Consider This from NPR - What Florida's Parental Rights in Education Law Means for Teachers

Episode Date: April 5, 2022

Florida's Parental Rights in Education law, which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade, was signed into law at the end of March by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Critics have dubbed this it the 'Don't Say Gay' law.A lawsuit has been filed against Gov. DeSantis by several LGBTQ rights advocates in an effort to block the law.NPR's Melissa Block spoke with a number of teachers across the state of Florida who are worried about the chilling effect this law may have on not just what they teach and speak about in the classroom, but how it affects their students' well-being.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [e-mail] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theschmidt.org. There was applause when Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed what is officially known as the Parental Rights in Education Bill, into law last week. We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination. Opponents of the law have a different name for it. They call it the Don't Say Gay Law. Clinton McCracken is one of those critics. He's a middle school art teacher in Orlando who believes this law works to silence and stigmatize students still discovering their identity. Personally, for me, and not just for me, but for the many students that I know who are

LGBTQ or who don't really know what's going on with themselves, it tells them that there's something inappropriate about them. The most controversial part of the new law prevents classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. It also says such instruction has to be, quote, age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate, end quote, for any school age. McCracken took that part personally.

I'm gay. There's nothing inappropriate about me being gay in front of a K-3 grader, and there's nothing inappropriate about me being myself in front of middle schoolers or high schoolers either. Under this law, any parent can bring a complaint to the school district, and if they're not satisfied with the resolution, they can escalate that complaint to the state board of education or sue the school district. This has teachers scared that any mention of LGBTQ people at any school age could be shut down.

McCracken says that would impact a student's creativity. I really want my students to start putting their voice into their artwork. Their art is a way for them to explore the world, explore who they are in the world, to understand their perceptions, to figure out what they think about things. And part of that is to figure out what they think about what's going on in society. Consider this, proponents of Florida's new law say it is about protecting parental rights to decide what their children learn about sexuality and gender. But the way it's written and expected to be enforced has some teachers and parents worried that mentioning these topics at all could run afoul of the law. From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly. It's Tuesday, April 5th. time mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. Download the WISE app today or visit WISE.com. T's and C's apply. Support for NPR and the following message come from Carnegie Corporation of New York, working to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for education, democracy, and peace. More information at carnegie.org.

It's Consider This from NPR. Florida's passage of this law has spurred states governed by Republicans, states such as Georgia, Kansas, and Tennessee, to file similar parental rights bills. Not all of those bills specifically point to how LGBTQ issues are discussed in school. Many Democrats and civil rights organizations perceive Florida's law as attacking LGBTQ people. LGBTQ rights groups are suing to block the law from taking effect. Well, Equality Florida is one of those groups filing suit. Joe Saunders is senior political director. efforts to create inclusive school environments and isolates LGBTQ young people who are already at staggeringly higher risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation than their peers.

In Florida, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network found that 10% of students suffered from physical assault because of how their peers viewed their sexuality or gender identity. But Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez denies this law would have adverse impacts on LGBTQ youth, even the aspects of the bill that would essentially out a student's identity to their parents. We're not concerned about this creating a potential negative or a potential harmful situation because we made provisions for instances where the teacher or the counselor may feel that that child may be in danger of neglect, abandonment, or abuse. That is contemplated in the bill. Nunez defended this legislation in an interview with NPR's Kelsey

Snow. She said this law was not aiming to prevent all mention of LGBTQ topics. There is no attempt to silence a child's question or to silence or erase a child's history. They have two moms and they want to share it in a family tree or they want to talk about it. Nothing will preclude that child from sharing their family history, their questions. When asked if this law was meant to apply to middle school students or high school students, she said this. The bill is very specific about prohibiting classroom instruction grades K through three. There's no denying it again. However, as it relates to the higher grades, it says as age appropriate, developmentally appropriate. And so I think that when you look at age appropriateness, whether it's regarding Holocaust curriculum, human trafficking,

or other curriculum, I think we all agree that it should be age-appropriate. Equality Florida is not buying that. Its lawsuit says, quote, the potential for arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement here is self-evident. The suit also contends that parents can use the threat of litigation over vague statutory terms to menace school boards and intimidate teachers into offering a skewed discriminatory curriculum. NPR's Melissa Block reports teachers in Florida already understand this fear. Here's the question Paula Stevens hears most from her first graders in Clearwater,

Florida. Spoiler alert, it's not about sexual orientation or gender identity. It's... Is it snack time? Stevens is puzzled by the law. After all, she says, teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity isn't in the first grade curriculum. But in class, they do talk a lot about kids' families, some with two moms or two dads. It makes me wonder when I talk about families in my classroom, am I going to be violating this law because the children were having discussions about what their family looks like? The law's sponsors say that's not the intent, but Stevens fears the language is so vague it will have a chilling effect, and she worries about what other topics might become a target.

What's next? If they're going after this conversation now, where does this stop? Beyond K through third grade, the Florida law also says any instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in any grade has to be, quote, age appropriate. Opponents say the law will effectively muzzle any discussion out of fear. Under the law, parents can sue if they believe the school is in violation. Honestly, I feel like it's just a blatant attack on education. That's Jorge Botello. He teaches eighth grade American history at Osceola Middle School in rural Okeechobee, Florida, so that age-appropriate language would apply to his classes. And he gives this example.

Will he still feel comfortable telling students that the Revolutionary War hero, the Prussian General von Steuben, is widely believed to have been openly gay? When you look back in history, there's clear examples of how these different groups that are being attacked today actually helped form our country. You know, they're a part of our story. Botello believes lessons like that can empower LGBTQ students, weaving them into America's history. And as a Mexican-American, he knows how important representation is. Growing up, he didn't see himself in the history books. I know that I have to think a little harder when I navigate that next year,

now that this bill is going to be in effect. The new law feels like a hateful, personal attack to Clinton McCracken, who has taught art for 21 years at Howard Middle School Academy of Arts in Orlando. As a gay man, he says, it tells him and his LGBTQ students that there's something inappropriate about them, that their identity is taboo or somehow dirty. The Trevor Project found last year that 42% of LGBTQ students have considered attempting suicide. And I can tell you, as someone who grew up as a gay boy, how real that statistic is and how dangerous it is that these Republican legislators are playing with the safety of our vulnerable youth.

McCracken is appalled when he hears DeSantis claim that schools are, in the governor's words, sexualizing kids and, quote, injecting transgenderism into the classroom. This is a created culture war from him so that he can achieve his political ambitions. That's all this is. So I'm not teaching kids how to be gay in my classroom. But I'll tell you what I am doing. I am trying with all my power to teach kids to be okay with who they are. McCracken says the teachers he's talked with say they won't be silenced. They'll keep on teaching just as they have been. If that means parents sue their school districts, he says, then so be it. It's still the right thing to do. And PR's Melissa Block. Now, it is worth noting

that certain Florida teachers are not the only people wary of this law. The Biden administration has spoken out against it. Here's White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. Well, I think that you have seen the president speak passionately about his view that a bill like this, a bill that would discriminate against families, against kids, is discriminatory. It's a form of bullying. It is horrific. Hosts Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes weighed in during the opening monologue of the 94th Academy Awards. We're going to have a great night tonight. And for you people in Florida, we're going to have a gay night.

And Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke up at a recent stockholder meeting. I called Governor DeSantis this morning to express our disappointment and concern that if legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary and transgender kids and families. Now, Disney matters here because Disney employs tens of thousands of people in Florida and brings millions of people every year to Disney World in Orlando. But the governor's office has frequently railed against what it calls corporate wokeness. Florida Republicans are now threatening to revoke special privileges in state law that the company enjoys, such as allowing Disney World to operate like an independent city. Here's Lieutenant Governor Nunez again. We will never back down from a fight, especially when it's a matter of principle. And when you look at Disney,

when you look at where they have come on this position, on this issue, they have kowtowed to an agenda that we believe is a radical agenda. And for them to say they're going to work to repeal this bill, well, good luck with that. It's Consider This. From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly. Support for NPR and I'm Mary Louise Kelly.