Scared and confused.
Teachers in some Florida
counties are scrambling to comply
with a new law championed
by the governor, Ron DeSantis.
They're removing
or physically covering the books
in their classes
because the law
now requires classroom libraries
be approved by trained media spe
Violation INS
could be charged
as a third degree felony.
Leila Santiago is live for us in
this morning.
Leila, what in the world is goin
All right. So, Don, this is
this is related to a law
that actually took effect
in July of last year.
But as recently
as just a few weeks ago,
the Florida Department of Educat
was still putting out guidance.
And, you know,
when as I've been watching
these school board meetings,
you hear from parents
that will tell you
this is about transparency,
this is about parents rights.
But I've also talked to parents
and teachers
that are using some of those wor
you just used on that.
They're saying
that they're describing this
as angst, fear and confusion.
Behind the covered
wall of
paper in this Manatee County
classroom, books
teacher Don Falls told us
he covered the bookshelves
out of concern
for a new state law
that requires all books
and classroom libraries
to be approved
or vetted by a media specialist
or librarian
that is trained by the state.
We were instructed last week
that we were essentially
had three choices
as far as our personal libraries
that are in our classrooms.
We could remove them
completely, box them up.
We could cover them up with pape
or some sort of something,
or they could be entered into a
where the school district
has all of the library books
and all of the other kinds of bo
And if the book was in the syste
then it could remain on the shel
Open source,
who is part of a lawsuit against
Ron DeSantis regarding his stop
says it has all caused him
and other teachers much fear and
But the district says
it never instructed teachers to
classroom libraries
according to the school district
Volunteers will be helping
to catalog books in classroom li
If a book already has the green
it can go
right back on the shelf for stud
But if it is not preapproved,
it must be vetted before a stude
can have access to it.
We are going to make sure
that parents have a seat at the
and that we protect
protect their rights
because nobody is more invested
in the proper
well-being of kids
than the parents themselves.
According to Florida's Departmen
of Education,
selection of library materials,
which includes classroom librari
must be free
of pornography and material
prohibited under state statute
suited to student needs and thei
to comprehend the material prese
appropriate for the grade level
and age group
for which the materials are used
and made available.
Violations can result
in a third degree felony.
This is us
protecting the teachers,
not saying we're banning books
during a school board meeting
this week, Manatee
County School officials acknowle
they don't know
how long it'll take to verify
all the books.
In the meantime,
the district said
students have access
to books in their school's main
But the process has sparked
confusion and high emotion.
I would not suggest banning book
It's a slippery slope.
This is good literature with val
Please do not ban books.
During a school board
meeting in Pinellas County.
School officials confirm
they too are working to align po
with state requirements.
School officials
say a group of library
media specialists reviewed 94 bo
titles over the summer.
And that team did recommend ten
to be weeded out of our collecti
or move to our adult
only resource library.
There is appropriateness
and there is inappropriateness
where books are concerned.
We have to really keep
the minors in mind.
You cannot substitute
adult supervision.
You just cannot.
Adult supervision parents,
whether it be a guardian or gran
you have to be aware of once
a child is being taught.
While some parents
praise what they call
parents rights at work,
others worry it's a slippery slo
Any time you restrict access
to information, to knowledge,
it's censorship.
There's
I don't think there's any other
to categorize it.
Okay. So let's go back to that Pinella
County School Board
meeting from this week for a min
The school officials
there made it clear
that there could be additional t
that are removed
as they continue through this pr
and they are going to continue,
they say, to air on the side of
Another challenge brought up
by one of the school board membe
the definition of age appropriat
How do you define
what is age
appropriate in this vetting proc
I reached out to the governor's
as well as the Department of Edu
with that very question,
and we have not received a respo
Leila, thank you.
This is.
Thank you, Poppy. This is bizarr
I know.
We know.
What are we doing here?
I mean, this
I feel like we're going back.
I feel like I'm watching a bad v
of like Pleasantville, where you
I don't get what's happening.
It feels like the 1950s all over
with like Brooke banning.
This is this is cancel culture
from people who are
I guess they just want our kids
to be ignorant.
And to control the teachers.
It is.
This is outrageous.
I don't
I really don't even know how to
what's going on here.
It's just ridiculous.
Yeah. Or another country.
I mean, Lela, you're.
You're a parent. You're a new pa
I got kids just starting to read
And when I read this
in your reporting
that a teacher could face a felo
if they knowingly distribute
anything not approved by these D
trained professionals.
I like that is stunning.
You open your piece,
and the books are covered with p
that's happening in American cla
Well, right.
And Poppy and Don, I should
add, in Pinellas
County,
one of the things that came up i
in that
school board
meeting was a recent removal of
just within the last month.
That book was Bluest Eyes
by Toni Morrison
and that became part of that deb
that there is a Nobel Peace
Prize author whose book is being
But from the other side,
you have parents
who say, I'm not comfortable
with some of that material.
I should know what is in my clas
And this is a book that deserves
and their opinion for their scru
and just to be clear,
I know we got to go, but I'll be
I do think parents need a voice
I'm a parent
who wants a voice in education,
but I also think there's a lot t
But this isn't about a voice
in education, Poppy.
I think that
I think that's a red herring.
Listen, I understand what you're
I think that's a red herring
because there are lots
of uncomfortable topics that are
You didn't let me finish racism.
I was drinking all of it. Right.
I was just going to say
that was the second point.
I thought Don is but I want my k
to read things
that are uncomfortable to talk a
and have these conversations at
and in the classroom.
So that's how we learn about
that's how we learn
things are uncomfortable.
History is uncomfortable.
Even the president is present.
The moment that we're in is unco
being here in Memphis
and discussing a man
being beaten
by police
and five officers turning themse
and who could possibly face char
That is uncomfortable.
Not everything is happy, happy,
And in order to grow as human be
and as a country and as a democr
we have got to be able to face
things that are in our past.
Toni Morrison is one of
the most decorated
authors
in the history
of this country in the world.
I mean, it is outrageous, people
Ron DeSantis, stop it.
You're not helping. You're hurti
Thank you, Layla.
Poppy, you're right. As a parent
I agree. I agree.
But this thing, these things tot
just get me riled up and you kno
Everybody should be proud
that we've got to stand up again
this stuff. It is outrageous.