The Biden administration sharply criticized Republicans in Florida for backing a measure that, if signed into law, would prevent discussions of gender and sexuality in the state’s schools.
, in more general reference to the debates about education that have become increasingly prominent in local and national politics. “Across the country, we’re seeing Republican leaders taking action to regulate what students can or cannot read, what they can or cannot learn, and most troubling, who they can or cannot be.
Both chambers of the Florida Legislature are advancing the measure, which is described as a parental-rights bill that reinforces “the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children” byif those districts fail to make proper disclosures about their educational practices.
The most controversial stipulation of the proposed legislation says that a “school district may not encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.” The language is vague enough for broad interpretation, thus likely discouraging teachers from engaging in topics pertaining to sexuality.
DeSantis has emerged as a favorite target. Last month, Psaki pivoted from a question about mask mandates in schools to criticize the governor on how he had handled federal education appropriations.Earlier, the press secretary branded DeSantis’s insistence on COVID-19 treatments that are ineffective against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus