Florida Parental Rights in Education Bill. "Don't Say Gay"
Updated: May 8, 2022
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Florida Parental Rights in Education Bill.
One has to ask why this bill is so controversial to begin with. I have to ask when this country decided that parents were no longer parents. If you look at the mainstream media over the course of the last couple months. You would think that this is an attack on everything LGBTQ and the worst thing to happen since voting rights, the civil rights movement and January 6th.
But what does the bill actually do and what does in entail?
First of all, the bill titled “Florida Parental Rights in Education Bill” HB 1557 filed on January 11th, 2022, is only 7 pages long.
7 Pages. Who can't take the time to read 7 pages? Well, it seems as if no one wants to take the time to read these bills themselves and like taking their talking points from mainstream media and advocacy groups. It takes less than an hour to read 7 pages.
Before I go into the nefarious reporting regarding the bill. I will first cover the contents of it in depth. What is 7 pages? Right?
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1557/BillText/er/PDF
Sections 1-57 are a summary of what the bill entails.
(2-9) Requires school boards to adopt procedures that comport with provisions of the law for notifying a student's parents of specified information.
(9-11) Prohibits schools from preventing parents access to certain records regarding their child.
(11-14) Prohibits school districts from adopting procedures that prevent school district personnel from notifying a parent about specified information.
(14-16) Prohibits school officials from encouraging children to withhold information from a parent.
(17-21) Prohibits school personnel from discouraging or prohibiting notification and involvement in critical decisions. Regarding a child's overall well-being.
(21-23) Prohibits classroom discussion regarding sexual orientation and gender identity
(24-26) Requires training developed or provided by a school to adhere to standards outlined by the Department of Education.
(26-29) Requires school districts to notify parents of healthcare services and provide parents the opportunity to consent or decline such services.
(31-34) Requires school districts to provide parents with a questionnaire or health screening forms and obtain parental consent before administering such questionnaires or forms to a child.
(44-49) Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules that provide requirements to adopt rules authorizing a parent to bring action against a school district that fails to follow the law.
(50-52) Requires the State Board of Education to provide additional award of injunction relief.
(52-57) Requires school districts to adopt policies to notify parents of certain rights. It also requires the department to review, and update specified materials by a certain date.
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I am inclined to ask which part of this bill restricts parents from getting the care that they desire for their children based on the summary alone. All this bill does is give the parents the right to decline services. Or accept those services while being properly notified. And keeps educators from performing said services without the parents' consent.
Whose kids are these? The last time I checked they did not belong to the State or Federal government. And who do these people think they are? These are our children. They do not belong to the State.
You have the option to opt out of these procedures or allow them. Consent. It leaves the choice up to the parent. Not social advocates who are paid to answer TO the parents. They work for us. Not the other way around. So, explain to me where this bill prevents anything besides school officials making decisions for YOUR children on their own without your consent or keeping you informed.
Section 66 (8)(c)1.
Must be in accordance with the rights of Parents as enumerated in the following Florida Legislation.
SS. 1002.20
https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2020/1002.20?msclkid=fffa350cac6411ec88818237542dc220
K-12 student and parent rights. —Parents of public-school students must receive accurate and timely information regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory rights including, but not limited to, the following:
Education
Attendance
Health Issues
Discipline
Safety
Educational Choice
Non-Discrimination
Student Records
Student Progress Reports
Extracurricular Activities
Instructional Materials
Parental Input and Meetings
Transportation
SS 1014.04 https://flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2021/1014.04?msclkid=8d103c64ac6611ecabecf2e86188cee1
Parental rights. — (1) All parental rights are reserved to the parent of a minor child in this state without obstruction or interference from the state, any of its political subdivisions, any other governmental entity, or any other institution, including, but not limited to, all of the following rights of a parent of a minor child in this state:
Direct education/care of minor child
Direct upbringing of minor child
Enroll minor child in public school
Right to access records of minor child
Right to make healthcare decisions of minor child
Right to consent to biometric scan of minor child
Right to consent to obtaining and storing DNA on minor child
Right to consent to video recording minor child
The summary is perfect in regard to what the bill text states. Even if you do not want to read all 7 pages. But I will go over a few of the references and note the most important parts.
(68-73) Schools must notify a parent of any change in the child's mental, emotional or physical health.
(75-78) Requires school district personnel to encourage students to discuss issues relating to their well-being with parents. Or to facilitate that discussion with parents.
(78-81) Procedures may not prohibit parents from accessing any of their child's education and health records.
(82-88) School districts may not adopt procedures that prohibit school personnel from notifying parent about their child's mental, physical or emotional well-being. Nor encourage a child to withhold said information from their parents.
I want to touch on this one for a brief second. Because I believe that they will attempt to use this portion of the bill to prevent information getting to parents due to abuse or neglect concerns. They will abuse this clause.
(91-96) Does not prohibit a school district from adopting procedures that permit school personnel to withhold information from a parent if they believe that the disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment or neglect. As defined in S 39.01
Continuing through the bill.
(97-101) Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through 3rd grade. Or in a manner that is not age appropriate in accordance with State standards.
(102-105) Student support services must adhere to guidelines established by the Department of Education.
(106-109) At the beginning of the school year each school district shall notify parents of healthcare services offered at the child's school. And provide the option to withhold consent or decline any specific service.
This does not eliminate those programs. It gives the parents the opportunity to either consent to or decline those programs for their child. So, what is the issue? If you want to raise your kid, you can do so accordingly
Stop trying to force your beliefs on other people’s children.
(114-118) Must obtain permission from parent before administering a well-being questionnaire to their child in the grades of K-3
Explain to me what is wrong with this bill when it gives the parents the right an opportunity to accept or decline services in regard to THEIR children.
If you want your children to have access to these programs. No one is taking those programs away from you. And it is quite frankly none of your business what a parent does with their child. Worry about your own children.
So, what is the problem? I will show you!
Kowing what we already know about the bill. You also have to look at the counter argument that the opposition to this bill is making. And it is a bold one. But also, gaslighting and strawman arguments. Propaganda.
ABC NEWS “Activists Slam ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills progress in Florida Legislature.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/activists-slam-dont-gay-bills-progress-florida-legislature/story?id=83349499 According to the Article, Jack Petocz, a student activist in Florida states the following.
"Queer people aren't inherently not age-appropriate," Petocz told ABC News Live on Wednesday. "Our existence fosters a more inclusive environment."
Your existence is not being threatened. Your parents have every tool at their disposal to ensure you get the care you seek. At their discretion. You are indeed a child. And that conversation is up to you and YOUR parents. Not you and the parents of other children. Know your place.
The article then goes on to state.
"I call on Gov. DeSantis to have a meeting with me before he signs this into law to hear a firsthand account of how this bill will affect my community," Petocz said.
This bill has absolutely no effect on your community. Nor the community of anyone else. Stop telling other parents what to do with their children.
Sarah Kate Ellis, The CEO of Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) had this to say.
“Why are we even discussing this?” Ellis asked. "What this does at the end of the day is politicize LGBTQ people who just want to go to school, learn how to read and write, and every now and then want to see their families represented as well."
So go to school and learn how to read and write. This bill does absolutely nothing to stop that. It prevents school officials from making decisions on children without the consent and notification of that child's parent. Again, it is not your place to intervene in the life of another parents' child in regard to specific content.
This next article is the definition of propaganda and strawman arguments.
New York Magazine
“The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is even worse than it sounds.”
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/03/florida-dont-say-gay-bill-is-even-worse-than-it-sounds.html
According to the article.
Jean Eckhoff has been teaching history to middle and high school students for 17 years. And had this to say.
“It’s like ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’” she says. “Everyone knows I’m gay, but as long as I don’t talk about it, it’s okay.” And the limit of her activism was “when I went to Pride in New York City.”
So why do you feel the need to talk about it now? What part of your sexual orientation has anything to do with a child’s educational development as outlined in accordance with reading, writing and math according to education standards? She says she doesn’t talk about it. But has a problem with the fact she can't talk about it?
The article then goes on to state the following.
"Under a bill proposed by Republicans in Florida, just saying those words could cost Eckhoff her job. “I feel targeted,” she says. “It would be very easy for a parent to say, ‘There’s my dyke teacher teaching my kid to be gay,’ and sue the school.”
Wrong. As outlined in (2-9) (21-33) of the bill. She simply has to notify and get consent from the child's parents to discuss these things with them. What does your sexuality have to do with the classroom?
"Requires school mental-health counselors to “out” LGBTQ+ children to their parents and makes any discussion of LGBTQ+ issues or identities practically forbidden because parents could start a state investigation and sue for damages anytime, they feel aggrieved."
Wrong. As outlined in (2-9) (9-11) (11-14) (14-16) (17-21) (26-29) of the bill. It does not forbid the conversation. You have to obtain permission from the parent to have the conversation with the child. If you are a parent comfortable with allowing the school to do so, you have the right to give consent. It is not your job to make those decisions for other parents.
"Really, it’s the “Don’t Discuss Anything About Queer or Trans Existence and Don’t Counsel Trans or Gay Kids (Instead, You Must Out Them to Their Parents) or Else Parents Can Force a State Investigation of the School, Get Money Damages, and Probably Get You Fired” bill."
Once again. As referenced in the bill. You have to get CONSENT from the child's parent regarding the conversation. Give the consent if you want to. It is not your place to force that consent on any parent.
"Moreover, the preamble to the bill advocates “prohibiting classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels or in a specified manner” (emphasis added). “Discussion” is much broader than “classroom instruction.” Eckhoff says that as a matter of professional boundaries, she does not discuss her sexual orientation in the classroom."
If you don’t discuss your sexual orientation in the classroom to being with. On what grounds do you have the right to force a parent to allow that conversation to happen to begin with? And what does that have to do with the child's curriculum?
"But a lot of these kids, they just knew. I once had a kid come out to me right in front of the whole class.” Now she’s worried she might lose her job if that happens again."
Wrong. The bill simply states that you must notify the parent of the conversation. Give them a list of resources that they can either consent to or deny. And facilitate that conversation at the parents' discretion. You will only lose your job if you refuse to follow state guidelines and keep that information from the child's parents. You don’t get to have secret conversations with a child regarding sexuality or gender identification.
"The provisions governing school counseling are even worse. The bill requires school boards to “adopt procedures for notifying a student’s parent if there is a change in the student’s services or monitoring related to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being and the school’s ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for the student.” And no district could “prohibit school district personnel from notifying a parent about his or her student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.”
So now we have a problem with notifying parents of their children's well-being? Even though it is already state law to do so. We already discussed this above in regard to SS 1002.20 and SS 1014.04
Does anyone not see the problem with this mentality? They want to keep information from parents and make decisions themselves.
"The principle here is that it is a parent’s absolute right to know such things about their children, but the consequences would be that counselors would have to violate confidentiality and out kids to their parents even if it would cause them to be rejected or thrown out of their homes"
They ACKNOWLEDGE that it is a parental right to know about their children. But then go on to state that they fear children will be kicked out of their home. That is called child endangerment and child neglect. And already against the law. It has nothing to do with safety. It has everything to do with the State trying to control how your children are raised. Remember the clause of this bill that I said they would try to abuse and exploit.
(91-96) Does not prohibit a school district from adopting procedures that permit school personnel to withhold information from a parent if they believe that the disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment or neglect. As defined in S 39.01
"This bill isn’t “Don’t Say Gay.” It’s don’t be gay or trans."
This is what you would call gaslighting. It says nothing about not being allowed to identify a certain way. At all. The Bill simply requires educators to notify and ask for consent regarding children.
More specifically this bill emphasizes grades K-3. And requires material or discussion beyond that to be age appropriate.
No one is saying that you cannot have these conversations or identify a certain way. These children are MINORS. Under the care of their parents until they are legally adults.
You have no right to force anything on any child. And if you feel so strongly that you do. Get another job. Because you are not paid to be parents. You are tax funded educators that answer to the people. The people do not answer to you.
You can play semantics and propaganda all day long. This should be the NATIONAL standard. And should be adopted by every state. Our children's education and the way we raise them is our choice. Not yours. This is not up to the Federal Government either. Being that they were never enumerated these powers under Article 1,2 or 3 of the Constitution. The 10th Amendment delegates these rights to the States and the People.
The more you press this issue the less likely parents are to remain peaceful. As a parent myself. I am tired of being told what is appropriate and not appropriate for my child. That is MY decision. Not yours. Keep your ideologies out of our children's heads and do what you are paid to do. Teach them how to read and write. And leave the life lessons up to the parents. Keyword. Parents.
You are educators. And I will not sit by and hear a lecture from people halfway across the country about what is best for my child. When most of these advocates do not have children themselves. Maybe that is half the problem. These advocates don’t have any children of their own to raise. So, they feel like it is their right to raise ours according to their wishes.
Someone like Raven-Symone, who has no children, can stage protests on the other side of the country and think that she has the right to tell parents what they can and cannot do with their children.
I fought for this country 2 times in Afghanistan. Imagine what I will do for my child at home.
This has nothing to do with anything besides State and Government control over our kids. And conditioning them for future voter rolls. Indoctrination at its finest. You play around too much, and you'll find out why our founding fathers made sure We the People have certain rights.
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