Highlighting Censorship in Florida

By now you are probably aware that books have been removed from Florida’s public school libraries and classrooms. Though we may disagree on the reasons why and the exact number of removals and restrictions (otherwise known as school book bans), all sides, including the Governor’s office, acknowledge that students do not have the same level of access to information that they had prior to the 2022/2023 school year.

Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida GOP leaders responsible for the 2022 legislation that prompted this new prohibition on certain topics and "age inappropriate" content are quick to conclude the removals and restrictions are based on the moral standards shared by all Floridians, specifically Florida’s parents. Their take is that the state has a duty to limit educational content to the least common denominator in any one community, and parents have the right to supplement their child’s education by providing access to additional information at home.

On a first read, you might think, “that sounds fair” until you dig into how this new legislation has been paired with a leadership style based on threats and fear-mongering to encourage self-censorship. What we are seeing locally, at the district level, are breaks with or amendments to district policies that were designed to ensure all students have access to their Florida constitutionally protected right to obtain a high-quality public education.

More specifically, we are concerned with the promises made in the guiding principles outlined in Florida statute 1000.02:

(2) The guiding principles for Florida’s Early Learning-20 education system are:

(a) A coordinated, seamless system for early learning through graduate school education.

(b) A system that is student-centered in every facet.

(c) A system that maximizes education access and allows the opportunity for a high quality education for all Floridians.

(d) A system that safeguards equity and supports academic excellence.

(e) A system that provides for local operational flexibility while promoting accountability for student achievement and improvement.

Equity. It’s become a dirty word under this administration, but it was, is, and should continue to be a principle we hold our districts accountable to meeting for every student. Horace Mann wrote that education “is the great equalizer of the conditions of men—the balance-wheel of the social machinery.” We cannot offer students a viewpoint limited library set not by community standards, but by the reigning state political party and pretend we are creating a content-rich environment that will fuel all of tomorrow’s critical thinkers. 

What about the students that do not have supportive or attentive parents who will assist with getting them the access they seek?

What about the students that lack the resources needed to procure a book from the public library or online bookstore? Borrowing a book usually requires proof of residency. Procuring a book online requires a digital device and internet access. Buying a book requires “fun” money. We cannot assume all students have these things. 

An equitable, student-centered system that maximizes education access must consider these questions. And where there are schools within a district that have more vulnerable populations, local operational flexibility means rejecting the idea of a district-wide ban of any one particular book.

This statute above is not new, and it comes before the sections in Florida’s education laws that prescribe power and authority to the state and local counties for a reason. Everyone is beholden to these principles. So, what the hell are these districts doing and why have they been allowed to do it?

Dear Florida Legislators,

We are public school parents in the districts you have been elected to represent. We proudly send our children to public school because we know that our schools are filled with loving teachers, staff, and administrators who want the best for our children. And, every week, we spend hours upon hours tracking censorship in our public schools here in Florida. Since 2021 we have witnessed the ways in which this state’s leadership has fostered an environment of restrictions, prohibitions, and book bans. We have been appalled by the outright denial of what is happening in our schools since the passing of your 2022 education legislation. We will not stop because as parents we are THAT concerned; and, thanks to your legislation of years past, we know we have rights too when it comes to our children.

The 2023 Florida Legislative Session is underway, and a number of bad bills have been filed that will impact the freedom to read in Florida's public schools. 

The below post is long, but it will provide you with specific line item concerns you can reference when writing your legislators or expressing your concerns about these bills with friends and neighbors. It's important we use this time to speak up and speak out. Now is the most opportune time to stop this language from becoming law. Once it's on the books, it is a lot harder to repeal or amend it.

A Top Level Rundown

Parents have the right to direct the education of their children, and this includes giving them the space to collaborate with their educators to provide additional materials as well as the emotional and mental support needed to meet each student's unique needs. These education bills encourage the removal and restriction of library books based on the most conservative viewpoints and limit the tools available to both parents and educators. 

Allowing a single viewpoint to suppress access to information in a community, as HB1069 seeks to do, or giving the state the authority to overrule local governments based on arbitrary criteria is censorship. Furthermore, the changes in HB1463 and SB1620 will extend the censorship issues already evident in our schools into the consumer space - giving complete authority over to the government regarding what information parents can choose to make available to their children.

HB1223 and SB1320 seek to expand the Parental Rights in Education Act to Pre-K through grade 8 without fixing the language that has allowed districts to discriminately limit access to books about LGBTQ+ people. The undefined terms of "classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity" have been understood to target only LGBTQ+ topics in both the classroom and on library shelves. We cannot allow that to continue - let alone expand - when the mental health of all students is critical to a safe and inviting school environment.

These bills also limit a parent’s right to direct the upbringing of their child by not allowing for a child’s accepted pronouns to be used while at school. The sex of a person - even with the use of the absurd definition offered - is not an outward expression that an educator or contractor would be able to recognize without inquiry. 

The limits on higher education in HB999 and SB266 are unconstitutional considering this bill impacts adults choosing to invest in their education. The proposed benefits of increased government oversight through expansion of power given to the appointed Boards will be overshadowed by the chilling and unsupportive learning environment these provisions will create. Diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and programs prevent monoculturalism, inequities in education, and exclusionary practices. And the limitations placed on specific topics will discourage talented professors and analytical students from seeking out Florida’s colleges and universities.

Most of the provisions in these bills are reckless and broadly worded. While the legislation seeks to address parent and taxpayer concerns, it does so in a way that assumes all communities desire the same amount of state oversight. It is best to leave these types of laws and policies to the local government tasked with serving the varied needs of Florida’s diverse districts. 

Please do not let HB1069/SB1320, HB1463/SB1620, HB1223/SB1320, and HB999/SB266 move forward without carefully considering the dangerous precedents these bills set and the authoritarian impacts they will have over our individual rights and liberties.