Florida

Michelangelo's marble statue of "David", is seen in Florence's Galleria dell' Accademia on May 24, 2004.
Michelangelo's marble statue of "David", is seen in Florence's Galleria dell' Accademia on May 24, 2004.
Fabrizio Giovannozzi/AP
School & District Management Is the David Porn? Come See, Italians Tell Florida Parents
A Florida principal resigned after complaints about a lesson featuring Michelangelo’s the David.
The Associated Press, March 27, 2023
3 min read
Demonstrators gather to speak on the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in front of the Florida State Capitol on March 7, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla.
Demonstrators gather to speak in front of the Florida State Capitol on March 7, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
States Florida Is Looking to Expand 'Don't Say Gay' Law. What Does This Mean for Educators?
Florida is proposing a ban on gender identity and sexual orientation education in K-12, and punishing educators harshly for violations.
Eesha Pendharkar, March 27, 2023
6 min read
Michelangelo's marble statue of "David", is seen in Florence's Galleria dell' Accademia on May 24, 2004.
Michelangelo's marble statue of "David" is displayed in the Galleria dell' Accademia in Florence, Italy.
Fabrizio Giovannozzi/AP
School & District Management After a Lesson on Michelangelo's David, a Florida Principal Loses Her Job
Parents complained that images of the famous sculpture were "pornographic" and that they weren't notified of the lesson in advance.
5 min read
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media in the Florida Cabinet following his State of the State address during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media in the Florida Cabinet following his State of the State address during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla.
Phil Sears/AP
States DeSantis to Expand Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law to All Grades
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ' administration is moving to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades.
The Associated Press, March 22, 2023
3 min read
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media in the Florida Cabinet following his State of the State address during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media after his State of the State address March 7, 2023, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla.
Phil Sears/AP
Reading & Literacy There's Confusion Over Book Bans in Florida Schools. Here's Why
Librarians and experts say Florida laws cause book bans in schools, but the governor says there's no connection.
Eesha Pendharkar, March 16, 2023
9 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Social Studies Opinion DeSantis’ Take on AP African American Studies Was Principled. The Media’s Response Was Not
News coverage characterized the concern as an unwillingness to teach about racism rather than how to teach it.
Rick Hess, March 13, 2023
5 min read
Audriana Lima, 14, a current freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, visits a display of portraits of the 17 students and staff who were killed in a school shooting five years earlier, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, at Pine Trails Park in Parkland, Fla. Family members, neighbors, and well-wishers turned out to multiple events Tuesday to honor the lives of those killed on Valentine's Day 2018.
Audriana Lima, 14, a current freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, visits a display of portraits of the 17 students and staff who were killed in a school shooting five years earlier, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, at Pine Trails Park in Parkland, Fla.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Law & Courts Florida Law Requiring Gun Buyers to Be 21 Is Upheld
A federal appeals court said the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act is consistent with the Second Amendment.
Mark Walsh, March 10, 2023
4 min read
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis displays the signed Parental Rights in Education, aka the Don't Say Gay bill, flanked by elementary school students during a news conference on Monday, March 28, 2022, at Classical Preparatory school in Shady Hills, Fla.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis displays the signed Parental Rights in Education, the so called "Don't Say Gay" bill, flanked by elementary school students during a news conference last March at Classical Preparatory School in Shady Hills, Fla. Forty two bills have been introduced in 22 states based on the controversial measure, with many mandating more excessive censorship.
Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP
States Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law Continues to Spur More Extreme Versions Nationwide
Forty two bills have been introduced in 22 states based on the controversial measure, with many mandating more excessive censorship.
Eesha Pendharkar, February 28, 2023
4 min read
A woman holds a sign and attends a rally to stop AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) hate at the Logan Square Monument in Chicago on March 20, 2021.
A woman holds a sign and attends a rally to stop AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) hate at the Logan Square Monument in Chicago on March 20, 2021.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
Social Studies The Demand for Asian American History Is Growing. See Where
Florida is among states facing the possibility of requiring Asian American and Pacific Islander history in K-12 curriculum.
Ileana Najarro, February 24, 2023
5 min read
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivering his State of the State address at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., on Jan. 10, 2023. Murphy announced the expansion of the AP African American Studies course to 26 schools across the state next school year a few weeks after Florida’s ban.
Matt Rourke/AP
Social Studies AP African American Studies: How Other States Are Responding After Florida's Ban
These are the states that have taken a stance on the AP African American Studies course.
Eesha Pendharkar, February 23, 2023
7 min read
Illustration of a blank history book on a background collage of historic documents and the American Flag.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Social Studies Opinion What the Rejection of African American History Means for Students
When Florida announced that AP African American Studies would not be taught in the state, my first question was, “Why not?”
Monica Washington, February 17, 2023
3 min read
Shekinah Hall in her classroom at McLain High School in Tulsa, Okla.
Shekinah Hall, a teacher at McLain High School in Tulsa, Okla., is one of two teachers in Tulsa who are teaching a pilot course of Advanced Placement African American Studies this school year.
Courtesy of Tulsa Public Schools
Social Studies What Two Teachers Piloting the AP African American Studies Course Have to Say About It
The AP African American Studies course offers students representation like never before, two teachers piloting the course in Oklahoma said.
Eesha Pendharkar, February 16, 2023
8 min read
Emmitt Glynn is seen from just outside his classroom at Baton Rouge Magnet High School teaching his second AP African American studies class on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Louisiana is one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course, which has gained national attention since it was banned in Florida.
Emmitt Glynn is seen from just outside his classroom at Baton Rouge Magnet High School teaching his second AP African American studies class on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Louisiana is one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course, which has gained national attention since it was banned in Florida.
Stephen Smith/AP
Social Studies How AP African American Studies Came Under Attack: A Timeline
New information from College Board and Florida officials sheds light on the ins and outs of the course's development.
Ileana Najarro, February 10, 2023
16 min read
Emmitt Glynn teaches AP African American studies to a group of Baton Rouge Magnet High School students on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Louisiana is one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course, which has gained national attention since it was banned in Florida.
Emmitt Glynn teaches AP African American studies to a group of Baton Rouge Magnet High School students on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Louisiana is one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course, which has gained national attention since it was banned in Florida.
Stephen Smith/AP
Social Studies What Will Be Taught in College Board's AP African American Studies? Here's a Sample
While there is public outcry over what is not found in the new course, and why, here's a look at some required topics in place.
Ileana Najarro, February 3, 2023
9 min read