A top Florida education official is defending a Miami Lakes public school's decision to restrict elementary students from reading the recited at President Joe Biden鈥檚 inauguration.
Local officials pulled Amanda Gorman鈥檚 poem 鈥淭he Hill We Climb鈥� from the elementary grades section of the library at the Bob Graham Education Center after a parent claimed it was meant to 鈥渃ause confusion and indoctrinate students.鈥�
The decision 鈥� by a committee of teachers, a media specialist and the school鈥檚 principal 鈥� to restrict access to the book at the K-8th grade school was first reported by the .
In an interview with WLRN, Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz said the Miami Lakes school was following policy.
鈥淭he process worked,鈥� Diaz said. 鈥淎 parent has the right to make a complaint. But the process was put into effect and it worked where they deemed the proper placement of the books. And the students still have access to it at the right level. And no books were banned.鈥�
"The process worked [...] A parent has the right to make a complaint. But the process was put into effect and it worked where they deemed the proper placement of the books."Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz
In comments to 港澳天下彩and at a State Board of Education meeting in Hialeah on Wednesday, Diaz repeatedly argued that state officials are not banning books.
鈥淲e do not remove any books. We haven鈥檛 removed any books. We will not remove any books,鈥� Diaz said.
Books challenges come in response to new state laws and policies
The censorship of books in public schools across the state are local decisions made by local officials, Diaz said. But the flurry of removals and reshelvings come in response to new state laws and state policies increasing scrutiny of instructional materials and empowering parents and residents to decide what is considered 鈥渁ppropriate鈥�.
In official issued by the Florida Department of Education earlier this year, state officials they could be charged with a crime if they provide books that are deemed 鈥渉armful to minors鈥�, a reference to the state鈥檚 .
According to a review by the free expression advocacy group , 175 books have been removed from shelves in Florida. Meanwhile the says the number of attempted book bans nationwide is the highest on record 鈥� and that the 鈥渧ast majority鈥� of titles being targeted are by or about .
READ MORE: Penguin Random House and 5 authors are suing a Florida school board over book bans
Among the books being targeted in Florida are 鈥淭he Bluest Eye鈥� by the chronicler of the Black American experience , and the children鈥檚 book , which is about two male penguins raising a chick together.
Poet Amanda Gorman says she鈥檚 'gutted' by restriction against her writing
At the school in Miami Lakes, a total of four titles were moved from the elementary grades section to the middle grades section of the library, including 鈥淭he ABCs of Black History鈥� by Rio Cortez and 鈥淐uban Kids鈥� by George Ancona.
In a written statement, a spokesperson for Miami-Dade County Public Schools said 鈥淸n]o literature (books or poem) has been banned or removed.鈥�
鈥淚t was determined at the school that 鈥淭he Hill We Climb鈥� is better suited for middle school students and it was shelved in the middle school section of the media center. The book remains available in the media center,鈥� the statement reads.
鈥淚 wrote The Hill We Climb so that all young people could see themselves in a historical moment [...] Robbing children of the chance to find their voices in literature is a violation of their right to free thought and free speech.鈥�Poet Amanda Gorman
Gorman, who is Black, has said she鈥檚 鈥済utted鈥� by the decision, which she sees as an act of censorship.
鈥淚 wrote The Hill We Climb so that all young people could see themselves in a historical moment. Ever since, I鈥檝e received countless letters and videos from children inspired by The Hill We Climb to write their own poems,鈥� Gorman wrote. 鈥淩obbing children of the chance to find their voices in literature is a violation of their right to free thought and free speech.鈥�
Earlier this month, PEN America and Penguin Random House 鈥� the country鈥檚 largest publisher 鈥� filed a against the Escambia County School District, arguing restrictions on library books in the district are unconstitutional.
— Amanda Gorman (@TheAmandaGorman)
State board of ed moves forward with state list of challenged books
The Florida Board of Education, meanwhile, approved a new rule on Wednesday that will lead to the state annually publishing a list of books and instructional materials that have drawn public objections.
The rule will carry out part of a controversial 2022 law, , that increased scrutiny of school library books and instructional materials, amid a broader push by state officials to weed out content deemed "inappropriate."
State Board of Education Chair Ben Gibson touted the new rule as allowing for a 鈥渟tandardized reporting mechanism鈥� statewide.
鈥淚t does continue to provide transparency for our families. It will also give us a way to post that material, which is required,鈥� Gibson said.
Beginning next month, school districts will have to report to the state by June 30 of each year which books were challenged and the rationale for the objections. The Florida Department of Education will then publish a statewide list by August 30 of each year.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
