- A Florida school reportedly asked parents to approve their children's participation in Black History Month events.
- One concerned parent told WPLG that she was “shocked” when she received her permit.
- Opt-in activities include presentations celebrating the accomplishments of the Black community.
Parents at a Florida school were asked to approve their students' participation in Black History Month events, the report said.
WPLG reported that parents at Miami's iPrep Academy received permission forms asking if they would like their children to participate in February's Black History Month activities.
It will include school-wide and classroom-based presentations that will “showcase the accomplishments of the Black community and recognize its rich and diverse traditions, history, and countless contributions,” WPLG reported.
One parent, Jill Peeling, told a local news outlet that she was “shocked” by the bill, which would allow parents to effectively remove their children from classes that highlight the achievements of black people.
“As a citizen, I'm concerned,” she told WPLG, adding that she initially thought she might have misunderstood the form.
Steve Garon, a member of the Miami-Dade School Board, told WPLG that the policy is consistent with recent state board regulations and is itself an extension of the Parents' Bill of Rights.
“We have to follow the law,” Garon told a local news outlet.
But he said: “There is something very wrong here, and the fact that the school is having to defend itself against the state is even more disgusting.”
In a statement sent to BI, the Florida Department of Education called the story a “media-driven lie.”
“The insinuation that students need permission to learn African American history is completely false,” the magazine said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has turned Florida's schools into culture war battlegrounds, banning education on sexual orientation and gender identity and restricting the use of pronouns, among other measures.
The administration also introduced legislation banning books and banning DEI initiatives in universities.
DeSantis framed this as a fight against the “woke” and an expansion of parental rights. But his critics denounce this as a violation of academic freedom and human rights.
Marvin Dunn, a professor at Florida International University whose research focuses on school practices and race relations, told WPLG that he worries about the negative impact of decisions like this one. .
He said there would be “unequal learning” about Black history among students.
Dunn tied the move to DeSantis' broader policies, calling it “an attack on education that will force teachers to be more careful about what they teach, and it's working.”
iPrep Academy did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment outside business hours.
