Orange school board still fighting DeSantis’ new laws
Our Orange County School Board is working to mitigate the attack on education by Ron DeSantis’ new laws. These laws are racist, homophobic and sexist. The laws are so vague that applying them to our schools is difficult. One Friday night, I heard this School Board’s commitment to do the best they could NOT to let the laws hurt our children.
We face laws that deny the existence of LGBTQIA+ students and demonize trans children. There is no clarity on what the laws allow — for example, there’s no clarity on using a parent-requested name or on pronoun use. Nearly all the Board members will move to define what a school and teacher can use, since guidance from the state is absent.
A small group is intent on extensive book banning. Books teach leadership, empathy, different viewpoints, critical thinking and more. Removing books with LGBTQIA+, true African American history, and racism content hurts our children and their prospects. They need to read a variety of viewpoints and be able to hear their own voice in what they read. The Board made clear they were overseeing book bans.
The Board can’t recommend guidelines that have teachers break laws. The Board will provide guidelines that support students while ensuring that teachers don’t lose their teaching certificates. Board members can’t risk being removed because their replacements would be DeSantis appointees, making the situation worse for our schools.
Debbie Deland Orlando
Debbie Deland is president of the Florida National Organization for Women.
University board muzzling dissenters
Brian Lamb, chair of the Florida Board of Governors, apparently thinks it is not worth his time to hear from people influenced by the board’s decisions. On Thursday, it happened when the board was considering diversity and equity policies (“Crowd chants ‘Let us speak!’” Nov. 10). What a curious position for someone leading a state body.
While citizens made time on a weekday afternoon to voice their concerns about DEI policies, Lamb cut them off at 15 minutes. Other public bodies have been known to hold public comments into the wee hours.
As a stakeholder in our public university system — as a taxpayer and parent of a state university student — I am appalled by the arrogance. Lamb said 15 minutes was customary, which is not the same thing as compulsory. Vote as you see fit, but please let the people speak their minds.
Mary Ann Horne Orlando
Why limit school testing?
So, now that the Florida GOP has greatly expanded the school vouchers system, they want to eliminate the proficiency testing for third-grade retention and high school graduation tests — what a crock! It’s hard to believe that these are not related.
Tom Caffery Orlando
