[ad_1]
(TALLAHASSEE) – Florida’s recent education laws and policies have fueled discrimination and fear, Florida Risingthis Rule of Law Impact Lab Although K-12 education in the United States is largely controlled by local and state governments, USAthe federal government should do more to address curriculum review systems that foster discrimination.
In this 86-page report,‘‘Why do they hate us so much?’: Discriminatory screening law harms Florida educationThe groups say Florida leaders are reshaping elementary, middle and high school classroom content with new laws and policies that censor, distort and discriminate. The laws restrict classroom instruction about race, sexual orientation and gender identity about U.S. history, ban books that reduce the information available to students and enact inaccurate and misleading civics and history standards.
“Florida’s Black and LGBTQ communities are tired of leaders who exploit their identities and histories for political gain,” said Dwight Bullard, a senior political consultant in Florida. Florida Rising“From the state Capitol in Tallahassee to local school boards, our elected officials must recommit to providing a high-quality and inclusive education, something that all Florida families hold dear.”
Researchers from Human Rights Watch, the Rule of Law Impact Lab, and Florida Rising interviewed 62 students, parents, teachers, and advocates in Florida between January and April 2024. The researchers also analyzed Florida education laws and policies, court and administrative records, and media coverage.
Those interviewed described the harm they felt under the new law. The groups found that Florida’s discriminatory education policies violated students’ rights to education, information, and nondiscrimination, as well as Floridians’ rights to free speech and equality before the law.
The groups found that Florida has fostered an environment where educators and students fear retaliation. Several teachers said they were reprimanded for violating the new law and policy, and news reports show some were investigated and fired. Students and community members said they were harassed based on their identities by extreme political groups that support the state’s policies.
“I feel like black experiences have no place in public life, like schools,” one black parent said. “It’s one thing for these attitudes to exist in the public sphere, and another for them to be sanctioned by the government.”
A high school student said:
People feel they have the right to attack gay students because if the legislators can do it, they think they can do it too. I hear people hurling abuse and no teacher is paying attention, and they think, wow, why aren’t you doing something? We need more protection for gay students. We need an inclusive school.
Florida is a bellwether for the national education censorship crisis and Most banned books And the most stringent course restrictions, but it is not just one state in the United States. Recently, more and more states have passed Limiting Laws Class discussions about race, gender, sexual orientation, or American history.
“On Juneteenth, which is Juneteenth, we should consider the devastating cost of suppressing information, including information about slavery and its consequences, that would have moved America forward,” he said. Trey Walkera democracy researcher and advocate at Human Rights Watch in the U.S. “We are also celebrating Pride Month, a day when we cherish the freedoms of the LGBTQ community, including being represented and valued in their schools.”
2021 Florida Department of Education Issue guidance Limiting discussion of race and racism in the classroom began with a ban on “critical race theory.” The following year, the Florida legislature passed House Bill 7the Stop Wrongs for Our Kids and Workers Act (often abbreviated as the “Stop Woke” Act), which restricted the teaching of racism in the workplace and educational institutions. Floridians immediately challenged the law in court and eventually took the case to federal court. knock down Legal workplace regulations and Temporarily block The law is enforced in colleges and universities.
Florida bans public schools from offering College Board Advanced Placement courses, undermining students’ opportunities to learn about black history African American Studies CoursesReleased in 2023 African American History Standards Scholars generally agree that the standards are inaccurate and contain unacceptable omissions. They include language that is offensive to black Floridians, such as suggesting that enslaved people acquired valuable skills or that black victims of racial violence perpetrated similar acts against white people.
During the same period, Florida leaders took a number of steps, including House Bill 1557 and House Bill 1069to curb classroom teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity. Florida also prohibit Local school districts administer an annual survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that collects important information about youth behavior and mental health. This data helps educators and policymakers develop meaningful health and education programs for Florida youth.
Florida leads the nation in the number of books banned from classrooms and school libraries, and lawmakers recently A law was passed It would limit the number of book challenges that can be initiated by parents of non-Florida public school students. The modest reform comes as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis admit Some groups have used book challenges for political gain.
Suppressing inclusion and discussion at the K-12 level, particularly through discriminatory censorship of discussion of race, sexual orientation, or gender identity, can create an environment where exclusion is acceptable. Discriminatory censorship of students during their time in school inhibits free expression and access to information and can ultimately hinder the informed political participation necessary for American democracy to thrive.
The groups say a bold federal response is needed to address this crisis in America’s public schools. The Departments of Education and Justice should make civil rights mechanisms available to the public and respond to complaints in a transparent and timely manner. Congress should significantly fund these civil rights protections, which currently Insufficient funds. President Biden should convene a national summit to discuss ending discriminatory education censorship across the United States.
Florida’s leaders should rescind discriminatory policies and promote curriculum that prepares students to live healthy lives in a diverse society.
“Democracy begins in our public school classrooms,” Stanford Law School Rule of Law Impact Lab“We need strong civil rights protections to combat the trend of discriminatory censorship and book bans in schools. Children must receive an unbiased education so they can thrive and become the leaders of tomorrow.”
[ad_2]
Source link
