DeSantis Signs Curriculum Transparency Legislation

March 25, 2022 Updated 2:28 P.M. ET

DAYTONA BEACH (FCV) – Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed H.B. 1467, “K-12 Education,” a bill that will require school districts to enact greater transparency measures like allowing parents to see library books, class book lists, instructional materials, along with the ability to review and object to class materials.

The bill will also ensure that the school curriculum and “teacher professional development” align with state standards and the required instruction “including no CRT [Critical Race Theory] or Common Core.”

“In Florida, our parents have every right to be involved in their child’s education. We are not going to let politicians deny parents the right to know what is being taught in our schools. I’m proud to sign this legislation that ensures curriculum transparency,” DeSantis said Friday.

The new legislation will also require that school districts make meetings open to the public when selecting instructional materials. There must be 20 days of public access to these materials before taking “official action” on them.

The Department of Education must publish a list of materials that have been removed or discontinued by school boards due to objections.

A specialist with a “media specialist certificate” will be needed to review library media center materials and assigned school grading lists.

“While teachers, school administrators, and school board members have a tremendous amount of authority over what and how our kids are taught in school, at the end of the day, parents — not schools — are responsible for raising children,” Senate President Wilton Simpson remarked.

“Florida parents are seeking greater involvement in many aspects of our education system, and this legislation speaks to that effort.”

“Recently I discovered one of the most disturbing, pornographic books in my child’s high school in Orange County,” Alicia Farrant, a parent from Orange County said.

“After some research, I learned that an alarming percentage of high school and middle school library books contain similar material. It is appalling that removal of pornographic and sexually explicit books has even been cause for debate. I am thankful for a Governor that has the courage to lead with integrity and to partner with parents as we strive to raise the standard of excellence in our education system. Our students deserve to have high quality, academically rich books at their fingertips and under no circumstance should they have access to graphic, pornographic material at school.”