DeSantis signs bill on book selection rules, school board term limitsStanding behind a sign proclaiming “curriculum transparency,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed into law a measure setting added requirements for schools as they select books.
“I think it’s going to help give parents a lot of confidence that they can send their kids to school and they’ll get an education but they’re not necessarily going to be indoctrinated in things that are very, very questionable,” said DeSantis, appearing at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach..
In recent months, parents in several counties including Hillsborough have urged their school districts to remove titles that they have deemed pornographic and questioned how they landed on the shelves in the first place. Many relate to LGTBQ coming of age stories such as Gender Queer, a graphic novel that Pinellas County schools pulled and which DeSantis specifically mentioned.
The bill (HB 1467) also sets 12-year limits on the terms of school board members, starting with those who win in the Nov. 8 general election.
“I’m a big believer in term limits,” DeSantis said, suggesting Florida should have them for Congress and other elected offices too. “But you don’t always even have to wait for that to attach. You can throw the bums out in the election.”
He said he planned to get “involved” this fall in local board elections.
Both portions of the new law have drawn criticism.
Regarding the term limits, legal experts have suggested the Legislature and governor might not have the authority to restrict length of service for school board members, whose posts are established in the state Constitution...................
https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2022/03/25/desantis-signs-bill-on-book-selection-rules-school-board-term-limits/
