Nadia Combs: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THE WORKSHOP TODAY. I KNOW A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WILL BE A FEW MINUTES LATE AND WE ALSO HAVE ONE PERSON WHO WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY, MEMBER RENDON. THIS IS BOOK AND POLICY PROCEDURES. I WILL HAND THAT OVER TO SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. EXCITED FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS WORKSHOP THIS MORNING. YOU KNOW, OUR WORKSHOPS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO COLLABORATE AND DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION TO MYSELF AND STAFF. THIS MORNING, WE HAVE OUR BOOK AND POLICY PROCEDURES WORKSHOP. AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER, COLLEEN FOSSETT. COLLEEN. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES AND GOOD MORNING CHAIR COMBS AND BOARD MEMBERS. ACADEMIC SERVICES -- TO PROVIDE CURRENT INFORMATION -- THE TEAM THIS MORNING IS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DEBBIE PEPE, OUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING.
AND WITH HER THIS MORNING PRESENTING IS JOHN MILBURN AND KIM DeFUSCO, OUR SUPERVISORS OF LIBRARY MEDIA SERVICES ALONG WITH GIBSON, OUR DISTRICT COUNSEL. THE SLIDE DECK WE WILL USE THIS MORNING WAS PROVIDED TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS LAST WEEK, AND WE'LL TAKE ABOUT TEN MINUTES THIS MORNING TO HIGHLIGHT INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN. ALL BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED A NOTE-TAKING DOCUMENT THIS MORNING. DOES EVERYBODY HAVE THAT? AND WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST CHAIR COMBS THAT ALL QUESTIONS BE HELD UNTIL THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION. SO THIS MORNING, OUR TEAM WILL HIGHLIGHT THE BOOK SELECTION PROCESS, THE READING PROCESS, THE OBJECTION PROCESS, AND THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION, MR. GIBSON WILL HIGHLIGHT CURRENT FLORIDA LAW THAT GUIDES OUR DECISION MAKING. FINALLY, WE WILL HAVE TIME AT THE END FOR BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS AND CONVERSATIONS. SO WITH ALL THAT SAID, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN. THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND SCHOOLS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST CREDENTIALS EXCEED THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THOSE OF THE STATE. THE LEGISLATURE PASSED HB 1467. THAT ADDED A REQUIREMENT THAT ANY BOOK MADE AVAILABLE OR RECOMMENDED TO A STUDENT GO THROUGH A PROCESS AND BE SELECTED BY AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HOLDS A VALID EDUCATIONAL MEDIA SPECIALIST CERTIFICATE. THERE ALSO WAS AN ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DEVELOP EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, A TRAINING PROGRAM, AND THAT EVERY MEDIA SPECIALIST GOES THROUGH THAT PROGRAM, AND THAT WE'VE DONE. MEDIA SPECIALISTS UTILIZE THEIR EXPERTISE TO SELECT MATERIALS WHICH SUPPORT STANDARDS, THE WIDE RANGE OF READERS' NEEDS AND BUILD KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION FOR LITERATURE SO AS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LIFE. STATE STATUTE ALSO GUIDES MEDIA SPECIALISTS TO ENSURE MATERIALS ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BROAD DIVERSITY OF STUDENTS IN BUILDING THEIR COLLECTIONS. MEDIA SPECIALISTS USE PROFESSIONALLY RECOGNIZED REVIEWING PERIODICALS, STAKEHOLDER INPUT, THE CURRENT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GUIDANCE AND THE NEEDS OF THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITY AS THEY PRIORITIZE IN THEIR SELECTION PROCESS.
AND THE BASIS OF SELECTION APPLIES TO BOTH THE PURCHASE OF NEW MATERIALS AND EVALUATION OF DONATED MATERIALS. WEEDING IS AN ONGOING COMPONENT OF COLLECTION MANAGEMENT TO ENSURE COLLECTIONS ARE UP TO DATE, CONTINUE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND/OR ALIGN WITH CURRICULUM. EVEN AFTER THE CERTIFIED MEDIA SPECIALIST HAS SELECTED AND WEEDED THE COLLECTION, THERE MAY BE OBJECTION TO SOME MATERIALS VOICED BY PARENTS OR RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY. THE OBJECTION PROCESS BEGINS WITH A CONVERSATION WITH THE PRINCIPAL, MEDIA SPECIALIST OR TEACHER AT THE SPECIFIC SCHOOL SITE. SHOULD THE OBJECTING PARTY NOT BE CONTENT WITH THE SCHOOL SITE'S PROPOSED RESOLUTION, THEY CAN SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MEDIA MATERIALS. AND AS PART OF THAT, THE MOST RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION THE LEGISLATURE PASSED HB 1069. IN THAT BILL, THE LEGISLATURE AMENDED OR CHANGED THE CRITERIA FOR THE OBJECTION PROCESS, WHEREAS BEFORE THE THREE CRITERIA FOR REMOVAL OF A BOOK WAS, NUMBER ONE, IT WAS PORNOGRAPHIC OR PROHIBITED UNDER SECTION 847.012, WAS NOT SUITED TO STUDENT NEEDS AND THEIR ABILITY TO COMPREHEND THE MATERIAL PRESENTED OR WAS INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE GRADE LEVEL AND AGE GROUP FOR WHICH THE MATERIAL IS USED.
THE LEGISLATURE ADDED WHAT IN STATUTE NOW IS PRONG TWO, DEPICTS OR DESCRIBES SEXUAL CONDUCT AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFIC DEFINITION UNLESS THE MATERIAL IS BEING USED FOR SEXUAL HEALTH CURRICULUM OR IS SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED BY A STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION RULE. I DON'T NEED TO READ IT. THE DEFINITION IS SPECIFIC. THE DEFINITION OF SEXUAL CONDUCT IS LAID OUT IN FLORIDA STATUTES. ANOTHER ADDITION FROM 1069 WAS THAT IF A PARENT OR A CITIZEN OF THE COUNTY OBJECTS TO A WORK BECAUSE IT IS EITHER, NUMBER ONE, PORNOGRAPHIC OR, TWO, DEPICTS OR DESCRIBES SEXUAL CONDUCT, ONCE AN OBJECTION IS REMOVED, THE MATERIAL MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE SHELF WITHIN FIVE DAYS OF RECEIPT OF THE OBJECTION AND THE WORK MUST REMAIN UNAVAILABLE WHILE THE OBJECTION PROCESS WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS. THE STATUTE ALSO SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO FORMULATE AND DEVELOP AN OBJECTION FORM. WE HAD HOPED AND EXPECTED THAT BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR BEGAN.
IT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET. SO WE WENT AHEAD AND DEVELOPED OUR OWN FORM, MADE THAT AVAILABLE ON OUR HOME PAGE, ON THE HOME PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE SO THAT IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE BEFORE THE SCHOOL STARTED. WE, OF COURSE, WILL UPDATE THAT ONCE THE DOE DOES THAT. WE EXPECT THAT TO OCCUR AT THE AUGUST 23rd DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MEETING THAT'S FORTHCOMING. AND THEN, FINALLY, A PART OF THE 1069 IS OBVIOUSLY WITH DISTRICT SUPPORT, THE PRINCIPALS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING COMPLIANCE WITH THE BOOK SELECTION WEEDING PROCESSES AT THEIR SCHOOL SITE. SO WHEN AN OBJECTION IS RECEIVED, THE SCHOOL SITE'S EDUCATIONAL MEDIA MATERIALS COMMITTEE CONVENES TO THOROUGHLY EVALUATE THE MATERIAL ALONGSIDE THE DISTRICT BASIS FOR SELECTION AND CRITERIA FOR SELECTION TO REACH A DECISION. THE MEDIA SPECIALIST WORKS ■WITH THE PRINCIPAL TO IDENTIFY COMMITTEE MEMBERS EACH AUGUST. ANOTHER CHANGE WITH 1069 IS THAT ALL OF THE MEETINGS THAT OCCUR, BOTH AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL AND AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL REVIEW MUST BE NOTICED AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SO THEY CAN PARTICIPATE AND BE A PART OF, VIEW THE MEETING IN ITS ENTIRETY.
IF THE ORIGINAL OBJECTING PARTY DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE SCHOOL-BASED COMMITTEE'S DECISION, THEY CAN SUBMIT AN APPEAL TO THE DISTRICT LEVEL RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE. AND THE DISTRICT COMMITTEE'S DECISION AND RATIONALE CAN ALSO BE APPEALED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. ADDITIONAL CHANGES FROM 1069, PARENTS HAVE AN ULTIMATE RIGHT TO READ ANYTHING THAT IS SUBJECT TO AN OBJECTION, AND IF THE SCHOOL BOARD DOES NOT ALLOW THEM TO READ THAT, THEN THE MATERIAL MUST DISCONTINUE THE USE OF THAT MATERIAL IMMEDIATELY. ALSO, IF THE SCHOOL BOARD FINDS THAT ANY OTHER MATERIAL CONTAINED PROHIBITED CONDUCT UNDER THE 2, 3, OR 4, THE SEXUAL CONDUCT IS NOT SUITED FOR THE STUDENTS' NEEDS OR THEIR ABILITY TO COMPREHEND THE MATERIAL OR, FOUR, IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE GRADE LEVEL OR AGE GROUP FOR WHICH THE MATERIAL IS USED, THE SCHOOL BOARD MUST DISCONTINUE THE USE OF THE MATERIAL FOR ANY GRADE LEVEL OR AGE GROUP FOR WHICH ITS USE IS DETERMINED TO BE INAPPROPRIATE OR UNSUITABLE.
THE STATUTE ALSO LAID OUT THAT IF ULTIMATELY AFTER THE SCHOOL-LEVEL REVIEW, THE DISTRICT-LEVEL REVIEW, AND THEN THE SCHOOL BOARD'S DECISION, IF THE INDIVIDUAL IS THEREAFTER NOT HAPPY WITH THE DECISION THAT'S MADE, THEY CAN REQUEST THAT THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION APPOINT A SPECIAL MAGISTRATE TO HEAR THE CASE AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, THEN THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION THEN MUST RULE BETWEEN 70 AND 30 DAYS FROM THAT RECOMMENDATION THAT'S MADE. WE AT THE AUGUST 23rd MEETING ALSO ANTICIPATE TO RECEIVE GUIDANCE ON HOW SPECIFICALLY THAT MAGISTRATE PROCESS IS GOING TO WORK, BUT FROM THE STATUTE, WE DO KNOW THAT THE ENTIRE COST OF THAT SPECIAL MAGISTRATE PROCESS WILL BE BORN BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. PRODUCT WAS MISSION TO MOTIVATE AND ENGAGE STUDENTS. IN RESPONSE TO RECENT STATE STATUTES, THEY DEVELOP CLASSROOM LIBRARY CONNECTOR PORTION OF THE PROGRAM TO ASSIST DISTRICTS WITH COMPLIANCE. OUR TEACHERS, MEDIA SPECIALISTS, AND STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO ALL FEATURES WITHIN BEAN STACK.
OUR FINAL CHANGE FROM 1069 IS A COUPLE OF OTHER PROVISIONS. NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS WE PURCHASED BEANSTACK TO COMPLY WITH THIS REQUIREMENT, WAS THAT EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MUST PUBLISH ON ITS WEBSITE IN A SEARCHABLE FORMAT ALL OF THE MATERIALS MAINTAINED AND ACCESSIBLE BOTH IN THE MEDIA CENTERS AND IN THE CLASSROOM LIBRARIES. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT BEANSTACK WAS MEANT TO DO. WE ALSO ARE REQUIRED TO PUBLISH ON ITS WEBSITE THE PROCESS FOR WHICH A PARENT CAN LIMIT THEIR STUDENT'S ABILITY TO ACCESS MATERIALS IN THE MEDIA CENTER OR IN THE CLASSROOM. THOSE MATERIALS ARE PART OF OUR LIBRARY MEDIA HANDBOOK AND ARE PUBLISHED IN THE LIBRARY MEDIA HANDBOOK WEBSITE. FINALLY, AS I'VE INDICATED, FUTURE IMPACTS, WE ANTICIPATE BOTH RULE-MAKING. WE KNOW SPECIFICALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE SPECIAL MAGISTRATE PROCESS. WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS DEVELOPING THE OBJECTION FORM. AGAIN, WE EXPECT THAT AUGUST 23rd. WE'VE CREATED OUR LIBRARY MEDIA MATERIALS IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY CAN BE FLUID.
SO AS CHANGES OCCUR, WE CERTAINLY, IT'S OUR INTENT TO ADAPT AS NEEDED BASED ON THE THEN CURRENT LAW. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. OUR GOAL WITH THE TEAM WAS JUST TO KIND OF PRESENT SOME HIGHLIGHTS, AND THEN REALLY OPEN THIS UP TO DISCUSSION TO REALLY HAVE THIS WORKSHOP BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TALK THROUGH, TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, AND HAVE GOOD DISCUSSION. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN OUR WORKSHOP. THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT SO BRIEF SO THAT WAY WE HAVE MORE TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND ENGAGING. REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I WILL START WITH MEMBER HAHN. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY, JUST KIND OF -- Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR COMBS. I APPRECIATE HOLDING THIS WORKSHOP TODAY AND ALL THE WORK THAT EVERYONE PUT INTO IT TODAY. I ALSO APPRECIATE THIS WAS PROBABLY THE BEST LIKE PowerPoint PRESENTATION BEFORE WORKSHOP BECAUSE YOU GAVE US PLENTY OF TIME TO LOOK OVER THIS, TO BE PREPARED AND NOW ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY DISPUTES THAT OUR LIBRARIES NEED TO BE FILLED WITH BOOKS THAT REPRESENT KIDS, ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF FAMILIES, SO THAT KIDS CAN FIND BOOKS THAT THEY SEE THEMSELVES IN. AND WE KNOW THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. TODAY, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC BOOKS OR GET INTO THE WEEDS ON THAT. I THINK THAT WE'RE AT A GOOD POINT TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION. I JUST WANT TO ALSO -- I KNOW I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND WHY IT'S TAKEN SO LONG FOR THIS WORKSHOP.
AND I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY OUR SUPERINTENDENT HAS ALWAYS COME TO ME SINCE I WAS THE ONE WHO REQUESTED THIS WORKSHOP TO EXPLAIN WHY THE DATE HAD TO MOVE. AND I'VE BEEN ON BOARD WITH THAT. AND THERE HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD REASONS THAT THIS WORKSHOP IS HAPPENING NOW. SO I JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THINK WE WERE TRYING TO DRAG OUR FEET OR NOT HAVE THIS DISCUSSION. THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN OUR DISTRICT THAT HAVE SOMETIMES CAUSED DATES TO MOVE, BUT I THINK, ACTUALLY, IN THE LONG RUN, WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE AND THE RIGHT TIME TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION. YOU KNOW, I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS TODAY ON MY COMMENTS ON THE PROCESS AND PROCEDURES. I THINK THAT WHAT WAS REALLY OBVIOUS TO ME AS WE WENT THROUGH OUR FIRST AND ONLY TO THIS DAY BOOK CHALLENGE WHERE IT CAME TO THE BOARD WAS THAT WE DO NEED -- SOME OF THE LANGUAGE IS A LITTLE AMBIGUOUS IN THE SELECTION CRITERIA, AND, YOU KNOW I THINK AT THAT MEETING ALL AGREED THAT PARTICULAR BOOK, THE REVIEWS BASED ON THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR, THE BOOK WAS REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE MORE FOR HIGH SCHOOL KIDS AND WE FOUND IT IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
WHEN THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPEN OR I LOOK AT A REVIEW OF ONE OF THE BOOKS THAT'S CURRENTLY IN OUR LIBRARIES, AND IN THE REVIEW THAT OUR OWN DISTRICT HAS PUBLISHED AS SUPPORT FOR HAVING THE BOOK, THE LANGUAGE IS, THERE IS SOME SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONTENT IN THIS BOOK. THAT CONCERNS ME. IF THE REVIEWER IS TELLING US THAT THERE'S HIGHLY SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONTENT IN A BOOK, THEN I THINK -- AND THAT BOOK IS IN THE LIBRARY AND THAT'S OUR OWN REVIEW, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MAYBE TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT. MAYBE PERHAPS MR. MILBURN OR MS. PEPE OR MS. DeFUSCO NEEDS TO LOOK AT THE BOOK AND BECAUSE OF THAT REVIEW. SO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS CONCERN ME. NOBODY IS SAYING OUR MEDIA CENTER LIBRARIANS ARE NOT TRAINED TO DO THAT, TO REVIEW AND CHOOSE BOOKS. CERTAINLY, THEY ARE. I'M VERY PROUD THAT IN OUR DISTRICT, WE HAVE LIBRARIANS THAT ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLY -- HAVE THE HIGHEST CREDENTIALS.
THAT DOES GIVE ME A LOT OF COMFORT. BUT WHEN I SEE LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPEN, I FEEL LIKE THERE IS A GAP THERE THAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE SURE IS FILLED. BUT I WANT TO START OFF WITH THE THREE POINTS AND THEN I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. ONE IS AROUND THE SELECTION CRITERIA. IT'S IN THE GUIDE, AND IT'S -- IT'S NOT PAGE NUMBERED. I APOLOGIZE, BUT IT'S IN THE GUIDE. IS THERE A PAGE NUMBER THERE? PAGE 12. I WROTE OVER IT. SORRY. AND THEN, SO THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE WEBSITE. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE ALIGNMENT ON WHAT'S ON THE WEBSITE IN REGARDS TO YOU DO A GREAT JOB PROVIDING THESE ARE THE STEPS AND HOW WE SELECT A BOOK. SO ON THE WEBSITE, WE HAVE IT WHERE IT SAYS THAT THE REVIEWS INDICATE APPROPRIATE FOR AGE.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF US ACTUALLY USED THAT WHEN WE DISCUSSED THE BOOK THAT WAS CHALLENGED, THAT WE WERE ALL ON BOARD WITH, WE WERE CONCERNED THAT THE REVIEWS DIDN'T, THE REVIEWS BY THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHORS AND OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE RESPECTFUL REVIEWERS OF BOOKS WERE SAYING THE BOOK WAS FOR A CERTAIN AGE AND YET IT WAS IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE IN THE HANDBOOK. IF IT'S ON THE WEBSITE, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S NOT UNDER THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTION IN THE HANDBOOK. SO I JUST THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME ALIGNMENT WITH THAT. THAT WOULD BE MY INPUT THERE ON PAGE 12, IF YOU LOOK AT A, B, C, D, E, F. IF YOU GO BACK -- I DON'T HAVE A COPY OF THE WEBSITE. I HAVE A SCREEN SHOT -- WHERE WE DO ACTUALLY SAY THAT THE REVIEWS INDICATE APPROPRIATE FOR AGE.
SO THAT WAS ONE THING. I THINK WE NEED TO -- SO WE HAVE THE WEBSITE -- WE HAVE THE FORM ON THE WEBSITE, SO I THINK THAT'S GREAT, BUT I ALSO THINK, I KNOW THAT WE ALSO TALK A LOT AS A BOARD, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME FAMILIES THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER OR INTERNET. SO PERHAPS WE COULD ALSO HAVE THE FORMS AVAILABLE AT SCHOOLS FOR FAMILIES TO PICK UP. ALSO, I BELIEVE ON THE FORM PIECE, IT STATES THAT FIRST YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE MEDIA SPECIALIST TALK TO THE MEDIA SPECIALIST AND THEN SHE'LL GIVE YOU THE FORM. SO WE NEED TO UPDATE THE WEBSITE TO SAY THAT THE FORM IS ON OUR WEBSITE HOME PAGE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THAT IS NOT MATCHING UP WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING. YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO UPDATE THAT. AND THEN WE NEED TO ADD THE PIECE ABOUT A SPECIAL MAGISTRATE ON THE WEBSITE.
WE WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CHALLENGING A BOOK, BUT IT'S THE OLD PROCESS, SO JUST THERE NEEDS TO BE JUST ANOTHER BULLET POINT THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, THAT A PARENT, IF THEY DON'T AGREE WITH THE FINAL DECISION, THEN THE DOE WILL APPOINT A SPECIAL MAGISTRATE. WE NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT. I KNOW THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US ON THE BOARD, SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CLEARLY ARTICULATING EVERY STEP OF THE PROCESS. THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT -- OH, ALSO THE MEDIA CONTACTS, IT LISTS TWO STAFF MEMBERS, BUT IT SAYS CONTACT, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS CONTACTS BUT THERE'S NO CONTACT INFORMATION. SO THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME E-MAIL, LIKE AN E-MAIL THERE OR A PHONE NUMBER SO FAMILIES CAN CONTACT EITHER THE TWO PEOPLE LISTED OR SOMEBODY ELSE. OTHERWISE, THEN YOU'RE SENDING THEM ON A HUNT THROUGH THE WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION AND IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING.
THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY IS ON PAGE -- I DON'T SEE A PAGE NUMBER. IT'S FLORIDA LAW HB 1069. IT'S IN OUR PowerPoint. PAGE 13. IT'S REALLY PAGE 13. AND IT TALKS ABOUT KIND OF ANY MATERIAL USED AVAILABLE IN A CLASSROOM, MADE AVAILABLE IN A CLASSROOM, ON A READING LIST -- BLAH, BLAH, GOES THROUGH, IS PORNOGRAPHIC OR PROHIBITED. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT ADDED TO OUR CRITERIA FOR SELECTION, BUT NOT, LIKE, YOU COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, IS NOT PORNOGRAPHIC OR PROHIBITED UNDER BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. IT DOES NOT DEPICT OR DESCRIBE SEXUAL CONDUCT BECAUSE I THINK IT PROVIDES A REMINDER. I THINK IT PROVIDES A REMINDER TO OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS. I THINK IT PROVIDES A REMINDER TO PARENTS. I THINK IT PROVIDES A REMINDER TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED, REALLY, AND I'D LIKE TO JUST TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER, AND THIS IS THE LAST THING I'LL SAY BECAUSE I KNOW EVERYONE HAS STUFF THEY WANT TO SAY BUT I'M REALLY TRYING TO STAY VERY SPECIFIC TO JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE ALIGNING OUR PROCESS AND PROCEDURES SO WHAT IS FORWARD FACING ALIGNS WITH WHAT'S IN THE HANDBOOK.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ADDED IN THAT SELECTION CRITERIA, AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE -- AND I'VE TALKED TO MR. PORTER ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO IT TODAY, BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING, BUT I'D LIKE HIM TO EXTEND THE OFFER, WHETHER YOU TAKE HIM UP ON IT OR NOT, TO MEET ONE ON ONE TO REALLY GO THROUGH THIS PIECE OF THE LAW. BECAUSE WHEN A BOOK -- SO SORRY -- WHEN A BOOK COMES TO US THAT'S CHALLENGED AND IF IT'S OF A SEXUAL NATURE, IF THAT IS THE CHALLENGE THAT IT IS HIGHLY SEXUAL CONTENT, PEOPLE ARE CHALLENGING IT BECAUSE THEY FEEL IT'S PORNOGRAPHIC, EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT DEFINITION AND THRESHOLD FOR PORNOGRAPHY BUT THE LAW IS THE LAW. IT'S DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THIS AS IT'S WRITTEN. IT REALLY IS VERY COMPLEX. AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE FACED WITH A BOOK CHALLENGE, YOU'VE GOT A THOUSAND OTHER THINGS GOING ON AND TO SIT DOWN FOR A TWO-HOUR PD WITH HIM ONE ON ONE, IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING.
SO IF WE ARE PROACTIVE ABOUT EDUCATING OURSELVES AROUND REALLY UNDERSTANDING THIS, WHEN A BOOK COMES, AND I THINK IT'S HELPFUL FOR STAFF, MAYBE MR. PORTER OR MR. GIBSON, SOMEBODY CAN DO SOMETHING WITH EVEN OUR LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST, THAT THEY DO A DEEP DIVE INTO UNDERSTANDING THIS. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THE PD AT THE STATE LEVEL GOES INTO IT, BUT I THINK IT WOULD HELP US AVOID A LOT OF UNNECESSARY ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY. IF WE'RE ALL KIND OF ON THE SAME PAGE, BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT IT, WHICH GIVES A DIFFERENT SPIN, DEPENDING ON WHO IS WRITING THE ARTICLE, OR WE TALK TO SOMEBODY IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT IT WHO, AGAIN, IS GOING TO GIVE YOU A DIFFERENT SPIN. I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE LAW ON THE LEGAL TERMS AND NOT SOMEBODY ELSE'S IMPRESSION OR INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW.