Joe.My.God. LGBT News
Popular Information reports:
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.
Read the full article.
Florida teachers told to remove books from classrooms or risk felony prosecution.
One teacher called the directive “a travesty to education” that interfered with efforts to “connect with books and develop [a] love of lifelong learning,” writes @JuddLegum https://t.co/5lykUUbOtI
— PEN America (@PENamerica) January 23, 2023
2. Officials from the Manatee County School District confirmed the new policy to https://t.co/Gl6evXRDcZ.
The policy was communicated to principals in a meeting last Wednesday.
Teachers are in the process of being informed now. pic.twitter.com/zVjPKqfJ9N
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 23, 2023
3. 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. pic.twitter.com/UiyhHQKHuo
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 23, 2023
4. 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.” pic.twitter.com/ETKxgoUgWB
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 23, 2023
5. The new policy in Manatee, which is likely to be duplicated across Florida, was issued in response to HB 1467, which was signed into law by DeSantis last March.
That law established that teachers could not be trusted to select books appropriate for their students.
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 23, 2023
7. The Manatee County School District is mandating that teachers make their classroom libraries inaccessible until they can establish that each book is approved by a librarian
Some teachers packed up their classroom libraries. Others covered up the books with construction paper pic.twitter.com/NTHd2rFlQz
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 23, 2023