Amanda Prieto is among more than 1,500 parents who have applied to sit on the Miami-Dade County Public School’s social studies textbook review committee.
Prieto said she decided to apply because she is afraid of what others may choose to decide to omit from the history books that public school students get.
“You should have the right for your child to not read something that may be in a library, but my child should have the right to read it, if I say it’s acceptable for them,” Prieto said.
The review committee is being organized just as parental rights take center stage around the country. Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Jose Dotres said he wants to make sure that parents know that they can be involved.
“It is an additional level of responsibility to communicate, to share to parents materials that were are about to adopt,” Dotres said.
The school district will be adopting new social studies instructional materials for students in all grades, as well as for advanced placement courses.
Steve Gallon, a Miami-Dade School Board member, said parents will be picked at random and educational experts will also be part of the committees.
“Parents whose children are going to have access to these materials will have an opportunity to be at the table ... so a parent will have their voice and they’ll also have a vote,” Gallon said.
This process, Gallon said, is consistent with Florida House Bill 1069, which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for students from kindergarten to 8th grade.
The application deadline is 11:59 p.m., June 30. The review of the books begins on July 24 and they will receive procedural training. The deadline for evaluations is Sept. 7.
For more information about the process, visit this page.
For more information about the requirements for participation, visit this page.
For more information about the timeline, visit this page.
The school district adopts instructional materials for subject areas in five-year increments. Here is the current list of the materials that will be under review:
- Grades K-3 Elementary Social Studies
- Grade 4 Elementary Florida History
- Grade 5 Elementary U.S. History
- 6th Grade U.S. History
- 7th Grade Civics
- 8th Grade World History
- 9th Grade World History
- 11th Grade U.S. History
- 12th Grade U.S. Government
- 12th Grade Economics
- High School Personal Finance
- High School Psychology
- AP United States History
- AP Human Geography
- AP World History
- AP United States Government & Politics
- AP Macro Economics