A Florida school district is drawing fire for asking parents to consent to having their children participate in the reading of an African American author’s book to comply with state law.
“I had to give permission for this or else my child would not participate???” wrote one parent, Charles Walter, who posted a photo of a Miami-Dade County Public Schools permission slip to X on Monday evening.
The form describes the activity as a “read aloud” scheduled for Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the library. Next to “types of guest that may attend the activity or event,” it says: “fireman/doctor/artist.”
In an interview Tuesday, Walter, 46, said the form came from his daughter Eva’s first grade teacher at Coral Way K-8 in Miami.
Walter said that, after he saw it, he gave the teacher verbal consent for Eva to take part but was told that if his daughter didn’t return a signed form, she could not participate.
“My daughter didn’t even mention it to me,” Walter said. “She didn’t want me to sign it because she thought it would be boring.”
He added: “The idea that kids can have a say in what activities they participate in is really strange. And then the idea that some kids would be taken out of class, that just seems bizarre.”
The requirement was implemented to comply with the Parental Rights in Education law, which was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022. Supporters say it gives parents greater control over their children’s education, while critics call it the “Don’t Say Gay” law. The law was expanded to prevent classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in all grades.
DeSantis, a Republican, has signed legislation on several education issues, including what he has called the “Stop WOKE ACT,” which limits how race can be taught in school. He has also accused public schools of liberal indoctrination.
Walter, whose other daughter is a fourth grader at the same school, said he has never…
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