Miami Desantis

1 year, 4 months ago

Whitewashing slavery in US schools will teach students anti-Blackness

Al Jazeera

At a press event in Utah on July 21, GOP presidential contender and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis attempted to find the silver lining of American chattel slavery. DeSantis made these utterings while defending the Florida State Board of Education’s new standards for teaching African American history in public schools, which downplay and whitewash the enslavement of Africans in the Americas. …

Education Teaching Florida Board Slavery Racism Black

1 year, 4 months ago

Florida education commissioner skips forum on criticized Black history standards

Associated Press

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Leaders of a forum on Florida’s new standards for teaching Black history encouraged parents to let their discontent be heard by showing up at local school board meetings, sending feedback to the state’s Department of Education and voting. Hundreds of lawmakers, teachers and parents crowded into Antioch Baptist Church in Miami Gardens on Thursday night to …

Florida School Black Black History Miami State Jones

1 year, 4 months ago

Florida education commissioner skips forum on criticized Black history standards

LA Times

Leaders of a forum on Florida’s new standards for teaching Black history encouraged parents to let their discontent be heard by showing up at local school board meetings, sending feedback to the state’s Department of Education and voting. Hundreds of lawmakers, teachers and parents crowded into Antioch Baptist Church in Miami Gardens on Thursday night to discuss the new policy, …

Florida School Black Black History State Jones Desantis

1 year, 4 months ago

Harris says she won't debate DeSantis on new Black history standards in Florida

NPR

Harris says she won't debate DeSantis on new Black history standards in Florida Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Vice President Harris publicly rejected the invitation from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to debate the new standards of Black history education in the state, which say …

Florida Harris Desantis Orlando

1 year, 4 months ago

DeSantis Faces Backlash from Republican Senator Scott over Black American History Curriculum

News 18

Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s woes following his state’s adoption of new standards on the teaching of Black American history continues to pile up and possibly impacting his campaign. The recent criticism of the new education policy came from fellow presidential candidate and member of the Republican party, South Carolina senator Tim Scott. Florida’s teachers have been instructed to teach middle-school …

Florida Black Republican Desantis Scott Black American

1 year, 4 months ago

Black lawmakers press Justice and Education Departments to investigate Florida’s race curriculum

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Congressional Black Caucus is pushing the White House, Justice Department and the Department of Education to adopt an “aggressive legal strategy” to scrutinize recent changes to Florida’s Black history curriculum. The caucus wants the federal agencies to examine whether Florida school districts are violating federal discrimination law following changes to the curriculum in the state — from …

Education Justice Florida Black Department Desantis Horsford

1 year, 4 months ago

DeSantis is defending new slavery teachings. Civil rights leaders see a pattern of ‘policy violence’

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Civil rights activists cheered when Ron DeSantis pardoned four Black men wrongfully convicted of rape as one of his first actions as Florida’s governor. Specifically, Florida’s teachers are now required to instruct middle-school students that enslaved people “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” DeSantis has repeatedly defended the new language …

History Florida Rights Civil Black Trump Black History

1 year, 5 months ago

DeSantis defends Florida curriculum that suggests slaves benefited from forced labour

The Independent

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Gop Desantis Email Inside Washington Mr Desantis Verifyerrors Florida

1 year, 5 months ago

House Dems slam 'racist tropes' in new Florida K-12 history curriculum

Raw Story

Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost led the letter against "bigoted teaching standards in Florida that want kids to learn that Black people received 'benefits' from being enslaved." Four Black Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday joined the growing chorus of critics opposing "racist tropes" in Florida's new K-12 history curriculum, which includes teaching middle school students "the resurrection …

History Florida Black American Black People Standards Slam Racist

1 year, 5 months ago

Florida school guidelines can punish trans students and teach how slavery ‘developed skills’ for Black people

The Independent

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A …

Education History Florida Students Board School Democratic

1 year, 5 months ago

Temecula school board outrage over LGBTQ+ lessons motivates Newsom to rush new textbook law

LA Times

Teacher and parent Jennee Scharf is ejected Tuesday from a public meeting of the Temecula Valley Unified school board for calling a member a “homophobe” over his derogatory remarks about proposed LBGTQ+ history lessons. Earlier this year, Newsom proclaimed May 22 to be Harvey Milk Day, to honor his activism done “at great personal risk.” Conservative school board President Joseph …

Law Board Local California Republican State Newsom

1 year, 5 months ago

Newsom to buy banned textbooks mentioning Harvey Milk for Temecula school district students

LA Times

Gavin Newsom says the state will buy textbooks for Temecula Valley Unified School District students: “We’ll send the district the bill and fine them for violating state law.” In the latest salvo in a battle between Gov. “Temecula Valley Unified School District’s current curriculum is outdated and in violation of state law,” the governor’s office said in a release. In …

Students Board School Curriculum State Newsom Milk

1 year, 5 months ago

Florida schools remove books by John Milton and Toni Morrison and restrict Shakespeare under DeSantis rules

The Independent

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Florida Books School Shakespeare Book Email Inside Washington

1 year, 5 months ago

'Absurd' firing of Georgia teacher shows how GOP laws are pushing classroom censorship: analysis

Raw Story

Washington Post opinion columnists Greg Sargent and Paul Waldman on Wednesday highlighted the firing of a 5th grade teacher in Georgia that they say highlights the ways GOP-backed laws banning the teachings of "divisive" concepts have created a chilling effect that has resulted in classroom censorship. The teacher in question, Katherine Rinderle, is facing termination after she read her class …

Sargent Waldman Rinderle

1 year, 6 months ago

South Carolina GOP Banned Teaching About Systemic Racism

Huff Post

LOADING ERROR LOADING In February, as part of Black History Month, a high school teacher in South Carolina had to stop using Ta-Nehisi Coates’ memoir “Between the World and Me” in a lesson plan about systemic racism — because teachers are prohibited from making students feel uncomfortable about their race or gender in the state. Students complained after Mary Wood, …

Students School Racism Race South Carolina South Carolina

1 year, 6 months ago

Oklahoma Republican Under Fire By Republicans

Huff Post

Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma state superintendent, has taken to attacking teachers as he fights culture wars in public schools. Since being sworn in, Walters has made several appearances on Fox News, calling Oklahoma teachers “Marxist” over their support for pay equity and decisions they make about what books to have in their classrooms, and arguing that “parents will be in …

Teachers Schools Public Education Republican State Republicans Mcbride

1 year, 6 months ago

Presidential hopeful DeSantis inspires push to make book bans easier in Republican-controlled states

Associated Press

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. The book version remains available to the middle school students, but Gorman criticized the decision to restrict it for younger grades, saying it robbed “children of the chance to find their voices in literature.” While efforts to ban books or censor education material have come up sporadically over the years, …

Justice Library Parents Books States Libraries Republican

1 year, 7 months ago

DeSantis bans funding for Florida college diversity programmes

Al Jazeera

Ron DeSantis, Florida governor and likely US presidential candidate, says programmes aim to impose an ‘ideological agenda’. Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill to block federal and state funding to programmes that aim to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion at public universities, boosting a conservative push against such initiatives. DeSantis approved the measure on Monday, decrying DEI …

Education Florida State Dei Programmes Desantis Bans

1 year, 7 months ago

Republicans continue push to restrict teachings on race in South Carolina

Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Republicans are one step closer to restricting how teachers discuss race in K-12 classrooms. As conservatives nationwide push bans on so-called “critical race theory,” the state Senate passed a likeminded effort Wednesday in a late night 27-10 vote after nearly six hours of debate. Democratic Sen. Dick Harpootlian questioned who would determine the “facts.” He …

Parents School Teachers Race South Carolina Republican State

1 year, 7 months ago

Florida ends automatic due payments for teacher’s unions

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Teachers and other government employees will have to write monthly checks if they want to stay in their union after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday banning automatic dues deductions from public employees’ paychecks, The anti-union bill also gives employees the right to immediately quit a union for no reason and requires unions to recertify …

School Districts Teachers Desantis School Board Members Unions

1 year, 7 months ago

Florida Republicans pass school bills on pronouns, diversity

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Republicans on Wednesday approved bills to ban diversity programs in colleges and prevent students and teachers from being required to use pronouns that don’t correspond to someone’s sex, building on top priorities of Republican Gov. The state’s Legislative session, scheduled to end this week, has been dominated by divisive cultural issues, with Republican allies of DeSantis …

Florida Republican House Republicans Desantis Bill

1 year, 7 months ago

Anti-Union Bill Passes Florida House, Goes To Ron DeSantis

Huff Post

LOADING ERROR LOADING Republicans in the Florida House passed a bill Wednesday aimed at reducing membership in public-sector unions and weakening organized labor’s political clout, delivering the controversial legislation to Gov. “The goal of the bill is to eliminate collective bargaining for public-sector workers who the governor doesn’t like,” Rich Templin of the Florida AFL-CIO said of Florida Gov. Labor …

Florida Legislation Workers Union Senate Republican House

Educators sound the alarm on DeSantis' classroom censorship

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'It's all a fabrication': Florida teacher blows the lid off Ron DeSantis' agenda

Educators sound the alarm on DeSantis' classroom censorship

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