Judd LegumJan 26, 2023

RT @[email protected]

1. Florida teachers are being told to remove all books from their classroom libraries OR FACE FELONY PROSECUTION

The new policy is based on the premise that teachers are using books to "groom" students or indoctrinate them with leftist ideologies.

🧵

https://popular.info/p/florida-teachers-told-to-remove-books

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/1617518566953349120

Florida teachers told to remove books from classroom libraries or risk felony prosecution

Teachers in Manatee County, Florida, are being told to make their classroom libraries — and any other "unvetted" book — inaccessible to students, or risk felony prosecution. The new policy is part of an effort to comply with new laws and regulations championed by Governor Ron DeSantis (R). It is based on the premise, promoted by right-wing advocacy groups, that teachers and librarians are using books to "groom" students or indoctrinate them with leftist ideologies.

Popular Information
Show threadJudd LegumJan 26, 2023

UPDATE: On Tuesday evening, the Manatee County School Board discussed this policy for about a hour.

Things are even worse than they appeared.

Follow along if interested.

🧵

Show threadJudd LegumJan 26, 2023

2. First, Dr. Laurie Breslin, the head of curriculum for the school district, confirmed that all books in classroom libraries must be vetted before they can be made available to students.

She also confirmed the TEACHERS and LIBRARIANS have NO TIME to do this

So what happens?

Show threadJudd LegumJan 26, 2023

3. The district is recruiting VOLUNTEERS to come into classrooms and review the teachers books.

Who is likely to volunteer? The same right-wing activists who are pushing the idea that teachers are using books to "groom" or indoctrinate students

Show threadJudd LegumJan 26, 2023
4. During the meeting, Cindy Spray, a member of the school board who recently won election with the endorsement of @[email protected] and @[email protected], called for a "mass exodus" of books from classroom libraries
Show threadJudd LegumJan 26, 2023

@[email protected] @[email protected] 5. Spray seized on the use of volunteers to promote her agenda.

She says teachers have used books to "infiltrate" the classroom with ideas that are inappropriate for students.

"Sign up we need to get these books out of these schools"

Show threadJudd LegumJan 26, 2023
@[email protected] @[email protected] 6. If you were a teacher, would you like Ms Spray's friends to come into your classroom & review every book in your classroom library, having been told by the school district & the Florida Depart of Education that having the wrong book could result in 3rd degree felony charges?
Show threadJudd LegumJan 26, 2023
@[email protected] @[email protected] 7. Perhaps the most disingenuous part of the meeting is when another DeSantis-endorsed Manatee County school board member, Richard Tatem, suggested that teachers covering up their libraries was just an overreaction
Show threadJudd LegumJan 26, 2023

@[email protected] @[email protected] 8. This week, teachers in Manatee county received messages from school principals stating: "Remove or cover all classroom libraries until all materials can be reviewed"

The teachers were doing exactly what they were instructed to do!

It was no an overreaction.

Show threadJudd LegumJan 26, 2023

9. So now teachers in Manatee County are faced with a choice:

1. Keep their classroom libraries inaccessible

2. Turn over all books to unknown (and potentially politically-motivated) "volunteers" for review

Show threadHarry Callahan

@juddlegum 3rd option: move all the books to neighborhood "share a book" stations around the school community and encourage students to enjoy the free amenity.

You might have to replenish occasionally to offset rightwingnut vandalism & theft, but if they resort to banning "share a book," then America is in even worse shape than I thought.

Florida sucks!

#desantis
#Florida
#bookban

Jan 26, 2023 at 2:33pmWeb
Show threadHarry CallahanJan 26, 2023

@juddlegum Another option could be to hang a banner over the empty or curtained bookshelf with a list of all of the titles and brief summaries of the collection, with a headline:

"These books have not yet been vetted. They will be available once the Florida government deems them safe for you to read. The books are available for your personal purchase at most digital and print retailers. Sorry for the inconvenience. Vote!"

#desantis
#Florida
#bookban

Show threadWill EastonJan 26, 2023
@HarryCallahan @juddlegum could also add, "The books are also likely available from the Brooklyn Public Library, which offers free digital library cards to anyone ages 13 to 21."
Show threadHarry CallahanJan 26, 2023
@Willeaston @juddlegum Love it!