The Orlando Sentinel published a two-page print spread Thursday listing 673 books that have been removed from classrooms in Orange County in 2023 due to fears they violate the state’s new laws banning “sexual conduct” from public schools.
Teachers with any of the 673 books on their classroom shelves have been instructed by the school district to remove them, the newspaper said, also noting that the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) staff will review the list of rejected books once again, so it’s possible the books will eventually be returned to the classroom. The district began compiling the list over the summer.
The list stems from two Florida laws signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis ®, who is also running for president. They require media specialists to review books in libraries and classrooms, and to exclude books that include sexually lewd material or pornography. The legislation also aims to give parents greater ability to raise objections to their children’s education.
That’s a privileged statement - many don’t have the choice of regularly accessing multiple libraries (due to lack of supply or transportation). For some, the school library is THE library.
Also why would you EVER want to hinder a child that’s actually intellectually curious and ready to learn (in that magical and increasingly rare moment) to say, “No, you have to find a way to go to another place and maybe they’ll have it”. They may also walk away feeling judged and othered and avoid seeking that literature, as some children are very sensitive to perception by others.
You just don’t have a defensible position as considered by any rational adult. Both of these are public institutions, school libraries should have the same books that a city library would stock for the age ranges of a given school - there is no functional difference. Your “only banned in schools though right?” statement suggests that you REALLY need to go read the poem, “first they came for…”
You’re unquestionably wrong, there’s no ambiguity there, just hopeful that you can realize that in time and evolve forward - your kids are watching and learning from how you approach these things.