Claim: Sarasota teachers cannot purchase books, receive donated books, or order from Scholastic, and the school does not host book fairs.
There was considerable discussion on social media about the new rules as Florida schools began implementing changes mandated by HB 1467, an education bill signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year.
A screenshot of one of the tweets about a school in Sarasota was shared by The Other 98%, a left-wing Facebook page with nearly 7 million followers.
“My heart is heavy for an educator in Sarasota, Florida,” reads the screenshot. “They were recently told they couldn’t buy books, donate books or reading materials to classrooms, order from Scholastic, or hold book fairs at schools.”
The Aug. 16 Facebook post was shared more than 4,800 times in two days and received thousands of comments, many of which expressed outrage. original tweetPosted by the account @MrsHallScholars.
HB 1467 allows parents to review and object to all materials, including books. The law also sets term limits for school board members, creates selection requirements for school materials, and requires school districts to hold public meetings related to materials.
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As the post suggests, teachers at schools in Sarasota County have been told not to buy or accept books donated to their classrooms.The school district told USA TODAY that it is freezing such purchases to comply with new regulations.
Students can continue to order Scholastic books to take home, and schools can host book fairs scheduled for fall 2022 and spring 2023.
USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared this allegation for comment.
Sarasota District Temporarily Suspends Book Purchases and Donations
Under the new law, books that Florida schools recommend, assign, or make available to students “must be selected by school district officials who hold valid educational media specialist certificates.”
As a direct result of this policy, the school district has “suspended all book purchases and donations for use in school media centers and classroom libraries through at least January 2023,” it wrote. The message was sent to the principal just before his first day of school in early August, according to Sarasota County School District spokesperson Kelsey Wheeley.
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The temporary suspension of book acquisition would allow the school district to hire the necessary specialists, and although none are currently employed, it would resolve other implementation issues. says Whealy.
“By freezing all book purchases and donations for use in the school’s media center and classroom library, the time to adopt and work with existing materials and the (Florida Department of Education) provision of regulations and Time will be available for the district curriculum team to provide interpretations and additional legal guidance,” Whealy wrote in an email to USA TODAY.
Book fairs and some Scholastic orders are still allowed for now
The claim that teachers “cannot order from Scholastic” is not entirely accurate.
As the Sarasota Herald Tribune also reported, teachers were told they couldn’t add Scholastic books to their classroom collections, but they could order them for their students. Parents must be able to see the book selection before an order is placed.
In an email to USA TODAY, Whealy said, “Scholarly books are not permitted, provided the order form has been reviewed by a parent in advance and no books have been purchased for use in the classroom library or media center at this time. Orders are allowed.”
Claims that schools do not hold book fairs are also not accurate, the district said.
“Our Educational Materials and Library Services team has indicated that the fall book fair has notified schools that the schedule can be maintained pending further guidance and possible rescheduling.” Whealy writes, “Schools that don’t have book fairs scheduled in the fall may reschedule until spring 2023.”
However, the district said guidance related to educational materials is subject to change depending on further guidance from state departments of education.
Fact check:Florida State Civic Teacher Training Seminar Was Optional
USA TODAY also found other misleading claims about Florida’s education measures, including false and misleading claims that the state banned 25 books in schools and that teachers had to attend a three-day civic training seminar. debunked the allegations.
Our Rating: Partly Wrong
Based on our research, the allegation that Sarasota teachers cannot purchase books, accept donated books, accept orders from Scholastic, or that schools hold book fairs is partially supported by I am evaluating this as an error. According to information from the Sarasota County School District, a temporary freeze has been implemented and at this time teachers are not permitted to purchase books or accept donations to their classroom libraries, including orders for Scholastic books. can not. However, students will be able to purchase Scholastic books to take home, and the district has advised schools that “the book fair scheduled for the fall will remain on schedule until further guidance and possible rescheduling.” You can,” I advise.
Fact-check sources:
- Kelsey Whealy, August 17, email exchange with USA TODAY
- Sarasota County School District, August 3, HS Teaching Material Guidance
- Sarasota County School District, August 3, MS Educational Guidance
- Sarasota County School District, August 3, ES Teaching Material Guidance
- Sarasota County School District, accessed August 18, home page
- Scholastic, Mar 11, 2019, How Scholastic Book Clubs Work
- Florida Senate, Final Decision March 28, 2022, House Bill 1467 (2022)
- Florida Senate, Accessed Aug. 17, Summary of Bill: CS/HB 1467 — K-12 Education
- Florida State Legislature, accessed August 24, Florida Statutes § 1006.28: Obligations of School District Boards of Education, School District Superintendents. Principal on K-12 Materials
- Sarasota Herald Tribune, Aug. 12, Sarasota Schools freeze library book donations and purchases
- Sarasota Herald Tribune, Aug. 16, Fact Check: Can Sarasota Teachers Read to Students? What about Book Fairs?
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