On Friday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill into law requiring state school districts to be transparent with parents about what is in the school's curriculum.
The bill, HB 1467, ensures that parents have the right to know what their children are being taught in school by ordering school districts to be transparent about their instructional materials, including library and reading materials.
"In Florida, our parents have every right to be involved in their child's education. We are not going to let politicians deny parents the right to know what is being taught in our schools. I'm proud to sign this legislation that ensures curriculum transparency," Governor Ron DeSantis said in a statement.
School districts must also make all materials available to the public at least 20 days before the school board makes an official decision on instructional materials. The legislation further requires the Department of Education to publish a list of materials that were either removed or discontinued by the school boards because of an objection and then send the list to school districts for further consideration.
"School district library media center materials and assigned school or grade-level reading lists must also be reviewed by a district employee holding a valid educational media specialist certificate and require DOE to develop an online training program for librarians and media specialists," a press release from the governor's office stated.
"The superintendent of schools in each district must certify to the DOE Commissioner that all school librarians and media center specialists have taken this training."
The newly signed legislation also sets 12-year term limits for school board members.
Richard Corcoran, who serves as the Commissioner of Education, praised DeSantis for signing the bill.
"Governor DeSantis has shown time and time again that he is not afraid to fight for the rights of parents and understands the importance that they have a seat at the table when it comes to their child's education," Corcoran said. "I'm grateful for the Governor's guidance and the voices of many parents, who have come forward and demands that parents be seen as a partner in their child's education."
The signing of the curriculum transparency bill comes after DeSantis declared that 2022 is the "Year Of The Parent" during this year's Legislative Session earlier this month, Christian Daily reports.
"If you look at what has been done in terms of funding and in terms of policy, this really was the year of the parent in the state of Florida," the governor said.
"As a parent of three kids that are age five and under, thank you for letting me and my wife send our kids to kindergarten without them being sexualized. If you look at the transparency provisions, we in Florida showed our commitment to education, not to indoctrination. And I thank the legislators for doing that," he added.
DeSantis, who is highly regarded as a top presidential candidate in the 2024 election, recently came under fire for pushing an LGBT education bill. The bill, which critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay Bill," bans any teaching on gender identity and sexual orientation for kindergarten through third-grade students.
HB 1467 will go into effect on July 1, 2022.
Related:
'You Peddle False Narratives': DeSantis Blasts Media, Says LGBT Bill Protects K-3rd Grades
Photo courtesy: ©National Cancer Institute/Unsplash
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
