Miami-Dade Public Schools is the largest school district in Florida and the fourth largest in the nation, responsible for educating over 334,000 students.
The board did them a huge disservice this week after members rejected two proposed sex education textbooks, citing concerns they violate the state’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill, aka “Don’t Say Gay.”The bill was signed into law by Gov.
Ron DeSantis in March. Since then, reports of teachers being told to remove signage indicating a classroom is a “safe space” for LGBTQ students and inform parents if a child’s peer is “open about their gender identity” in P.E.
class have confirmed critics’ worst fears.The 5-4 board decision to ban the books not only leaves the district without a sex ed curriculum for middle and high school students less than one month from the start of the fall semester, it ensures that whatever course they do wind up with will be insufficient.Despite Florida law allowing parents to opt their children out of sex ed, 278 parents petitioned against the materials, which included lessons on gender identity and unplanned pregnancies.“Some of the chapters are extremely troublesome,” said board member Mari Tere Rojas. “I do not consider them to be age appropriate.