MORNING, GLAD YOU COULD JOIN US, I’M MICHAEL PUTNEY. >> I’M GLENNA MILBERG AND WE
BEGIN WITH A BOOK THAT IS NOW
BANNED FROM MIAMI DADE SCHOOLS
IN A 5-4 VOTE THIS WEEK.
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS PULLED A
TEXT BOOK ABOUT SECRETARIES
HEALTH-- SEX HEALTH EDUCATION
BASED ON A PETITION BY A
RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF
OBJECTIONS AND AGAINST THE WILL
OF THE MAJORITY OF PARENTS AND
THE DISTRICT’S OWN OBJECTIVE
ADVISOR.
>> THE BOARD APPROVED USING THAT
BOOK AFTER A PUBLIC HEARING IN
APRIL.
BUT SINCE THEN IT APPEARS
POLITICS HAS COME INTO PLAY.
THERE IS AN ELECTION AUGUST
23rd, THREE SCHOOL BOARD
MEMBERS ARE ON THE BALLOT AND
THEY HAVE CHALLENGERS,
CONSERVATIVE CHALLENGERS,
CANDIDATES WHO OPPOSE THESE
BOOKS.
>> VETERAN BOARD MEMBER MARTA
PEREZ WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO VOTED
TO REMOVE THAT SEX HEALTH TEXT
BOOK AND SHE IS WITH US THIS
MORNING LIVE VIA ZOOM.
GOOD MORNING MORTGAGEA.
>> GOOD MORNING, HOW ARE YOU?
>> MARTA PEREZ.
GOOD MORNING WE ARE GLAD TO SEE
YOU, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
FIRST LET’S JUST GET TO THE
BASICS.
YOU VOTED AGAINST USING THIS
TEXT BOOK, COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH
SKILLS WHICH IS BEEN IN THE
SCHOOL CURRICULUM.
WHY DID YOU VOTE AGAINST IT?
>> WELL, WE-- HAD VOTED AGAINST
IT.
I HAD VOTED AGAINST IT BEFORE.
BUT THE REASON IS THAT SOME OF
THE OTHER CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK
ARE PERHAPS OFFENSIVE TO SOME OF
THE PARENTS, PARTICULARLY ABOUT
THE TRANSGENDER, FLUID GENDER,
THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I DID NOT VOTE AGAINST SEX
EDUCATION.
WHAT I HAVE PROPOSED IS THAT WE
HAVE THIS CHAPTER THAT WE ARE
GOING TO BE USING, WHICH IS ONLY
A COUPLE OF CHAPTERS IN THE
BOOK, HAVE THAT AND HAVE EACH
PARENT OPT IN, HAVE A PARENT
SIGN THAT THEY ARE OKAY WITH
HAVING THEIR CHILD HAVE THIS
EDUCATION JUST AS WE ASK PARENTS
IF WE COULD TAKE PICTURES OF
THEIR CHILDREN IN SCHOOL OR JUST
AS WE SAY YOU KNOW, SIGN SO WE
CAN TAKE THEM ON A FIELD TRIP.
LET’S HAVE PARENTS SIGN OFF ON
WHETHER THIS IS EDUCATION THAT
IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR
CHILDREN.
>> I HATE TO INTERRUPT YOU.
BUT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO
THINGS IN THAT THIS KIND, THIS
COMPONENT OF EDUCATION IS
ACTUALLY REQUIRED BY THE STATE.
SO WITHOUT THIS TEXT BOOK NOW
AND WITHOUT REPLACING THE TEXT
BOOK AT THIS SAME TIME AS THE
BOARD BANNED IT, REALLY THE
DISTRICT IS OUT OF STATE
COMPLIANCE.
>> IT IS NOT CORRECT TO SAY IT
WAS BANNED.
IT WAS JUST THE WAY.
>> REMOVED.
>> IT WAS VOTED DOWN.
BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE CANNOT
TAKE THE CHAPTER, SHOW THEM TO
THE PARENTS, SAY ARE YOU OKAY
WITH THIS.
OR ARE YOU NOT.
ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO CORRECT THE
FACT THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE
PARENTS WANTED IT AND ALL, THAT
I HAVE TO SAY JUST YESTERDAY I
SPOKE TO A GROUP OF MUSLIM
PARENTS.
THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED.
A LOT OF PARENTS CURRENTLY ARE
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT YOU KNOW,
PART OF THE CHAPTERS WERE SAD
ABOUT SIDE GENDER, GENDER
FLUIDITY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE THE PARENTS
OUR PARTNERS IN THIS.
AND I THINK A VERY EASY SOLUTION
IS TO SAY OMENT IN.
ST NOT BANNING BOOKS AT ALL.
AT ALL IT IS SAYING OPPOSITE IN,
JUST AS WE SAY CAN WE TAKE A
PICTURE OF YOUR CHILD, WE’RE
GOING TO SAY IS THIS A CHAPTER
THAT IS OKAY WITH YOU.
AND IT IS NOT THAT WE ARE NOT
GOING TO HAVE SEX EDUCATION
BUT-- ANY OF THE OTHER.
>> I BEG YOUR PARDON, LET ME
JUMP IN BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT
THIS TO BE A CONVERSATION.
WE UNDERSTAND.
I UNDERSTAND.
I REMEMBER I MET MY FIRST
TRANSGENDER PERSON ABOUT FIVE
YEARS AGO.
AND I KIND OF REELED BACK AND
YOU KNOW, BUT THEN I SAID THIS
IS LIFE.
AND YOU BETTER GET USED TO IT.
SO KIDS WHO ARE BETWEEN THE AGES
OF WHAT, SP AND 18, THEY KNOW
THERE ARE TRANSGENDER PEOPLE.
AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE
IN A CLINICAL, CLASSROOM SETTING
ABOUT THAT.
SO PARENTS ARE CONCERNED, WE
UNDERSTAND BUT WHY NOT HAVE THAT
IN A TEXT BOOK?
>> YOU CAN HAVE IT IN A TEXT
BOOK, ABSOLUTELY.
BUT SOME PARENTS WOULD PREFER
THAT SEXUAL CONVERSATIONS BE HAD
WITH THEM.
AND THAT IS, AS LONG AS THE
PARENTS ARE OKAY WITH IT, THEN
WILL OFFER IT.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE
PARENTS PARTNERS IN THIS.
AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE OKAY
WITH IT.
AND BY THE WAY, THE CONVERSATION
REALLY, WE HAVE SO MANY ISSUES,
MICHAEL AND GLENNA.
TEACHER SHORTAGE, MENTAL HEALTH,
SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS, THAT ARE
OF SUCH IMPORTANCE.
>> OF COURSE.
>> IN OUR COMMUNITY.
>> OF COURSE, OF COURSE, JUST
FOR THE RECORD, OUR LITTLE SHOW
ON SUNDAYS, WE DO NEWS OF THE
WEEK.
WE COULD GO ON FOR THE WHOLE DAY
TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THOSE
ISSUES BUT SPECIFICALLY THIS
WEEK IT APPEARS THAT THIS
REMOVAL OF THIS BOOK COULD BE
THE FIRST TEST CASE OF FLORIDA’S
NEW PARENTAL RIGHTS IN EDUCATION
LAW WHICH IS NOW, WHAT IS TODAY,
IN ITS 24th DAY.
AND SO THE QUESTION IS, THE
PARENTS WHO COMPETITIONED TO
REMOVE THIS BOOK, 278
SIGNATURES.
THERE ARE APPROXIMATE 40,000
STUDENTS IN THIS DISTRICT.
OF THOSE 278 SIGNATURES, 44 OF
THEM WERE ACTUALLY MIAMI DADE
SCHOOL PARENTS.
SO DOES THIS TO YOU SHOW THAT
THIS NEW LAW IS REALLY GOING TO
HAVE SOME VERY SERIOUS EFFECTS
THAT MAY COME DOWN TO A FRACTION
OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED?
>> WELL, I CAN TELL YOU, I AM
CAMPAIGNING SO I’M WALKING AND
CAN I TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF
PARENTS, PARTICULARLY PARENTS
WHO ARE NEW TO THIS COUNTRY
DON’T KNOW THAT THEY CAN
PETITION.
DON’T KNOW THAT THEY REQUEST CAN
WRITE LETTERS, AS I SAY, I JUST
ADDRESS-- ADDRESSED A MUSLIM
GROUP.
SO IT IS NT FAIR TO SAY IT IS 44
PARENTS.
BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PARENTS
THAT ARE VERY CONCERNED, AND
WOULD LIKE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT SEX EITHER HAVE THEM
THEMSELVE OR APPROVE WHAT IS
BEING TAUGHT TO THEIR CHILDREN.
AND AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN VERY CONCERNED IN THE PAST,
WHAT IS PRESENTED TO OUR
STUDENTS BECAUSE THAT IS PART OF
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SCHOOL
BOARD MEMBERS.
AND I THINK IT IS NOT OUTRAGIST
TO ASK PARENTS, IS IT OKAY S
THIS LESSON OKAY WITH YOU.
AND THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN MATH AND READING AND
SEXUAL EDUCATION.
>> DR. PEREZ, I THINK IT GOES
WITHOUT SAYING, YOU CAN’T HAVE A
REFERENDUM ON EVERY TEXT BOOK,
EVERY THEME.
I MEAN YOU HAVE TO LEAVE, THIS
YOU KNOW, THE MOST RESPONSIBLE
TEXT BOOKS THAT YOU CAN FIND AND
THEN LEAVE IT UP TO THE TEACHERS
TO TEACH, BUT I MEAN IF YOU WANT
TO TALK ABOUT OBJECTING TO THE
WAY MERN HISTORY IS TAUGHT OR OF
COURSE THEN WE GET BACK TO WHAT
GLENNA SAID SWI THIS NEW
PARENTAL RIGHTS IN EDUCATION.
ALTHOUGH LET ME JUST SAY
PARENTHETICALLY I HAD A DAUGHTER
IN SCHOOL, PUBLIC SCHOOL 30
YEARS AGO.
WHENEVER WE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT
THE SCHOOL, I DIDN’T NEED A BILL
TO ALLOW ME OR MY WIFE TO GO
TALK TO THE PRINCIPAL OR THE
TEACHER.
I MEAN THEY WELCOMED THOSE KINDS
OF CONVERSATIONS.
AND I SUSPECT THEY STILL DO.
>> YES, I AGREE WITH YOU.
AND FORTUNATELY WE HAVE MANY
PARENTS LIKE YOU THAT WERE
EDUCATED AND THAT KNOW HOW TO GO
TO THE SCHOOLS AND ADDRESS IT.
BUT WE NEED TO MAKE A BIGGER
PUSH TO SOME OF THE PARENTS WHO
ARE STILL NOT INVOLVED ENOUGH IN
THEIR CHILDREN’S EDUCATION AND
DON’T KNOW THAT THEY’RE ABLE TO
COME AND SPEAK AND WE HAVE
GROUPS, AS YOU KNOW, OUR
COMMUNITY HAS CHANGED
DRAMATICALLY SINCE YOUR CHILDREN
WERE IN SCHOOL.
WE HAVE MANY IMMIGRANT PARENTS.
WE HAVE VERY POOR-- WE JUST GOT
AN A RATING, MIAMI DADE JUST GOT
AN A RATING FROM THE STATE.
AND WE HAVE THE LARGEST NUMBER
OF POOR STUDENTS IN FLORIDA.
THAT IS WONDERFUL NEWS.
WE SHOULD BE CELEBRATING BUT WE
NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
PARENTS, PARTICULARLY FOR
PARENTS ARE OUR PARTNERS AT ALL
TIMES.
>> LET ME TURN REALLY QUICKLY TO
THE ELECTION COMING UP.
YOU HAVE BEEN IN THAT SCHOOL
BOARD SEAT 24 YEARS, YOU ARE A
VETERAN OF THAT BOARD, BEEN
THROUGH A LOT IT IS A
NONPARTISAN SEAT, YOU ARE A
REPUBLICAN BIPOLAR PARTICULARS,
A CONSERVATIVE WOMAN, ALWAYS HAS
BEEN AND THIS YEAR WE ARE GOING
PRIMARY-- PRIME ARIED, OPPOSED,
AS ARE YOUR COLLEAGUES ON THE
BOARD UP FOR RE-ELECTION BY WHAT
APPEARS TO BE AND WHAT MANY HAVE
DOCUMENTED IS A CONCERTED AND
STRATEGIC STATE EFFORT TO REALLY
PLACE THEIR OWN, THE STATE
ADMINISTRATION’S OWN PEOPLE ON
SCHOOL BOARDS.
YOUR TAKE ON THAT?
>> WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK
THAT AN A RATED SCHOOL DISTRICT,
93 PERCENT GRADUATION RATE, HAVE
I THE LARGEST HIGH SCHOOL IN
FLORIDA, AN A RATING.
I WAS HOPING THAT PEOPLE WOULD
SEE THE GREAT JOB THAT WE ARE
DOING AND I HOPING THAT THEY
THOUGHT I WAS DOING A GREAT JOB.
BUT BECAUSE I VOTED FOR THE MASK
MANDATE TO BE EXTENDED TO-- TWO
WEEKS BECAUSE THAT’S WHY OUR
EXPERTS, OUR MEDICAL EXPERTS
TOLD US TO DO, I-- I HAVE A VERY
WELL FUNDED OPPONENT WHO IS
RECEIVING MONEY FROM
CONSERVATIVE GROUPS THROUGHOUT
THE UNITED STATES.
MONEYS FROM PEOPLE THAT DON’T
EVEN KNOW ME.
AND ALL THE SUCCESSES THAT WE
HAVE HAD AND THAT-- HAD UNDER MY
LEADERSHIP.
ALL THE WONDERFUL SCHOOLS WE
HAVE, ONLY EIGHT, MY ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS ARE ALL RATED A, NO D’S
AND C’S AND.
>> DR. PEREZ, WE KNOW YOU WORK
VERY HARD.
YOU HAVE FOR 24 YEARS AND WE
WILL FOLLOW YOUR CAMPAIGN HERE
FOR RE-ELECTION.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS