Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that gives parents a voice in teaching materials and library books while also placing term limits on school board members.
From FOX 13 Orlando:
Friday, he visited Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, starting his presentation by touting past pieces of education-related legislation, such as bringing an end to the Florida Standards Assessment and in-person learning during the early onset of the pandemic.”We believe parents not only have a role, they have the fundamental role to be involved in the education of their kids, and that’s how it’s going to be in the state of Florida,” he said before signing HB-1467.While lawmakers have long considered placing term limits on school-board members, perhaps the most controversial part of the bill is aimed at giving parents and members of the public increased access to the process of selecting and removing school library books and instructional materials.
The committees that make book and instructional material recommendations to a school board must include parents and students:
Each district school board must establish a process by which the parent of a public school student or a resident of the county may contest the district school board’s adoption of a specific instructional material. The parent or resident must file a petition, on a form provided by the school board, within 30 calendar days after the adoption of the instructional material by the school board. The school board must make the form available to the public and publish the form on the school district’s website. The form must be signed by the parent or resident, include the required contact information, and state the objection to the instructional material based on the criteria of s. 1006.31(2) or s. 1006.40(3)(d). Within 30 days after the 30-day period has expired, the school board must, for all petitions timely received, conduct at least one open public hearing before an unbiased and qualified hearing officer.—Meetings of committees convened for the purpose of ranking, eliminating, or selecting instructional materials for recommendation to the district school board must be noticed and open to the public in accordance with s. 386.011. Any committees convened for such purposes must include parents of district students.
Another part says that every elementary school must post “a list of all materials maintained in the school library media center or required as part of a school or grade-level reading list.”
The new law states school board members can only serve four years.
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