Last school year’s reports from the Florida Board of Education showed that a majority of the hundreds of books removed from public school libraries for review were returned with restrictions for age and parental consent.
Some parents, like Lee County mother of three Hadley Cross, are glad to see many titles returned.
“They’re classics, they shouldn’t be banned. That’s history,” Cross said.
With the passing of educational statute 1006.28 in 2022, school districts were left to form their own review committees and processes for addressing challenged books. The results have been varied.
Collier County pulled 316 books for review and removed three from circulation. Lee County reviewed 30 books and removed six. In Charlotte County, 78 books were reviewed but all of them were returned to circulation.
“Charlotte County Public Schools has implemented a thorough and transparent process aligned with the requirements of House Bill 1069 to ensure all media center materials are age-appropriate and educationally suitable,” Charlotte County schools spokesperson Claudette Smith said.
Ken Flaugh, CEO and co-founder of Florida Citizens Alliance, believes that schools should be doing more to protect students. The Collier County-based nonprofit group focuses on expanding the laws on educational guidelines to match its Judeo-Christian beliefs.
“This is government education paid for by taxpayer money that is violating Florida statute,” Flaugh said. “The argument is really that simple, and yet there are so many people on the left who are arguing that we're just banning books, right? We're just crazy book banners. Well, we're crazy at trying to protect the safety of our kids.”
The Florida Freedom to Read Project spokesperson Raegan Miller has two children in public schools. She said she sees these books as educational tools, even when they contain mature themes.
“Ignorance does not protect innocence,” Miller said. “I want my kids prepared for the real world. Sometimes these topics are tough, and sometimes the book is the best. The other thing is to keep our students competitive with colleges and universities on SAT exams. A lot of these books are tested on those exams, and our students need to be prepared for that.”
Although many books eventually were returned to the shelves, most were missing from libraries for months or longer. Widespread book removals can limit the available material for students who are getting ready for standardized tests.
Media specialists in Collier, Lee, and Charlotte schools go through certification from the Florida Department of Education to review materials yearly. Each district has a media advisory committee that reviews any titles that cause concerns. Parents also can specifically request limited access to certain books.
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