Florida refused to spend $12m to abide by a new federal law, so delayed KidCare for over a year for 42k kids; refuses to participate in Summer EBT which would alleviate summer hunger for kids w $259m in summer SNAP, bc it wld cost $13m & yet they found $15m to ban books

Florida removed details from public schools' sex ed curriculum. A coalition seeks to ensure the changes don't affect school libraries. That story, plus the latest on turnarounds, teacher unions and more, in today's Tampa Bay Times Florida education news roundup. tampabay.com/news/education…

Hernando School Board Chair only wants book banners on book review committee. She wants to get rid of “Any human being, any adult that’s sitting on that board that says, ‘Leave it on the shelf,’ that’s the people I’m having a problem with.” #Florida suncoastnews.com/news/hernando-…

"Court simply fails to see how any reasonable person would view the contents of the school library (or any library for that matter) as the government’s endorsement of the views expressed in the books on the library’s shelves." Escambia County Public Schools refuses to settle. tallahassee.com/story/news/loc…

The presiding judge encouraged the Escambia school district to go to settlement and cautioned that they could be wasting taxpayer dollars if they pursue a judgement. tallahassee.com/story/news/loc…

“We in Florida rank first in book bans. We rank last in teacher pay. These are two benchmarks that we should be ashamed of, and state lawmakers need to do better and prioritize education in Florida” - Katie Hathaway, Public School Defenders news4jax.com/news/local/202…

Clay County Schools just posted 61 objections for the month of December. The image is a screenshot from the district’s database: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

This is exactly the issue we face in the #Florida Keys. The "marketplace" will never provide a wide range of high quality education options here, such options are economically unfeasible, but continuing to divert funding away from public schools will impact their quality.

Come out and join us PEN America Books & Books Florida Freedom to Read Project and Jennifer Jenkins Brevard for a FREE preview of the BANNED Together January 4th. 🎟️ Eventbrite registration required. eventbrite.com/e/banned-toget…

“[N]o matter how much these book-banners try to shield their children from reality. Everyone eventually crashes into it. The question is: Will they be equipped to handle it?” floridaphoenix.com/2024/12/23/con…

“[S]chool libraries have long served as vehicles to expose students to a broad array of ideas…Second, messages conveyed in school library books are diverse & contradictory — not endorsed by the state, as government speech must be.” wusf.org/courts-law/202…

“I wish, obviously, all kids were able to take an African American history class,” O’Connor said, “but you have to pivot if it’s not happening in schools.” apnews.com/article/florid…

Blasted over comments at a Moms for Liberty event, a Florida school board chairperson resigns her leadership post. That story, plus the latest on university trustees, teacher certification and more, in today's Tampa Bay Times Florida education news roundup. tampabay.com/news/education…

If you missed the two Florida screenings of the documentary, there will be a virtual screening of #BannedTogether streaming on 1/20/25. You can register for tickets here: watch.eventive.org/bannedtogether…

This is a horrible bill that seeks to make it easier to convert public schools to a charter school and give away the land and building to the charter. These are public lands, and once we lose them, we won’t get them back.

“A library is for the entire community, not just for those who agree with us,” retired librarian Tracy Suits said. tampabay.com/news/education…

Florida's debate over children's books moves from schools to public libraries. That story, plus the latest on teacher pay, campus security, graduation rates and more, in today's Tampa Bay Times Florida education news roundup. tampabay.com/news/education…

Nassau Schools continue to see new objections to many of the same titles that were returned via the settlement. 34 new objections have been added to the district's database- submitted either by 34 different Nassau residents or the work of one parent. nassau.k12.fl.us/Page/5341

Broward Schools received more than a dozen book objections (most on 4/23/24) that we just found out about through PRR. We have documents showing at least four were reviewed and retained by committee last fall (in green box), but what about the others?

“The vague and overly broad language of (the law) forces educators to self-censor, depriving students of a comprehensive education. This lawsuit is about preserving the right to learn and teach without political interference.” tallahassee.com/story/news/pol…