This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) a measure in his law, the Parental Rights in Education Bill, that critics have successfully labeled “Do Not Say Gay” law.
It certainly aims to limit LGBTQ discussion in schools. But it’s also at the forefront of the battle over how much parents should have a say in their children’s education – and raises questions about how much schools should function as a student support system, period.
Here are three major things the law does, why they are controversial and how they can affect students.
1. Prohibits classroom teaching or discussion of LGBTQ issues for third grade nursery school. For older students, the discussion of gay and transgender issues must be “age-appropriate or developmental.”
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The law is essentially a statement that classroom education about sexual orientation and gender should not begin at a very young age and that parents should have a say in what and when their children learn. It aims to “strengthen the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children,” in line with the text of the legislation.
What impact may it have on students:
In one case, sex education is already banned in Florida (as it is in many states) until the fifth grade. So critics say the law tries to solve a problem that does not exist for the youngest students in Florida. Because it limits even classroom discussion of LGBTQ issues, conversations for children who need to work through their own gender or sexual identity issues may be hindered, they say.
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“The question arises as to whether a teacher has a picture of a partner on his or her desk, or whether he / she is being asked to refer to him / her as Mr or Mrs, if that is included as a classroom teaching on gender identity,” he said. Brandon Wolf, with Councilor. Florida LGBTQ Equality advocacy group.
2. It empowers parents to sue the catchment area for teaching they do not like. And the district will have to pay for it.
What impact may it have on students:
This may encourage schools to close out instruction or conversations on LGBTQ issues in advance. A number of librarians across the country are accusing their schools of quietly removing race and LGBTQ books from their shelves before it starts fighting, The Washington Post recently reported.
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“School districts that are financially constrained cannot test legal limits like this,” Wolf said, citing reports that several schools in the state have begun peeling off rainbow safe space stickers from windows. “The natural implication of this legislation is the cold effect.”
3. Requires schools to tell parents when their child is receiving mental health services.
What impact may it have on students:
The potential of a school could serve as a haven for students who may not feel comfortable talking to their parents about their sexual orientation or sexuality.
But the judges say it would ensure that parents are informed if their child is confused about their identity. One of the proponents of the bill is a Florida mother who says her child’s school recognized her child’s gender identity differently from the one they recognized at home.
Why this bill has drawn so much controversy
LGBTQ advocates say this legislation is a continuing attempt to paint LGBTQ people as “other,” or even dangerous. This law comes at a time when the right – led cultural wars are going up in flames, but also because more young Americans than ever are recognizing LGBTQ.
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DeSantis in particular used language that seems to villainize people who oppose – and in his view misrepresent – the law: “They have to lie because if they confessed what they really wanted, to sexually assault , “he said in an interview with Fox News from Tucker Carlson. “… [T] hey know not to fly with the public.”
Her opponent was accused of “grooming” young children by her press secretary.
If you are against the Anti-Grooming Bill, you are probably a groomer or at least do not deny grooming 4-8 year olds. Silence is complicity. This is how it works, Democrats, and I did not make the rules.
That language fits in with a broader Republican narrative about accusing an opponent of supporting pedophilia. It was the main line of Republican interrogation against President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, although his sentences in child pornography cases were in line with the judicial mainstream.
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“If you want to go after someone and make them the worst – make them look like they are incarnate – then ‘you are soft on child molest’ is a great way,” said Joseph Uscinski, researcher of the company. extreme ideologies at the University of Miami.
On Thursday, Florida gay rights groups sued the law, arguing that it violates the constitutional rights of free speech, equal protection and due process of students and families.
How this bill puts pressure on the discussion of parental rights
Adjudicators argue that parents should, above all, be in charge of what matters are disclosed to their children and when.
This argument comes neatly in opposition to the right against mandates for masks and vaccines in schools. The right also pushed back pressure against certain school discussions about the race following the protests following the murder of George Floyd.
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Florida has been at the forefront of this: It banned conversations in schools that feel “guilty” about their race, as well as teaching critical race theory, an academic construct that conservatives used as an attractive term to contribute. describe conversations about. race they find abusive.
When framed through the lens of that broader debate on parental rights, this bill is not popular for restricting discussion of LGBTQ issues.
A poll in February by the University of North Florida found that 40 percent of Floridians approved the legislation when they were told that the bill reads as follows: “Another bill before the Florida Senate barred school districts from stimulating discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity. in grades K-5, or in an age or developmentally inappropriate manner. ” That’s a significantly high percentage who support a law that its opponents consider to be extremist. (Forty-nine percent were not satisfied.)
What FERPA protects?
The Family Rights Education and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that gives parents the right to access their children’s educational records, the right to see the records amended, and the right to have some control over personal disclosure. To see also : At Oscars, Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Gets Jokes. . identifiable information from education …
What are two examples of protected records under FERPA? Examples are:
- Date and place of birth, addresses of parent (s) and / or guardian, and where parents can be contacted in an emergency;
- Grades, test scores, courses taken, specialists and academic activities, and official letters regarding student status in school;
- Special education records;
- Disciplinary records;
What does FERPA regulate the confidentiality of?
FERPA regulates the confidentiality of students’ educational records. This may interest you : Anti-gay rights groups win millions as states debate anti-LGBTQ laws. The Education Rights and Family Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the confidentiality of students’ educational records.
What is FERPA and who does it protect?
The Conference enacted FERPA to protect the privacy of students and their parents. The Act is designed to ensure that students and parents of students can access the student’s educational records and to challenge the content or release of such records to third parties.
What does FERPA say about confidentiality?
It gives parents or eligible students greater control over their educational records, and prevents educational institutions from disclosing “personally identifiable information in educational records” without the written consent of an eligible student, or if the son is a minor. students, student information. parents (20 USCS
Is kindergarten mandatory in the state of Florida?
Is Kindergarten Mandatory? Kindergarten is mandatory only if you are enrolling your child in a public school for first grade. On the same subject : The Louisiana version of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill would ban talk of LGBTQ problems in the classroom. A placement determined by the principal, and even if you have documented kindergarten and turned into an evaluation, the principal can still determine that your child is a repeat kindergarten.
Can you keep your child back from kindergarten in Florida? Under a new law in Florida, parents or guardians can request that their K-5 public school student “for the 2021-2022 school year” be retained at its current grade level, “provided such a request is made for academic reasons.”
What age are children required to go to school Florida?
Florida’s compulsory education laws require children between the ages of six and 16 (younger with a high school diploma) to attend school. Exceptions include those children who have been granted an exemption certificate by the district school superintendent.
What age is school mandatory in FL?
Florida law (Article 1003.21, Florida Statutes) states that all children who are six years old, who will be six years old by February 1 of any school year, or who are over six years of age but not the rate they have reached. 16 years old, attend school regularly throughout the school term.
What happens if I don’t send my child to school in Florida?
Under Article 1003.27 of the Florida Statutes, a parent who rejects or fails a minor student under his or her control regularly attends school, or who refuses or fails to comply with the requirements established by the catchment, second-degree misconduct. , punishable by imprisonment up to 60 …
What age does a child legally have to attend school?
By law, all children over the age of five must have an appropriate full-time education. From September 2015, all young people must continue in education or training until the end of the academic year in which they turn 18.
Can you skip kindergarten in Florida?
Is kindergarten attendance necessary for a child who turns five before September 1st? A parent who chooses not to enroll their child in a nursery does not violate the mandatory school attendance laws.
Is it OK to skip kindergarten?
Ultimately, you should only consider skipping if your child is academically ahead of their peers and has the emotional and social maturity to handle the jump.
Can a child fail kindergarten in Florida?
Students detained in kindergarten could be beaten again in third grade, as a result of a long – standing law in Florida that prohibits students from moving to fourth grade if they score at the lowest level in the state reading test.
Is kindergarten mandatory Florida?
According to the Florida Statute 1003.01 (13), all children aged 6-16 are required to attend school regularly. … Kindergarten does not have to start at age 5; however, in the public school system, if the child is 5 years old on or before September 1 of that school year, he or she may enroll for kindergarten.
How many days of kindergarten can you miss in Florida?
The statute defines “habitual residence” as a pupil who has 15 or more unexplained absences within 90 calendar days with or without the consent of the student’s parent or guardian, and who is subject to compulsory school education.
Can I hold my child back in Florida?
If you wish to detain your child, you must submit a detention request, in writing, to the principal of your school “stating the academic reasons for the detention.” This request must be submitted on or before 30 June for consideration.
Can you withhold a child from a school year? Repeating a school year is not covered by law, so there is no legal ‘right’ to request this, and there is no formal process for doing so. It is up to individual schools and local authorities to support such an arrangement for a child.
Is it the parents decision to hold a child back?
Legislation signed into law on June 30 allows parents and students over the age of 18 to decide for themselves whether they or their children should repeat their 2020-21 grade. In other years, the decision to withhold students is made by school officials and teachers.
Should I hold my child back a year?
Current thinking on detention Recent research shows that, for the most part, it is not best practice to detain children with a grade. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) reports that some children do better in school the first year or two after detention. But he also says this effect does not last.
Why do parents hold back kids?
The decision to hold back a child, also known as “red-shirt”, a term borrowed from college sports, is often based on the parents’ view that there are academic and emotional benefits to being age for your grade. .
How do you decide if you should hold your child back?
When the children have not acquired the required academic skills for the next grade, the school may recommend holding them back. The idea is that an extra year will help them catch up. But sometimes a child’s academic struggles are just one factor that the school considers.
Does the school hold you back or does your parents?
Yes, a school can detain or promote a student without the permission of a parent or guardian. However, the district PPR policy approved by the district school board must provide an appeals process for parents who do not agree with a decision to promote or retain a principal for their student.
What grades can you get held back in Florida?
Florida law [section 1008.25 (5), Florida Statutes (FS)] states that third graders who do not have a Level 2 or higher score on the Florida ¶I English Arts Standards Assessment (FSA-ELA) must be retained nationwide (without promotion to grade 4).
What grades cause you to get held back?
In the United States, grade retention can be used in kindergarten until twelfth grade; however, students in grades seven to twelve are usually only retained in the particular failed subject because each subject has its own classroom rather than staying in one classroom and all subjects being taught for …
What grades can you fail in Florida?
| Grade | Interpretation | Grade Point Value |
|---|---|---|
| c | Medium High (77-79) | 2.75 grade points per semester hour |
| c | Average (70-76) | 2 grade points per semester hour |
| D | Bad (60-69) | 1 grade point per semester hour |
| F | Failure (Below 60) | No grade points |
Can you get held back in Florida?
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A new law in Florida signed by Governor Ron Desantis could allow some parents to withhold their children for academic reasons.
Can you hold your child back a grade in Florida?
(CBS12) – There is a new law that allows Florida parents to keep their children back grade level in school. House Bill 1159 allows primary school parents to withhold a grade for their children if they feel the student is experiencing academic problems.
What makes a kid stay back a grade?
Additional reasons that the school may mention include: A child is very young in grade or socially immature. A child has missed a lot of school due to a serious illness. A child does not reach the level of performance expected to move to the next grade.
Can students be retained this year in Florida?
FLORIDA – Parents of Florida public school students in kindergarten through fifth grade will be able to request that their children be kept in their current grade levels for the 2021-2022 school year under a bill signed by Governor Ron DeSantis into law this week.
Do private schools have better discipline?
According to the 2001 Condition of Education from the National Center for Educational Statistics, & quot; In private schools, a greater percentage of children had parents who were very satisfied with order and discipline than the school or teachers in 1999. & quot; ; Parents are often given more say in school policies in private …
Why are private schools better than private schools? Your student can focus on what is important: their education and being a child. Success in Continuing Education: Due to smaller class sizes and greater individual height, private schools can offer greater security when planning for college.
Is Behaviour better in private schools?
The results also showed that private school children have good achievement, fitness and behavior, and are more resilient, better able to deal with obstacles and more open to learning.
Are people who go to private school more successful?
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has in the past published reports showing superior academic success among private school children compared to the general public.
Why private school are better than public school?
A private school offers smaller class sizes, more individual attention, and a better understanding of how each student prefers to learn. This allows the teacher to take time and attend lessons to teach in a more personal way.
Do private school students perform better?
The latest NAEP data found by other research shows: Private school students scored better in almost all subjects. On college entrance tests such as the SAT, NAIS found that students in private schools always outperformed their public school peers in all subject areas.
Why do private school students do better?
Another advantage of private schooling is that independent school children often have access to better and more diverse facilities than the state sector can provide. Many private schools have high quality sports facilities.
