Florida Teachers Union, LCS voice concerns over state book review process

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Members of the Florida Teachers Union and Leon County Schools were joined outside of the Capitol Tuesday voicing their concerns over the state’s new mandated book review process for schools.

HB 1467 would require school districts to catalog every book on their shelves and submit them to the state beginning this year.

Several impassioned teachers, administrators, school book authors and parents voiced their concerns over the review process at the rally saying it does not protect children.

“They need to be able to pick up books that they read,” said Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar. “Teachers buy books for kids all the time, and when they’re buying books, they’re thinking about their students. They want to make sure that they’re buying books that their students are going to read, that are age-appropriate, academically appropriate and subject appropriate.”

Beginning this year, librarians and media specialists with school districts will also be required to undergo “special training” for selecting library materials.

Sparr said in conversations with “hundreds of teachers” throughout the state there have been no complaints waged by parents over books used in the school curriculum.

Superintendent of Leon County Schools Rocky Hanna said he thinks the legislation is pitting educators against parents and students.

“For so long we have worked together, where the parent and the teacher were supportive of the child and now, unfortunately, find ourselves in a different time, in a different dawn, in a different day,” Hanna said. “I promise you that we want to continue to work with our classroom teachers and our teachers’ union to what’s right for you and more importantly what’s right for the children we serve.”

Other speakers at the event said the process of banning certain books breeds “intolerance” and “misinformation” for students.

Spar added that in conversations with parents regarding books used for classroom learning and in school libraries, he has heard no pushback about books that need to be pulled from school shelves.

To this point, Leon County Schools said they have not received any objections to any school-provided material for academic use. However, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference last week that 23 districts were found in “violation.”

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