2 Pinellas men challenged 7 books, but don't want them banned. Here's why.

[teach1st]

The two former Pinellas County (St. Pete, Clearwater) teachers want to show how the ambiguous language about instructional materials coming from Tallahassee lawmakers is a dangerous, unneccessary slippery slope.

2 Pinellas men challenged 7 books, but don’t want them banned. Here’s why.
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Their formal objections with the school district target longtime children’s favorites, and the Bible.

Tampa Bay Times, 4/11/2023

For generations, Syd Hoff’s “Danny and the Dinosaur” has offered young readers a fun, easy-to-digest tale of what life might be like with a prehistoric friend.

When creating its new language arts standards, the Florida Department of Education included the 1958 book on its list of materials for teachers seeking to include “rich and meaningful texts” in their first grade classrooms.

Adam Graham and Brian Hawley, two former Pinellas County educators, have contended the book doesn’t belong in any school — not to mention on the state recommended list. The Pinellas district has 46 copies, including Spanish and recorded versions, in various elementary libraries.

“The book is outdated, and uses racist/sexist terms, concepts and visuals today’s culture finds abhorrent and inappropriate,” they wrote in a formal challenge.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2023/04/11/pinellas-school-board-books-banned-challenge-objection-moms-for-liberty-bluest-eye/

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