Shakespeare is now being censored in some Florida schools amid confusion over new Ron DeSantis law, an expension of the Florida Governor’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.Photo:Brandon Bell/Getty; Dinendra Haria/Anadolu Agency via Getty
Brandon Bell/Getty; Dinendra Haria/Anadolu Agency via Getty
The works of William Shakespeare are now being censored in some Florida schools amid confusion stemming from Gov.Ron DeSantis’ new book-challenge law, HB 1069, which has spawned an uptick in book bans and increased scrutiny surrounding schools' education materials.
After the Florida governor approved and promoted the legislation last week, media specialists said that the English playwright’s works — many of which are longtime staples of American high school curriculum — would likely be deemed unfit for classroom use, theTallahassee Democratreported.
HB 1069 requires Florida schools to remove any media containing the state’s definition of “sexual conduct,” a category that also includes required materials for the College Board’s Advanced Placement Literature exam, per the outlet.
Now, after over a month of conflicting interpretations of the law, the state has said that Shakespeare’s works are fit for classrooms, according tothe outlet. Despite this, districts are handling the news differently across the state.
Hillsborough County, however, stated on Monday that going forward, its teachers will only teach excerpts of the iconic playwright’s works, omitting sections containing sexual content, per theTampa Bay Times, who wasfirst to break the news.
The decision to limit the amount of Shakespeare taught in its classrooms was made “in consideration of the law,” according to a district spokesperson, but it was also part of a district-wide curriculum redesign.
The redesign was made to accommodate revised state teaching standards and help students succeed on new exams that boast a wide variety of literary styles and periods, per the outlet.
“We need to make sure our students are prepared with enough material during the year so they will be prepared for their assessments,” the spokesperson said.
Ron DeSantis, Republican presidential candidate and current Florida Governor, approved and promoted the legislation that has caused Florida educators to restrict the teaching of Shakespeare’s works in the classroom.AP Photo/Meg Kinnard
AP Photo/Meg Kinnard
According to the Tampa Bay Times, teachers in Hillsborough County have been advised to instruct within the approved guidelines — which call for excerpts clean of “sexual conduct” — and, if they do not, may face parent complaints or disciplinary cases at their institutions.
After wind of the Shakespeare restrictions caught national attention, the Department of Education attempted to remedy the subsequent confusion with astatementto the Tampa Bay outlet.
The mixed messages and Florida school districts’ reactions to the new legislation are the most recent example of educators being uncertain about how to interpret state officials' wide-reaching legislation.
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This year, DeSantis' administration alsobanned a new Advanced Placement course on African American historyfrom high school classrooms in the state, asserting that the class “lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law.”
More recently, the Florida governor defendedacademic standardsfrom the state’s Board of Education that now require middle schools to teach that enslaved people “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for theirpersonal benefit.”
source: people.com
