• Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. recently lashed out at Popular Information’s reporting on Florida classroom libraries, calling it “fake news from media activists too lazy to read [Florida] law.”
• Popular Information’s reporting was accurate and later confirmed by other outlets, including the Washington Post.
• Diaz told the National Review that teachers who packed up their classroom libraries were simply participating in a “stunt” intended to damage DeSantis politically.
• Diaz’s recommendations to teachers directly contradicts the training produced by his own agency, the Florida Department of Education.
• The Florida Department of Education will not answer basic questions about what kind of books are permitted in Florida schools.
• Right-wing activists hostile to Florida teachers are seizing on the opportunity to “get into the school Libraries” and determine whether teachers are “following the laws.”
• Chad Choate, the chair of the Manatee County School Board who was appointed by DeSantis, was the featured speaker at a meeting of the Manatee Patriots on Tuesday night.
Published February 1, 2023
Visit Popular Information to read Judd Legum’s original post UPDATE: Florida Commissioner of Education attacks Popular Information
