08/15/2023 - Board Workshop

001Nadia 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

002MORNING 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

003END 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

004STUDENTS 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

005SPECIFIC 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

006IDENTIFIED 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,

007MADE 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

008THE 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'

009NEEDS 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

010ON 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

011ARE 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

012UP 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

013ANYBODY 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

014REASONS 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

015AGREED 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

016THE 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

017THERE? 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

018THE 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

019OR 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

020THE 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

02113. 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

022TRYING 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

023FEEL 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

024IN 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. I'LL LEAVE IT THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. I'LL PUT YOU BACK INTO THE QUEUE. MEMBER GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN, FOR THOSE REMARKS. I RESPECT THE CONTENTS OF THOSE REMARKS, AND THERE WILL BE AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF WHAT I AM GOING TO SHARE WITH WHAT YOU JUST SHARED. I

025WANT TO THANK JOHN MILBURN, KIMBERLY DeFUSCO, DEB PEPE, JEFF GIBSON, AND COLLEEN FOSSETT FOR PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION TO US AND MANY OF US HAVE STARED AT THIS FOR A WHILE. IN FACT, I HAVE IT IN TWO DIFFERENT FILE CABINETS, BOOK PROCEDURES. ALMOST HAVE IT MEMORIZED IN A LOT OF PIECES. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HAVING WORKSHOPS AND I ALWAYS SAY YES BECAUSE I ALWAYS LEARN FROM WORKSHOPS, AND THIS IS ME AS AN INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER, SO I SAY YES, BUT REALLY, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE AUGUST 23rd, WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT RULE MAKING. WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT A LIST OF BOOKS, AND THEN THAT REALLY TO ME DEFINES A COMPREHENSIVE WORKSHOP WITH POSSIBLE CONSENSUS FROM BOARD MEMBERS TO MAKE DECISIONS. BUT HAVING SAID THAT, SINCE WE ARE IN A DISCUSSION MODE, I THINK --

026NO, THIS IS STRONGER THAN I THINK -- I BELIEVE THAT THE PROCESS IS SOLID. I HAVE STUDIED -- AND I'M SURE EVERYONE ELSE HAS -- OTHER DISTRICTS. AND I APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS OF IT. HOWEVER AND THIS IS WHERE IN MY MIND COMMON SENSE, MY GRANDKIDS, MY MIDDLE SCHOOL BACKGROUND, HIGH SCHOOL BACKGROUND, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BACKGROUND IS REALLY QUITE DIFFICULT TO SAY THAT SOME OF THESE BOOKS THAT IN MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, WHICH IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING, SOME OF THESE BOOKS ARE DEFINITELY PORNOGRAPHIC, AND I KNOW THAT MOMS FOR LIBERTY HAS MADE THOSE READINGS ALLOWED, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE I'M GOING TO. I HAVE TO THINK ME AS A PARENT, FORMER PARENT, NOW GRANDPARENT, WOULD I READ THESE BOOKS TO MY GRANDCHILDREN? OR WOULD I AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER, WOULD I READ THESE BOOKS TO MY CLASS?

027OR AS A PARENT, WOULD I READ THESE BOOKS THAT ARE PORN AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE DESCRIPTION. IT'S ON PAGE 14, SEXUAL INTERCOURSE, DEVIATE SEXUAL INTERCOURSE. MASTURBATION, SADO MA KISTIC -- I CAN'T EVEN PRONOUNCE IT. WE HAVE WHAT IS CALLED HINTI, ANIMATED BOOKS, WHICH ARE NOW ON THE SHELVES. MY GRANDDAUGHTER WANTS TO HAVE ANIMATED BOOKS. SHE'S IN THIRD GRADE. SO THE JAPANESE BOOKS ARE GETTING ON OUR SHELVES AND MAYBE KITE RUNNER IS AN EXAMPLE, BUT THEY HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP. THEY ARE PORN. THEY DESENSITIZE OUR YOUTH. THEY NORMALIZE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR. THEY CONNECT AND THEY PUT AN AROUSAL, THIS IS PHYSIOLOGICAL. THIS COMES FROM MANY STUDIES. THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AROUSAL OCCUR IN THE YOUNG MINDS TO A POINT WHEN IF THEY KEEP ON READING -- AND THIS IS ON DISNEY PORN, IT'S ON LITTLE MERMAID

028-- THIS IS HAPPENING TO OUR YOUTH. THEY ARE BECOMING DESENSITIZED GRADUALLY, NOT ONLY GREATLY WITH THE CELL PHONES, BUT VERY MUCH THROUGH BOOKS AS WELL. I DON'T KNOW THE SOLUTION, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING SOLID TO SCREEN PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL, THEN I DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE PUTTING OUR CHILDREN IN A WORLD FULL OF MISNOMERS ABOUT THEIR OWN SEXUALITY, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, AND YOU CAN JUST READ SOME OF THESE BOOKS THAT I'VE SEEN AND YOU'VE SEEN THAT SHOW WOMEN IN SEXUAL POSITIONS, DESCRIPTIONS, AND THEY ARE ON OUR SHELVES. NOW, I CANNOT HELP BUT APPEAL TO NOT ONLY THE BOARD MEMBERS, AND I KNOW THAT THEY AGREE, THAT WE AND KIM AND JOHN, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE, AND SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, THAT THOSE TYPE OF BOOKS ARE SCREENED. MY QUESTION TOO IS WHEN

029WE GET BOOKS IN BULK AND THEY ARRIVE IN LARGE BULK, HOW ARE THEY SCREENED? KIM, FEEL FREE TO ANSWER OR JOHN. A LIBRARIAN GETS BOOKS IN BIG PARCELS. THROUGH THE CHAIR, OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE MAKING THE ORDERS AND SELECTING ALL OF THE BOOKS THAT ARE PURCHASED FOR OUR LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS. SO WHEN BOXES OF BOOKS ARRIVE AT THE MEDIA CENTER, THEY WERE PRESELECTED IN ORDERS BY THE CERTIFIED MEDIA SPECIALIST AT THAT SCHOOL SITE. SO WE DO NOT RECEIVE BULK SHIPMENTS OF MATERIALS FOR LIBRARIES THAT WERE NOT ALREADY SELECTED TITLE BY TITLE, USING ALL OF THE REVIEW CRITERIA THAT WE LISTED IN HERE BY THE CERTIFIED LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST. Lynn Gray: I SUPPOSE THE ADDITIONAL FILTER OF 1069, WHEN IT COMES UPON US, JEFF -- SO THAT FILTERING PROCESS FOR PORN SHOULD GREATLY REDUCE THAT SELECTION.

030THE SELECTION COMMITTEES, AND I KNOW THEY ARE MADE UP OF TEACHERS AND THE LIBRARIAN, ARE THEY ADAPTED WITH THE NEW LAW? SOMETIMES IN THE TEACHING WORLD, WE ARE BUSY. ARE THEY COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDING THIS LAW? THAT GOES TO JOHN OR KIM. THROUGH THE CHAIR, I THINK THE COMMITTEE THAT'S BEING REFERENCED IS THE EDUCATIONAL MEDIA MATERIALS COMMITTEE THAT DEAL WITH THE OBJECTIONS THAT TAKE PLACE, AND THAT COMMITTEE HAS ACCESS TO ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE PROVIDED TODAY, LIKE THE LIBRARY MEDIA HANDBOOK, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES THE LIBRARY LEGAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DOCUMENT, WHICH HAS ALL OF THE LAWS THAT WE'VE REVIEWED TODAY. SO ALL OF THAT IS PROVIDED AND DISCUSSED IN THAT COMMITTEE. Lynn Gray: WOULD YOU AGREE THAT POSSIBLY WE COULD DO A BETTER, MORE, LET'S JUST SAY, LEGAL JOB AND JEFF, OF COURSE, FEEL FREE, TO

031MAKE SURE THAT THESE FOLKS ON THE COMMITTEE KNOW SOLIDLY 1069. AND REMEMBER OUR HISPANIC FAMILIES. ONE OUT OF A HUNDRED MAYBE KNOW THE PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS. AND I TALKED TO THE HISPANIC FORUM, WHICH I AM IN CHARGE OF. SO THERE IS A LOT OF DISCONNECT WITH UNDERSTANDING. BUT WOULD YOU SUGGEST, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? I THINK ANOTHER COMPONENT, JUST TO PIGGY BACK ON WHAT KIM WAS SAYING, IS THAT -- AND I KNOW YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE MENTIONED IT JUST A COUPLE OF TIMES -- IS THE REQUIREMENT FROM THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ED, THAT THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE ANNUAL TRAINING THAT HAS THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION IN THERE ON CRITERIA SELECTION. SO BY LAW, OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS ALL HAVE TO TAKE THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ED TRAINING,

032WHICH THIS PAST JUNE 30th FOR THE LAST YEAR'S REQUIREMENT, WHICH STARTED JANUARY 1st, 100% OF OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS WERE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT. SO AS THE STATE UPDATES THAT TRAINING OR UPDATES SOME OF THOSE LAW COMPONENTS, AS WE MOVE INTO THE RULING PHASE ON AUGUST 23rd, I'M SURE MORE INFORMATION WILL COME AND ALSO UPDATE THAT TRAINING. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PIECES I KNOW TO THIS WITH MAKING SURE THAT OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE IN COMPLIANCE WHEN SELECTING CRITERIA THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF ED. Lynn Gray: MS. PEPE, I DON'T DOUBT THE MEDIA SPECIALISTS. THEY ARE VERY INTELLIGENT AND VERY PREPARED AND HAVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF EDUCATION BROUGHT TO THEM. WHAT I AM QUESTIONING IS THE ACTUAL COMMITTEE, THE MEMBERS ON THE TEAM, HOW MUCH ARE THEY AWARE AND IN THE ASSISTANCE, PUTTING BOOKS ON THE

033SHE FEELS THAT MAY HAVE ANIMATED -- ON THE SHELVES THAT MAY HAVE ANIMATED PORNOGRAPHY. WHEN WE HAD A BOOK CHALLENGE, TWO MONTHS AGO UNDER SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, THAT WAS A BOOK THAT I COULD NOT AGREE WITH. AND WE MADE A DECISION, BECAUSE IT WAS AGE APPROPRIATE, WHICH MEMBER HAHN MADE CLEAR, AGE APPROPRIATENESS, HOW ARE THEY EDUCATED TO FILTER THESE TYPE OF BOOKS? WE HAVE MEDIA ASSISTANTS. WE HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT TAKES UP THE CHALLENGE, BUT SOMEWHERE IT BREAKS APART. SOMEHOW THESE BOOKS ARE GETTING ON THE SHELVES. I'M NOT GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PRESS YOU. I DON'T MEAN TO EMBARRASS YOU. I JUST WOULD LIKE ANSWERS. DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT? SO I THINK THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT -- I MISUNDERSTOOD YOUR PRIOR QUESTION. I THINK THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. THERE'S HOW THEY GET

034ON THE SHELVES, WHICH IS THROUGH THE MEDIA SPECIALIST, WHICH WAS PART OF KIM'S ANSWER AND HOW BOOKS ARE SELECTED. I THINK THE OTHER PORTION OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT -- AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG -- IS THE ACTUAL COMMITTEE WHEN A CHALLENGE COMES TO A SPECIFIC SCHOOL. SO THAT PART, TOO, AND NOW I'M KIND OF THINKING MORE ABOUT IT WITH THE TRAINING THAT THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ED GIVES ON HOW THOSE BOOKS COME ON. ALSO, IT'S WHAT KIM SAID, LOOKING AT THAT LEGAL ASSISTANCE SHEET AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE UTILIZING THAT SHEET THROUGH THE COMMITTEE. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE OBJECTION I THINK IS WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO. BUT THEN ALSO PROBABLY TAKING ANOTHER STEP AND WHEN THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ED THROUGH RULE MAKING, MAKING SURE THAT WE UPDATE THAT SHEET AND

035THAT LEGAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. I'M SORRY. I THINK I MISUNDERSTOOD THE FIRST QUESTION. Lynn Gray: IT'S REALLY TWO TIER. YOU HAVE A PROCESS HERE. PART OF THE PROCESS MUST HAVE FULL FIDELITY AND FULL UNDERSTANDING ON BOTH SIDES. THE PARENTS' SIDE AND, OF COURSE, -- WELL, THE STUDENT, BUT THE MEDIA TEAM. SO I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND RELENT MY TALKING POINTS, BUT, AGAIN AND AGAIN, I'M GOING TO SAY THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING -- AND I HAD A VERY PROMINENT LEADER THIS MORNING, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS HE HAS IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING. LYNN, DID YOU KNOW HOW BAD THIS TAMPA HAS IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING? I TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY, AND BOOKS THAT HONE IN OUR SOCIAL MEDIA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. EXCUSE ME IF I'M BEING TOO AGGRESSIVE BUT

036IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING AND WORRISOME. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. NEXT WE HAVE MR. WASHINGTON. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND COMMITTEE, YOU HAVE DONE -- YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INFORMATION. THIS IS ONE OF THE BETTER PRESENTATIONS WE HAVE HAD. NOW WE -- YOU KNOW, I TRY TO BE LOGICAL. WHEN WE SAY COMMON SENSE, FOR, F EXAMPLE, AND A COUPLE OF PARENTS MADE ME REALIZE THIS THE OTHER NIGHT WHEN I WAS SPEAKING TO THEM ABOUT THIS SITUATION. COMMON SENSE TO ME MAY NOT BE COMMON SENSE TO YOU. AND WE HAD A GREAT DISCUSSION BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IF A BOOK HAS ANY TYPE OF SEXUAL CONNOTATION, TAKE IT OFF, BUT THAT'S ME. THE LADY SAID, BUT MY KIDS, I WANT MY KID

037TO UNDERSTAND, TO UNDERSTAND LIFE. AND I COULDN'T DEBATE THAT, BECAUSE WE ARE DEALING WITH MORE SO NOT THE NECESSARY PROCESS, WE'RE DEALING WITH FEELINGS IN THIS. BUT WE'VE GOT TO REMEMBER TO LET THE PROCESS TAKE OVER BECAUSE EVEN WHEN YOU ARE OUT AND YOU COULD SEE SOMEBODY SHOOT SOMEBODY OR HURT SOMEBODY, AND YOU STANDING THERE, YOU HAVE 50 PEOPLE THERE, IT STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND I THINK THE PROCESS IS EFFECTIVE BECAUSE IT TAKES YOU THROUGH, IT GOES THROUGH EVERY STEP, AND NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER STEP ON THE PROCESS. BECAUSE IF THE SCHOOL BOARD SAY, WELL, WE DON'T LIKE THIS, I MEAN, TAKE IT OFF, THEN IT GOES TO THE STATE LEVEL, THE EDUCATION, THE DOE. SO WE HAVE ADDED IN ANOTHER PROCESS WHICH I THINK IS VERY GOOD AND VERY IMPORTANT.

038NOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING DOWN ON AUGUST THE 23rd. JEFF, I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB. BECAUSE AS I UNDERSTAND BEING A FORMER PRINCIPAL, IF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LAW, THEY COME TO YOU, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU INTERPRET SHOULD WE DO IT OR SHOULD NOT. SHOULD WE HAVE IT OR SHOULD NOT? SO I WANT THE LISTENING AUDIENCE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE DO HAVE AN ATTORNEY INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS. WE'RE NOT JUST PULLING A HAT OUT OF THE SKY, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT. ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHEN A BOOK IS AT A SCHOOL, THE PRINCIPAL HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE IT OFF. THEY CAN TAKE THE BOOK OFF THE SHELF AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. THEY SAY YOU CAN TAKE IT OFF AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU WILL HAVE PARENTS WHO WILL COME UP AND

039SAY I DON'T LIKE THIS BOOK. SOMETHING HERE I DON'T LIKE. AND IF IT CAUSE A RAUCOUS TO DISRUPT YOUR SCHOOL, YOU TAKE IT OFF AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. MOVING ON, THESE FORMS, AND I THINK MEMBER HAHN YOU HAD A GREAT POINT ABOUT THESE FORMS. EVERYBODY DOES NOT HAVE COMPUTERS. SO I THINK THESE FORMS SHOULD BE AT SCHOOL. IT SHOULD ALSO BE ON THE WEBSITE SO STUDENTS AND PARENTS, IF THEY DO HAVE A DISAGREEMENT OR THEY DON'T LIKE THE BOOK THEY CAN COME TO THE SCHOOL OR WHEREVER THE DESIGNATED AREA, MORE THAN LIKELY THE DESIGNATED AREA, YOU SHOULD HAVE TWO DESIGNATED AREAS. I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE IT IN THE MAIN OFFICE, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK THE AP SHOULD HAVE IT BECAUSE A PARENT MAY NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH THE MAIN OFFICE.

040THEY MIGHT WANT TO GO GOING TO AP. I ALSO THINK IT SHOULD BE IN THE MEDIA CENTER. AND EVERYBODY SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE FORM AND THE PROCESS. IF THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO FILL IT OUT, WE SHOULD HAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO SHOW THEM AND TELL THEM HOW TO FILL OUT THE FORM, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO FILL OUT CERTAIN FORMS. SO I GO BACK TO ON THE 23rd, A LOT OF THIS MAY CHANGE. AM I RIGHT, MR. PORTER, MR. GIBSON? OKAY. A LOT MAY CHANGE, BUT I'M GLAD WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION TODAY BECAUSE WE CAN IRON OUT SOME OF IT AND BE ON TOP OF IT WHEN IT DOES MAKE THE CHANGE, AND IT SEEMS LIKE NOW WE ARE WITHIN THE GUIDELINES. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. Nadia

041Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. I'M SORRY. MEMBER VAUGHN, YOU WERE NEXT. Jessica Vaughn: NO WORRIES. THANK YOU. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND A LOT TO SAY, SO I'LL TRY TO CONDENSE THIS AS MUCH AS I CAN, NOT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME. FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE A QUESTION BASED ON OUR OWN -- IT WAS SHARED IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PowerPoint WHEN WE WERE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE USE. WHAT IS AESTHETIC VALUES? HOW IS THAT DEFINED? THAT'S VERY CONFUSING TO ME. I NOTICED EVEN IN OUR HANDBOOK IT WAS PART OF THE RED-LINED VERSION. WHAT EXACTLY IS AN AESTHETIC VALUE AND HOW ARE WE DEFINING THAT? SO -- Jessica Vaughn: IT STARTS ON PAGE 7, STIMULATE GROWTH, TALKING ABOUT MEDIA CENTER COLLECTIONS SHALL CONSIST OF, AND IT GIVES THE GUIDELINES, AND THEN

042THE THIRD BULLET POINT DOWN SAYS, STIMULATE AND FACTUAL KNOWLEDGE, LITERARY APPRECIATION, AESTHETIC VALUES AND ETHICAL STANDARDS. WHAT ARE AESTHETIC VALUES? SO IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, IN THINKING ABOUT THE AESTHETIC VALUE OF THE WORK ITSELF, SO SOMETIMES A MEDIA MATERIAL MIGHT HAVE MULTIPLE VERSIONS. ONE EXAMPLE IS LIKE THE HARDY BOYS. THE HARDY BOYS IS A SERIES THAT IS QUITE AN AGED SERIES. IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE A LONG TIME. OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, THERE ARE MULTIPLE VERSIONS THAT COME OUT -- THAT COME OF THE HARDIE BOY SERIES. MIGHT UPDATE THE COVERS, MIGHT UPDATE GRAPHICS INSIDE THE BOOK IN ORDER TO REACH A READER NOW THAT MAY BE -- YOU KNOW, IF WE THINK ABOUT THE STYLES THAT WERE POPULAR WHEN THE HARDY BOYS CAME OUT. SO THINGS LIKE THAT CAN BE UPDATED IN A BOOK

043AND ADD TO THE AESTHETIC VALUE OF THE MATERIAL WHEN MAKING THOSE SELECTIONS AND PURCHASES. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION. BECAUSE I'M ALSO A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT ETHICAL STANDARDS. BECAUSE THE STANDARDS GO ON IN THE STATUTE TO TALK ABOUT THAT NONE -- PERSONAL OPINION SHOULDN'T BE IMPOSED IN A LOT OF THIS. SO WHEN IT OUTLINES ETHICAL STANDARDS, TO ME THAT OVERLAPS PERSONAL OPINION AND I'M STARTING TO GET A LITTLE CONFUSED. I'LL ASK MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AS WE MOVE ON. FIRST OF ALL, I MEANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK AND THE CLARITY ON THIS. I KNOW THIS IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO OPEN SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THIS WHEN WE HAVE A PRIORITY TO OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF. I

044REALLY APPRECIATE THIS. I VALUE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE ON THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CLARITY IN THIS. I GUESS A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I'M GETTING FROM MY CONSTITUENCY IS NUMBER ONE, WE SPECIFY HERE THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A PARENT THAT BRINGS THIS FORWARD, THAT THIS CAN BE A COMMUNITY MEMBER THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL AT ALL OR BE A PARENT OR EVEN, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING AND MAYBE I'LL GET CLARITY, BE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SINCE THIS IS REVOLVING AROUND A PARENTAL RIGHTS BILL, I'M GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM MY CONSTITUENTS IN GENERAL IS THIS ACTUALLY AROUND PARENTAL RIGHTS? BECAUSE IF THERE IS A COMMUNITY MEMBER THAT DOESN'T HAVE A CHILD IN THE SCHOOL, ISN'T A PARENT, HOW ARE THEY ABLE TO CHALLENGE OR HAVE

045CONCERNS ABOUT THE CONTENT OF WHAT'S IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS? IS THAT JUST BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THE STATUTE IS AND WE JUST HAVE TO ABIDE BY THAT, SO IT'S NOT ACTUALLY REVOLVING AROUND PARENTAL RIGHTS, IT'S IN GENERAL TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO MAKE A BOOK CHALLENGE. Jim Porter: A PARENT OF SOMEONE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS OR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESIDENT AND THAT COMES FROM THE STATUTE. Jessica Vaughn: THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE A PARENT BUT THEY HAVE -- THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I'M GETTING IS SINCE THIS BILL IS AGAIN AROUND PARENTAL RIGHTS AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE CONFUSION IS COMING IN IS THAT READING. IF A BOOK HAS BEEN CHALLENGED BY SAY SOMEONE WHO ISN'T A PARENT, IS A HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESIDENT AND MAJORITY OF THE PARENTS DON'T

046AGREE WITH THE DECISION, CHALLENGE OR CONCERN AND SEE VALUE IN THAT BOOK IN THEIR LIBRARIES, I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE THE COMMITTEE PROCESS. BUT IF PARENTS HAVEN'T BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT BEING IN THE COMMITTEE, DON'T UNDERSTAND THE COMMITTEE PROCESS, MISSED THE WINDOW TO BE A PART OF THE COMMITTEE, FOR THEIR OWN ANONYMITY DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF A COMMITTEE THAT NOW IS OPEN TO THE SAME SUNSHINE LAWS AND CAN BE OPEN AND TELEVISED AND TAKEN BY ANYONE WHO COULD THEN DOX THEM AND VALUE THEIR PRIVACY FOR WHATEVER REASON AREN'T PART OF THE COMMITTEE, BUT THERE IS A LARGE NUMBER OF PARENTS WHO DON'T WANT THAT BOOK REMOVED FROM THE SCHOOL, UNDER THE PARENTAL RIGHT STATUTES, WHERE ARE THEIR RIGHTS AND DO THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO THEN CHALLENGE THE CHALLENGE ITSELF. BECAUSE THIS QUESTION, AND MY

047FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS CAN ATTEST TO THIS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF PARENTAL RIGHTS CONVERSATION, I HAVE SAID, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PARENTAL RIGHTS BUTT UP AGAINST. WHOSE RIGHTS BECOME DOMINANT AT THAT POINT? SO A LOT OF QUESTIONING, IS IT THE MAJORITY OF PARENTS? ONE WOULD THINK THROUGH A DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN ANY RIGHTS, THAT'S WHERE YOU LEAN, RIGHT? TO THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO UTILIZE THE SCHOOL, PEOPLE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHATEVER. HOWEVER, THIS PROCESS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, LENDS ITSELF TO ONLY THE PERSON WHO WANTS TO CHALLENGE THE BOOKS AND GIVES NO RIGHT TO OTHER PARENTS WHO MAY NOT SEE THAT SITUATION THE SAME WAY. SO DO WE HAVE ANY RESPONSE TO MY CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE ASKING ME, CAN I CHALLENGE A CHALLENGE AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS I THINK

048WE'LL GET ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE AFTER AUGUST 23rd. THERE IS A DEBT GOING ON AT THE DOE ABOUT THE SCOPE OF WHO CAN CHALLENGE A CHALLENGE AFTER THE SCHOOL BOARD MAKES A DECISION. ON THAT ISSUE, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME GUIDANCE FROM THE DOE ON THE 23rd. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT. THE NEXT THING THAT I WANTED TO KIND OF ASK AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT WAS IN OUR GUIDE THAT'S CHANGED QUITE A BIT, OUR HANDBOOK, I WOULD LOVE TO GET LIKE A SMALL SUMMATION THAT I CAN SHARE WITH PEOPLE OF JUST THE UNDERLYING RED LINES. AT FIRST YOU LOOK AT IT AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A LOT OF RED LINES BUT THEN YOU GO TO THE DOCUMENT ITSELF AND SO MUCH HAS BEEN RED LINED. BOOK DONATIONS. CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND A

049LITTLE BIT FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND AS WELL WHAT HAS CHANGED AROUND BOOK DONATIONS? I SAW WE ADDED SOMETHING ABOUT A THANK-YOU NOTE HAS TO BE SHARED OR GIVEN TO THE PERSON WHO DONATES THE BOOK, BUT WHAT ELSE HAS CHANGED AROUND BOOK DONATIONS BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND FAMILIES THAT DONATE BOOKS AND THEY WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE NOW. SO FOR US, NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED ABOUT BOOK DONATIONS. THERE WAS SOME REORGANIZATION OF WHERE INFORMATION WAS. WE WERE HOPING TO BRING CLARITY TO THAT. SO BOOK DONATIONS ARE EVALUATED IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY WITH THE SAME BASIS AND SAME CRITERIA AS WHEN A MEDIA SPECIALIST IS PURCHASING NEW MATERIALS. SO THE SECTION THAT IS ABOUT A THANK-YOU NOTE IS MORE COURTESY, ENSURING THAT OUR MEDIA CENTERS ARE THANKFUL AND

050APPRECIATIVE IN REACHING OUT THOSE COURTESY ELEMENTS. BUT AS THEY REVIEW MATERIALS, WHETHER THEY ARE PURCHASING IT NEW OR THEY ARE RECEIVING A DONATION, THEY ARE USING THAT EXACT CRITERIA, THE BASIS AND SELECTION CRITERIA. Jessica Vaughn: IF A GROUP DONATES BOOKS THAT DON'T MEET THAT CRITERIA AND ARE OBJECTED BY THE MEDIA SPECIALIST, HOW ARE THEY NOTIFIED OF THAT AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE BOOKS? SO WE ENCOURAGE MEDIA SPECIALISTS TO ENSURE THAT THE DONOR IS AWARE OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN BEFOREHAND. SO THE DONOR WOULD HAVE THE OPTION OF INDICATING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THOSE MATERIALS RETURNED TO THEM. SOME OTHER THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN IS PERHAPS MATERIAL IS REJECTED BECAUSE IT'S OLD, IT'S VERY OLD BUT STILL HAS BEAUTIFUL IMAGES IN IT THAT AN ART TEACHER MIGHT WANT TO USE FOR COLLAGE. BUT WHETHER IT WAS DONATED

051IN THAT SENSE TO AN ART TEACHER WOULD BE CLEARED WITH THE DONOR BEFOREHAND. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. THE DONOR WILL HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT HAPPENS IF IT'S NOT SHARED WITH STUDENTS AS INTENDED. MY NEXT QUESTION WAS, AS DR. HAHN WAS REFERENCING, USING REVIEWS, WE DO TALK ABOUT THAT IN OUR HANDBOOK ON PAGE 1. AND WE TALK ABOUT PROFESSIONAL REVIEW SOURCES, AND THERE IS A LIST OF SOME REVIEW SOURCES ON HERE. I'LL SAY BOOK LIST, BOOK LINKS HAS BEEN CROSSED OUT, THE BULLETIN CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS, THE HORN BOOKS, SO HOW ARE WE IDENTIFYING THOSE REVIEW SITES? WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THAT? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IF WE'RE GOING TO BE, AS DR. HAHN POINTED OUT, DIFFERENT REVIEW SITES SAY DIFFERENT THINGS, RIGHT? REVIEWERS ALL HAVE OPINIONS JUST LIKE WE DO AND PARENTS DO.

052WHAT CRITERIA ARE WE USING WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REVIEW SITES TO INCLUDE THAT IN THIS HANDBOOK OR INCLUDE IT IN OUR CONVERSATION? IS IT THE PUBLISHER'S REVIEWS, OBVIOUSLY NOT JUST THE PUBLISHER OR THE AUTHOR IF WE HAVE THIS LIST. YOU ARE CORRECT. THESE ARE OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLISHER. THE RECOMMENDED ONES ARE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED REVIEW SOURCES THAT USE CREDENTIALED INDIVIDUALS TO CONDUCT THEIR REVIEWS. SO SOME HAD BEEN, LIKE BOOK LINKS HAD BEEN REMOVED BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN EXISTENCE ANYMORE, NOT BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THAT PARTICULAR SITE. SO THAT'S HOW WE MAKE THIS LIST, BUT THIS IS JUST A LIST OF RECOMMENDED ONES. THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONALLY RECOGNIZED REVIEW SOURCES THAT COME INTO EXISTENCE AND WE WOULD BE FLUID IN INCLUDING THEM. THE MAIN CRITERIA IS THAT THE REVIEWERS THEMSELVES, THAT IT IS A

053PROFESSIONAL REVIEW SOURCE. IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLISHER, SO THEY ARE NOT PAID BY THE PUBLISHER IN ORDER TO DO THE REVIEWS, AND THAT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE REVIEWING THEM ARE CREDENTIALED AND THOSE CREDENTIALS ARE ACCESSIBLE. Jessica Vaughn: I APPRECIATE THAT. I HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS AND I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A LOT MORE, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MONOPOLIZE ALL THE TIME WE HAVE HERE. MR. GIBSON, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED. UNDER 1069 NOW THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN MORE CLARITY OF WHAT SEXUAL CONTENT IS PER THIS STATUTE, NOW, IT US THAT MEAN NONE OF OUR BOOKS CAN CONTAIN THAT AT ALL? OR DOES THAT MEAN, BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS AGE APPROPRIATE. THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION AND WHERE THAT STATEWIDE, EVEN NATIONWIDE, HAS BEEN SOME CONTENTION. BECAUSE,

054AGAIN, WHO DECIDES WHAT IS AGE APPROPRIATE AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. NOW, THIS GUIDELINE, WITH WHAT THEY HAVE DEFINED AS SEXUAL CONTENT, DOES THAT MEAN ANY BOOK WITH THAT IS REMOVED FROM OUR LIBRARIES IN GENERAL? OR DOES THAT MEAN THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EVALUATING, IF THERE IS A BOOK CHALLENGE, AND THAT'S STILL BASED ON WHAT IS AGE APPROPRIATE AND WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE BENEFICIAL BASED ON WHETHER IT ALIGNS WITH SOME STANDARD OR IN ANY WAY HAS EDUCATIONAL VALUE. I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IN CONTEXT WHAT THAT NEW DEFINITION MEANS. I THINK EVERYONE IN THE LIBRARY WORLD OR AT SCHOOLS HAS THOSE SAME QUESTIONS. AGAIN, WE'RE HOPING TO GET GUIDANCE FROM DOE, BUT WHEN LOOKING AT THE STATUTORY LANGUAGE ITSELF, WHEN IT SAYS DEPICTS OR DESCRIBES SEXUAL CONDUCT, IT ISN'T LIMITED

055OR DESCRIBED IN ANY WAY. THAT STATUTORY PROVISION JUST DIRECTS TO YOU THE DEFINITION OF SEXUAL CONDUCT SEPARATELY IN THE STATUTE. Jessica Vaughn: WE'RE STILL GOING TO GET MORE CLARIFICATION ABOUT WHETHER THAT MEANS AGE APPROPRIATE, THAT'S THE PROBLEM, OR MORE CLARIFICATION ON HOW THAT APPLIES TO OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS. WE HOPE SO. THAT CERTAINLY HASN'T BEEN GUARANTEED. Jessica Vaughn: I HAVE ONE QUESTION AND SOME CLOSING REMARKS. WHAT IF, AND I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY ANSWERS ON THIS. I KNOW THERE WERE SOME SLIDES THAT WERE INCLUDED IN SOME OF THE MEDIA SPECIALIST TRAINING THAT ALLUDED TO THIS. IF BY SOME ACCIDENTAL REASON THIS IS BROKEN, RIGHT, LET'S TALK ABOUT CLASSROOM LIBRARIES. USED THIS AS AN EXCUSE. LET'S SAY A TEACHER SCANS THE CLASSROOM LIBRARY, MEDIA SPECIALIST GOES THROUGH IT, APPROVE IT, EVERYTHING IS GOOD. A STUDENT COMES IN

056AND AS LONG AS I KNOW STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO BRING IN THEIR OWN BOOKS AT THIS POINT, BRINGS IN THEIR OWN BOOK APPROVED FROM HOME BY A PARENT, LEAVES IT -- MY KID SWITCHES CLASS FOUR OR FIVE TIMES, LEAVES IT IN ONE OF THE CLASSROOMS. ANOTHER KID IN THERE DOESN'T KNOW WHOSE BOOK IT IS, STICKS IT IN THE CLASSROOM LIBRARY NOT THINKING ABOUT ANY OF THE IMPLICATIONS, OH, CLASSROOM LIBRARY BOOK. UNBEKNOWNST TO THE TEACHER, UNAPPROVED THERE IS A BOOK IN THERE THAT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE MEDIA SPECIALIST. IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHAT IS THE PENALTY? WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR STAFF, OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS IF THEY VIOLATE THIS KNOWINGLY OR EVEN UNKNOWINGLY, ARE THEY AUTOMATICALLY DUE FOR A FELONY CHARGE BECAUSE THAT WAS ALLUDED TO? DO THEY GO THROUGH A PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE PLAN?

057WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR STAFF IN THE CASE THAT SOME OF THE GUIDELINES, STATUTES, RULES OR POLICIES ARE BROKEN? SURE, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION BECAUSE HAVING CHILDREN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR MIDDLE SCHOOL, IT IS A TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF A CHILD WHO, THE BELL HAS RUNG, TIME TO GO AND THEY LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND. I THINK A LOT OF THAT GOES BACK TO INTENT. IN THE SITUATION THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, A CHILD HAS LEFT SOMETHING BEHIND. ANOTHER CHILD FINDS IT. IT'S BROUGHT TO THE TEACHER'S ATTENTION, WHETHER IT'S BY ANOTHER STUDENT OR A PARENT AND THAT'S RESOLVED AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL. CERTAINLY, IF YOU GO THROUGH SITUATIONS AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT MULTIPLE INSTANCES WHERE SOMETHING IS PERCEIVED TO BE GOING ON, MAYBE THAT DOESN'T FOLLOW WITH WHAT OUR CURRENT PROCESSES ARE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THEN, YES, WE

058DO HAVE A PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE SYSTEM IN PLACE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY THE PRINCIPAL FIRST. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF ANXIETY IN OUR CLASSROOMS WITH OUR EDUCATORS AND OUR STAFF. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN, FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY, MEMBER GRAY, I APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION AROUND HUMAN TRAFFICKING. IT'S IMPORTANT AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE A VOICE FOR THAT BECAUSE IT'S AN EPIDEMIC AND SOMETHING THAT WE ALL FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE CONCERNS WITH SOME OF THE WORDING THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. I'M NOT SURE WHAT ANIMATED PORNOGRAPHY IS. I THINK MAYBE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GRAPHIC NOVELS, BUT WHEN YOU UTILIZE AN EXAMPLE OF THE KITE RUNNER AS PORNOGRAPHY, MY CONCERN WITH THAT IS THAT YOU ALSO TIE THAT TO SAYING IT

059AROUSES CHILDREN AND EXPLICIT NATURE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU READ THE KITE RUNNER, BUT I HAVE. IF ANYONE IS APPROVED BY THAT, THAT IS -- AROUSED BY THAT, THAT IS EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC. IT IS " NOT SEXUAL IN ANY WAY SHAPE ARE FORM. IT IS ABOUT ABUSE AND RAPE AND NOT ILLUSTRATED IN A WAY TO BE SEXUALLY AROUSING, IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS WHAT'S GROOMING OUR CHILDREN AND NOT PREDATORS WHO INTENTIONALLY EARN THE TRUST OF OUR STUDENTS EVEN THROUGH IF A MEALIAL RELATIONSHIPS OR ONLINE, IF KITE RUNNER IS DESENSITIZING, INSTEAD OF HOW HORRIFIC SEXUAL ABUSE IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES ARE THAT'S PROBLEMATIC AND NEED TO REEVALUATE OURSELVES AS SOCIETY. I'M APPALLED THAT ANYONE COULD USE THE WORD KITE RUNNER AND SEXUALLY AROUSING IN THE SAME SENTENCE. I WANT US TO BE INTENTIONAL AS WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS

060BECAUSE SEXUAL TRAFFICKING IS SUCH A BIG ISSUE THAT IF WE'RE NOT EXTREMELY INTENTIONAL AND MISUSE WORDS OR WE USE EXAMPLES THAT AREN'T ACTUAL. -- I ALSO HAD UNDERLINED AND STARRED ON PAGE 7, ALONG WITH MEMBER VAUGHN, BUT SPECIFICALLY ETHICAL STANDARDS, WHEN IT COMES TO CULTURAL DIVERSITY. HOW ARE YOU DEFINING ETHICAL STANDARDS UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY? ON PAGE 7. OF THE PowerPoint. WHEN WE INCLUDE ETHICAL STANDARDS AS PART OF THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTION, SOME OF THIS IS ALSO BEING PULLED FROM STATUTE LANGUAGE. AND SO I -- AS I PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY AS A MEDIA SPECIALIST APPLY THAT, PART OF THAT IS UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWING MY COMMUNITY, BEING INTEGRATED IN MY SCHOOL SITE AND THE COMMUNITY THAT I'M A PART OF AS A MEDIA SPECIALIST, UNDERSTANDING THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT I SERVE,

061AND DEVELOPING A COLLECTION THAT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF THAT. Karen Perez: SO YEARS AGO, I HAD THE INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE OF HAVING BELL HOOKS COME TO MY HOME. SHE WAS A DISTINCT PROFESSOR AND FEMINIST AND SHE READ TO MY DAUGHTERS. AND SHE IS AN AUTHOR WHO WE'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH HER BOOKS. I'M LOOKING AT THE PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS IN FRONT OF ME. AND UNDER SECTION 1,014.3 IT SAYS, INFRINGEMENT OF PARENTAL RIGHTS. THE STATE, ANY OF ITS POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS MAY NOT INFRINGE ON THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF A PARENT TO DIRECT THE UPBRINGING OR EDUCATION. SO LOOKING AT THIS, THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE ONLY PARENTS WHO KNOW WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE READING ARE THE ONES THAT MAKE NOISE. SO FOR ME, AS A BOARD MEMBER, I DON'T MAKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT CHILDREN BRING LIBRARY BOOKS HOME AND

062THEIR PARENTS DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE READING. I AM UNDER THE UMBRELLA THAT EVERY STUDENT WHO BRINGS HOME A BOOK THEIR PARENTS KNOW WHAT THAT BOOK IS AND APPROVE OF THAT BOOK. AND THAT THERE ARE MANY, MANY THINGS IN THESE STANDARDS THAT DIRECT -- DIRECTLY TARGET COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, LIKE BOARD MEMBER WASHINGTON MENTIONED, THAT MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO READ AND BE ABREAST OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD, THAT CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THESE BOOKS DO REFLECT OUR SOCIETY AND THEY DON'T WANT TO ELIMINATE THIS CONVERSATION FROM THE TABLE, THAT MANY OF OUR PARENTS DO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN READING, AND THIS CONVERSATION COMES TO THE DINNER TABLE AND THEY HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE READING. I WANT TO ASK AS WELL, ON PAGE 8, REPRESENTS THE BROAD RACIAL, ETHNIC,

063SOCIAL ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF THE STUDENTS. WHEN THE BOOKS -- WHEN ANYONE COMES TO CHALLENGE A BOOK, IS IT SOLELY BASED ON THE SEXUAL CONTENT OR IS IT BASED ON OTHER ISSUES AS WELL? MEMBER GRAY, GOOD QUESTION. PEREZ. MEMBER PEREZ. PEREZ. SORRY. EXCUSE ME. DURING THE CHALLENGE PROCEDURES, THE STATUTE LAYS OUT FOUR CRITERIA. ONE IS PORNOGRAPHIC OR FALLS UNDER 847, SEXUAL CONDUCT, AND THEN I THINK THESE GET TO YOUR POINTS IS IT SUITED TO STUDENTS' NEEDS AND THEIR ABILITY TO COMPREHEND THE MATERIAL AND THEN IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR GRADE LEVEL AND AGE GROUP FOR WHICH THE MATERIAL IS USED? I THINK THOSE TWO CRITERIA WOULD ENCOMPASS THE BROADER AREAS THAT YOU'RE, I THINK, FOCUSING ON. Karen Perez: OKAY. BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS WHO READ ABOVE THE GRADE AVERAGE, AM I CORRECT

064OR THE GRADE LEVEL? WHOSE PARENTS WANT THEM READING BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO MOVE THEIR STUDENTS ABOVE THEIR READING LEVEL. HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT? I THINK THOSE TWO CRITERIA SORT OF ADDRESS THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL SITUATION, EACH INDIVIDUAL BOOK, AND WHETHER IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE GRADE LEVEL AND THE AGE GROUP FOR WHICH THE BOOK IS MADE AVAILABLE. Karen Perez: BECAUSE I KNOW ROBERTO CLEMENTE, HIS BOOK WAS REMOVED FROM THE SHELF AND THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH SEXUAL CONTENT WHATSOEVER. SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING. WHY CULTURAL, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY NEEDS AS FAR AS HOW IT'S REFLECTING IN OUR SOCIETY, IN OUR CHILDREN, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT OUR PARENTS, WHEN WE HAVE A PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS, IT'S FOR ALL PARENTS,

065NOT SOME, NOT JUST THE ONES WHO MAKE NOISE, BUT FOR ALL PARENTS. SECTION 1,014.4 OF THE PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS SAYS THAT ALL PARENTS' RIGHTS ARE RESERVED TO THE PARENT. OF THE MINOR CHILD IN THE STATE WITHOUT OBSTRUCTION OR INTERFERENCE FROM THE STATE. ACCORDING TO WHAT I'M READING. WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM THE STATE. AND IT SAYS SUB A, THE RIGHT TO DIRECT EDUCATION AND CARE OF HIS OR HER MINOR. SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE SEXUAL CONTACT OR ANYTHING -- SEXUAL CONTENT OR ANYTHING, IT'S REALLY LEFT UP TO THE PARENT IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT THEIR CHILD TO READ. I'LL LEAVE IT RIGHT THERE FOR A MOMENT. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER RENDON, IF SHE'S AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY. MEMBER RENDON, ARE YOU READY? Patti Rendon: YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME. Nadia Combs: MAYBE A LITTLE

066LOUDER. CAN YOU SPEAK AGAIN? Patti Rendon: YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME. Nadia Combs: YES, YES. GO AHEAD, MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: SO SORRY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE COULD DO THIS. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF FOR TAKING THE TIME TO PUT THIS PRESENTATION TOGETHER. IT WAS EXTREMELY THOROUGH AND I SO APPRECIATE YOU LINKING THE MATERIALS AND THE HANDBOOK DIRECTLY TO THE LAWS. BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND AS A BOARD, AS A COMMUNITY, AND AS DISTRICT LEADERS. I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE LEAVE OUR OPINIONS BEHIND AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THE LAWS AS THEY WERE PASSED. MANY TIMES WE DON'T AS INDIVIDUALS, AS CITIZENS DON'T AGREE WITH EVERY LAW THAT'S PASSED. WE DON'T AGREE WITH EVERY PART OF A LAW THAT'S PASSED IN

067SOME WAYS. AND THEN SOMETIMES WE DO. BUT AT THIS POINT AT OUR LEVEL, RESPECTING WHERE THE LAW IS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IT, I THOROUGHLY RESPECT THAT AS WE'VE BEEN MOVING FORWARD. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT, IF POSSIBLE, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS AS A PARENT I PERSONALLY WAS NOT WELL AWARE OF AND THAT'S COMING FROM A VERY INVOLVED PARENT. WORKED ON SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS AND THINGS. THE DIFFERENT HANDBOOKS WE HAVE AS A DISTRICT, I THINK THIS BRINGS LIGHT TO THE FACT THAT WE NOT ONLY HAVE A STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT HANDBOOK, WE HAVE SCHOOL HANDBOOKS, WE HAVE A MEDIA HANDBOOK. WE HAVE SEVERAL HANDBOOKS. AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND THEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND SEMESTER AFTER OUR

068WINTER BREAK IF WE SENT OUT A PARENT LINK, LINKING OUR PARENTS TO OUR HANDBOOKS. NOW, I WOULD INCLUDE THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL UNLESS IT GOES DIRECTLY FROM THE SCHOOL AND HAVING THEM SEND OUT THEIR INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL HANDBOOK AT THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL AGAIN AND THEN AT THE BREAK. BUT AS A DISTRICT, IF WE COULD SEND OUT A PARENT LINK, BECAUSE I WAS PERSONALLY UNAWARE THAT WE EVEN HAVE A LIBRARY OR A MEDIA CENTER HANDBOOK, THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM OUR STUDENT HANDBOOK. I WOULD HAVE ASSUMED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ENCOMPASSED BETWEEN OUR SCHOOL AND OUR STUDENT HANDBOOK AND YET IT IS DIFFERENT AND IT IS SEPARATE. AND SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE OUR PARENTS ARE EDUCATED AND INFORMED ABOUT THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO SAY THAT I AGREE WITH

069MEMBER VAUGHN AND MEMBER PEREZ, THAT WHEN WE PUT INTO OUR PRESENTATION AND AGAIN IN OUR HANDBOOK, WORDS LIKE ETHICAL OR ON PAGE 7, ETHICAL OR AESTHETIC, WE BRING TO QUESTION ON EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS, AND I THINK THAT WE ALL HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION. WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN AS A SOCIETY. INDIVIDUALS HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION OF THAT, AND I THINK THAT THE MORE WE CAN SWAY AWAY FROM WORDS THAT HAVE OPINIONS BASED TO THEM, THE BETTER WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE CONCRETE, PEOPLE UNDERSTAND OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, THEY UNDERSTAND THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT BASED UPON OPINION, BUT THEY ARE BASED UPON LAW AND THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE AS A DISTRICT. I THINK DIVERSABILITY IS SOMETHING WE COULD ALL RALLY AROUND, THAT WE ALL WANT TO

070SEE A DIVERSIFIED MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS. BOOKS ARE WAYS IN WHICH OUR STUDENTS EXPLORE. THEY GO ON ADVENTURES. THEY LEARN ABOUT OTHER CULTURES, ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE, AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE ON THIS BOARD WANTS TO STIFLE THAT LEARNING, STIFLE THAT EXPLORATION OR ADVENTURE, THAT CHILDREN CAN GET THROUGH BOOKS. I WOULD ASSUME ALL OF US SITTING ON THIS BOARD HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH A VARIOUS AUTHOR OR GENRE BASED UPON READING OR GETTING INVOLVED IN THAT SUBJECT. IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO SHOW A DIVERSE ARRAY OF MATERIALS TO OUR STUDENTS. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I THANK YOU AND I THANK ALL THE MEDIA SPECIALISTS FOR THE TIME AND THE CONSIDERATION THEY ARE TAKING. I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT I'M SURE THE BOARD

071WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT WE HIGHLY RESPECT OUR STAFF AND THE TRAINING THAT THEY GO THROUGH FOR THAT AND THE DECISIONS THAT THEY MAKE. IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN A LOT OF TIME, ESPECIALLY THIS LAST YEAR, TO HAVING TO GO THROUGH AND MANAGE NOT ONLY THE LARGE MEDIA IN EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS, BUT IN EACH OF OUR CLASSROOMS THEY'VE HAD TO GO THROUGH AND DO THAT. SO I WANT TO THANK THEM PERSONALLY FOR WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. BECAUSE WE CAN'T REALLY DEFINE EXACTLY WHAT THOSE WORDS ARE, I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE THINK ABOUT HOUSE BILL 1069 AND THE DETAIL THAT'S BEEN PUT INTO IT. WHEN WE LOOK AT, LIKE WE SAY, I THINK IT IS PAGE 13, AND WE GO THROUGH AND THE REASON

072FOR THE CRITERIA OF THE CHALLENGE IN OUR BOOKS, PORNOGRAPHY IS CLEARLY DEFINED NOT ONLY -- IT'S CLEARLY DEFINED WHEN IT COMES TO STATUTE 847, AND I THINK THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DEFINE WHAT PORNOGRAPHY IS. BUT OUR LAWS AND THE STATUTES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAVE ALREADY DEFINED THAT FOR US. NOT ONLY DEFINE PORNOGRAPHY BUT IT GOES INTO DETAILS IN B-2 WHERE IT DEPICTS AND DESCRIBES SEXUAL CONTENT IS DEFINED AND AGAIN, 847001, LINE 19, AND SEVERAL OTHER ONES AS IT GOES THROUGH IDENTIFIED IN THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION RULE. BUT SEXUAL CONDUCT, PORNOGRAPHY AS DEFINED IN FLORIDA STATUTE 847, THAT'S WHERE HOUSE BILL 1069 GOES AWAY FROM PARENT RIGHTS AND IT'S NOT ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF A PARENT, BUT IT'S ABOUT THE PROTECTION OF THE CHILD WHEN IT COMES

073TO ANY KIND OF MATERIAL THAT WOULD BE PORNOGRAPHIC IN NATURE OR DESCRIBING ANY KIND OF SEXUAL CONDUCT AS DEFINED IN FLORIDA STATUTE, NOT BASED ON OPINION, NOT BASED UPON WHETHER ONE FAMILY AGREES OR DOESN'T AGREE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY BASED UPON LAW. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO MAKE SURE AND AGAIN, IF WE INCLUDE THAT IN OUR BILL, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, IN OUR HANDBOOK, IT CLEARLY IS DEFINING NOT ABOUT THE RIGHT OF A PARENT BUT THE PROTECTION OF A CHILD. AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GO BACK TO AND GO BACK DIRECTLY TO OUR LAWS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GRADE LEVEL AND AGE GROUPING OF THE MATERIAL, I WANT TO REFER BACK TO DEBBIE PEPE AND YOUR STAFF. WHEN A BOOK HAS AN AGE-APPROPRIATE DEFINED ON IT, IS

074THAT AGE APPROPRIATE ON THE BOOK OR SAYS THAT IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR, SAY, AGE 14 TO 18, IS THAT DEPICTING THE READING LEVEL OR IS THAT DEFINED BY THE PUBLISHER AS APPROPRIATENESS FOR THAT AGE? SO THERE ARE TWO -- THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT A MEDIA SPECIALIST COULD LOOK AT TO LOOK AT AGE APPROPRIATENESS. ONE FROM THE PUBLISHER PIECE YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT WOULD HAVE THAT AGE GROUP DEFINED, AND I THINK IT'S BASED ON THE TOPIC, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, FOR THAT PARTICULAR PIECE. AND ALSO WITHIN THE PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS, THEY WILL HAVE AGE GROUPS WHERE THEY FEEL THAT'S APPROPRIATE MENTIONED BEFORE THAT KIM HAD WENT THROUGH ON THE REVIEW MATERIALS AS WELL. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. THE OTHER THING IS, WHEN WE'RE UTILIZING THOSE REVIEWS, ARE THE MEDIA SPECIALISTS UTILIZING THOSE

075REVIEWS FOR SOMETHING THAT, LET'S SAY WOULD BE, THE CONTENT COULD BE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT THE REVIEWER SAYS THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE -- THE CONTENT WOULD BE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE GRADE LEVEL OF READING LEVEL WOULD BE MIDDLE SCHOOL. IS THAT SOMETHING OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS WOULD THEN SAY, OKAY, IT'S OKAY FOR AN ELEMENTARY STUDENT BECAUSE THE READING LEVEL WOULD BE MIDDLE SCHOOL BUT EVEN THOUGH THEY DEFINE THE CONTENT AS MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL? I DON'T SEE A CLARIFICATION IN ANYTHING, WHETHER IT'S OUR HANDBOOK OR ANY OF THIS PRESENTATION WHERE WE COULD CLARIFY THAT. MEMBER RENDON, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF DETERMINING -- WHEN REVIEWERS ARE DETERMINING AGE APPROPRIATENESS OR WHAT AGE THEY ARE RECOMMENDING THIS MATERIAL BE FOR, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THE REVIEWER CONSIDERS IS READING LEVEL. OTHER THINGS THAT THE REVIEWER CONSIDERS ARE

076LIKE THE CONTENT, LIKE YOU WERE MENTIONING, THE AGE OF THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK, WHO IS THE INTENDED AUDIENCE OF THE BOOK. SO READING LEVEL AS WELL AS CONTENT AND THE INTENDED AUDIENCE IN THE BOOK ARE ALL ENCOMPASSED TOGETHER IN THOSE AGE RECOMMENDATIONS. BECAUSE THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY BOOKS THAT ARE WRITTEN FOR ADULTS THAT ARE AT A SIXTH OR SEVENTH GRADE READING LEVEL, BUT THOSE WOULD NOT BE REVIEWED AS A SIXTH OR SEVENTH GRADE BOOK. THEY WOULD BE REVIEWED AS AN ADULT BOOK. READING LEVEL IS ONE ELEMENT, BUT NOT THE ONLY ELEMENT THAT GOES INTO THE DETERMINATION OF WHAT AGE RANGE, GRADE RANGES A BOOK WOULD BE RECOMMENDED FOR. I HOPE THAT ANSWERED THE QUESTION. Patti Rendon: I THINK IT DID, YEAH. MY QUESTION IS, WHERE IS THAT GUIDELINE? IS IT ANYWHERE IN WRITING IN ANY

077OF OUR PROCEDURES FOR OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS OR PUBLICLY IN OUR HANDBOOK SO THAT ANY PARENT THAT WAS LOOKING FOR THAT UNDERSTANDS THAT A BOOK IS CHOSEN BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT MAY BE APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR READING LEVEL, BUT IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR AGE LEVEL, THEN WE WOULD NOT CHOOSE IT. WE WOULD CHOOSE ANOTHER BOOK THAT WOULD HAVE A HIGHER LEVEL OF READING LEVEL, WHETHER WORD SENTENCE CHOICE OR THAT TYPE OF STRUCTURE WHERE THEY NEEDED IT FOR READING LEVEL, BUT WE WOULD ALSO MAKE SURE IT HAD APPROPRIATE CONTENT AGE APPROPRIATENESS. WHERE WOULD WE HAVE THAT DEFINED ANYWHERE IN WRITING? IS. ONE PLACE THAT I BELIEVE ADDRESSES THAT, BUT ABSOLUTELY WE COULD LOOK AT CLARIFYING MORE THOROUGHLY, IN THE LIBRARY MEDIA HANDBOOK ITSELF ON PAGE 11, IN THE SECOND PART IS CRITERIA FOR SELECTION, AND ONE OF THE

078CRITERIA FOR SELECTION SAYS THAT MATERIALS THAT SUPPORT VARIED READER INTEREST TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE DIVERSE ABILITIES AND MATURITY LEVELS OF THE STUDENTS SERVED. SO THEY ARE TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS THEY ARE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS AND SELECTING, BUT I ABSOLUTELY HEAR YOU AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE COULD LOOK AT DEVELOPING THAT LANGUAGE FURTHER TO BE CLEARER ON THE INTENT. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? I'LL TEXT HER AND SEE IF SHE WANTS TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. Patti Rendon: I'M SO SORRY. I ACCIDENTALLY HIT A BUTTON. I AM SO SORRY. I SET MY PHONE -- YES, I DO HAVE ONE MORE THING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CLARIFYING THAT PIECE ON THAT PAGE. BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I DID LOOK AT, BUT, AGAIN, I WANT

079TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR. I THINK THAT'S WHERE MY CONCERN COMES IN THAT WE'RE JUST VERY CLEAR SO EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME EXPECTATIONS GOING FORWARD. TO ME, IT WAS MORE LIKE, AGAIN, ON PAGE 11, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY, WE HAD THE ROLE OF SELECTION, IT'S NOT -- IT'S LIKE AN AND/OR. IT WASN'T THAT IT WAS LIKE IF IT WAS -- IF IT WAS AGE APPROPRIATE, IT WOULD BE FINE, OR IF IT WAS GRADE LEVEL APPROPRIATE, IT WOULD BE FINE. I THINK WE HAVE TO GIVE THAT SOME CLARIFICATION, THAT IT CAN'T BE -- IT'S GOT TO BE BOTH. LIKE, IF WE'VE GOT A SIX-YEAR-OLD READING ON 8th GRADE LEVEL, WE WANT AN 8th GRADE LEVEL READING LEVEL, BUT WE WANT 6th -- SIX-YEAR-OLD CONTENT. I THINK WE NEED CLARIFICATION ON THAT. THE OTHER THING

080IS, WHEN I READ ON PAGE 11 AS WELL, YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB IN THE HANDBOOK OF PUTTING IN DIRECTLY FROM HOUSE BILL 11 IN THAT CLARIFICATION, BUT THEN WHEN IT WENT INTO THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE MEDIA SPECIALIST, THAT WAS NOT REPEATED. AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HR WOULD BE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT CLARIFICATION? AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STUCK OUT TO ME WAS THE 18 HOURS OF SPECIFIC UNIVERSITY LEVEL, MASTERS LEVEL COURSES AND THEN IT DEFINES SOME COURSES THAT ARE REQUIRED. ARE WE GOING TO BE CHANGING THAT JOB DESCRIPTION? MEMBER RENDON, IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE'LL REVIEW THE JOB DESCRIPTION WITH HR TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ALIGNS WITH THE HANDBOOK. Patti Rendon: OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. ONE LAST THING IS I DO AGREE

081WITH DR. HAHN THAT I'D LIKE TO HAVE ON THE FORM MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE OPPOSITE, RIGHT, THAT IT DOES NOT CONTAIN PORNOGRAPHY AS DEFINED. IT DOES NOT CONTAIN SEXUAL CONTENT AS DEFINED OR CONDUCT AS DEFINED. I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY GOOD IN MAKING SURE WE'VE GOT THAT. YEAH, I THINK WE'RE GOOD FOR NOW. I REALLY DO WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN HAVE A DIVERSE SELECTION OF BOOKS THAT THEY CAN LEARN TO EXPLORE, TO HAVE ADVENTURES, TO LEARN ABOUT NEW CULTURES, PEOPLE, AND AREAS AND PLACES, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT TRIGGERS AND SPARKS A LIFE OF WHAT THEY WANT TO DO OR WHO THEY WANT TO BE. AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE WANTS TO TAKE AWAY THAT FLAME THAT A CHILD

082COULD GET FROM READING. BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTENT IN WHICH THEY ARE READING IS ABOUT -- IS GOOD FOR THEM AND ABILITY FOR THEIR PARENT TO MAKE THAT DECISION. OH, I DID HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION. IS THERE ANYWHERE IN ANY OF OUR PROCEDURES OR IN THE HANDBOOK, I DON'T THINK I SAW THAT, WHERE IF I AS A PARENT DON'T WANT MY CHILD TO CHECK OUT ANY PARTICULAR BOOKS, WHAT THAT PROCEDURE WOULD BE? IT IS WITHIN OUR HANDBOOK ON PAGE 20, SPECIFICALLY WHERE A PARENT CAN SPEAK WITH A MEDIA SPECIALIST ON HAVING THAT IN PLACE FOR THEIR CHILD. IS. Patti Rendon: OKAY. SO IF A PARENT, DO THEY HAVE TO PERSONALLY SPEAK TO THEM? THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT IN WRITING. THERE'S NO SPECIFIC FORM. THEY CAN'T GO THROUGH THE TEACHER. THEY HAVE

083TO E-MAIL THE MEDIA SPECIALIST OR THEY HAVE TO SPEAK WITH THEM. YES, THAT IS CORRECT. THEY WOULD SPEAK WITH THEM FIRST TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE -- THEIR ACCESS TO THEIR LIBRARY OR CLASSROOM LIBRARY. AND THAT IS THE FIRST THING, IF THEY WANT TO RESTRICT THAT ACCESS, IT'S A CONVERSATION, YES. Patti Rendon: OKAY. I WOULD SUGGEST AND, AGAIN, THIS IS UP TO YOU AS A DISTRICT, BUT I SUGGEST WE HAVE SOME SORT OF FORMAL WRITING, IF A PARENT WANTS A CHILD NOT TO HAVE ACCESS TO SPECIFIC MATERIAL SO THAT WE HAVE IT IN WRITING. I THINK THAT'S A PROTECTION FOR BOTH THE PARENT AND THE MEDIA SPECIALIST OR THE TEACHER. I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING IN WRITING WHERE THE PARENT HAS THE ABILITY TO OBJECT TO THAT. THANK YOU. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK

084YOU. MEMBER RENDON AND I'LL PUT YOU BACK INTO THE QUEUE. WE HAVE ABOUT 40 MINUTES LEFT AND THEN WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE ANOTHER ROUND. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. I THINK WE'RE ALL WAITING FOR AUGUST 23rd. I THINK WE HAVE TWO ATTORNEYS HERE. WE HAVE SOME REALLY HIGHLY EDUCATED PEOPLE AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION STILL GOING ON. I THINK THE LAW IS STILL, ALTHOUGH IT IS CLEAR, SOME OF IT IS NOT CLEAR BECAUSE WE HAVE DIFFERENT CONCERNS FOR DIFFERENT BOOKS. EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS. EVERYONE IS INTERPRETING THE LAW DIFFERENTLY. SO I WOULD HOPE AND I'VE SAID FROM THE BEGINNING, I WOULD HOPE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WILL GIVE US A LIST OF BOOKS OR GIVE US CLARIFICATION BECAUSE THIS TYPE OF CONFUSION IS JUST NOT GOOD

085FOR ALL DISTRICTS AND IT IS NOT GOOD REALLY FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA EITHER. SO I REALLY HOPE THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO AUGUST 23rd AND I HOPE THAT WE'LL GET SOME CLARIFICATION. FIRST AND FOREMOST, NOBODY WANTS PORNOGRAPHY IN SCHOOLS. NOBODY WANTS CHILDREN READING PORNOGRAPHY. NOT A SINGLE BOARD MEMBER WANTS THAT. BUT THERE IS SO MUCH CONFUSION. MEMBER GRAY, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I LIVED IN JAPAN FOR THREE YEARS. ANIME IS GREAT. IT REALLY EXCITES KIDS TO READ. THERE'S NOT PORNOGRAPHY IN EVERY ANIME. ALSO, THE SAME WITH THE KITE RUNNER. IT IS A VERY POWERFUL BOOK. SO THESE KINDS OF OPINIONS, PEOPLE STATING OPINIONS ON DIFFERENT BOOKS, I THINK IT JUST WEAKENS US AS A DISTRICT. WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS WHOLE POLITICAL AND IT BEING POLITICAL AND JUST FOCUS ON KIDS AND

086LITERACY. THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. OUR LITERACY RATES ARE SO LOW. OUR EARLY LITERACY RATES HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE THE LOWEST, SOME OF THE LOWEST IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. SO LET'S MAKE SURE WE REALLY LOOK AT THINGS AND LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A GOOD SPOT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WHY? BECAUSE I TRUST OUR LIBRARIANS. UNLIKE SOME DISTRICTS WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE CERTIFIED TEACHERS, ALL OF OUR LIBRARIANS ARE MASTER DEGREE TEACHERS. THEY HAVE BACKGROUND. WE HAVE TO TRUST THAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THEY ARE LOOKING THROUGH. AND I HAVE TO TRUST YOU AS SUPERVISORS THAT YOU ARE WORKING ALONG WITH THEM. AND I HAVE TO TRUST MY PRINCIPALS AND I HAVE TO TRUST MY TEACHERS. I HAVE TO TRUST THE PEOPLE

087THAT WE HAVE PUT IN THOSE POSITIONS. SECOND OF ALL, WHEN I LOOK AT THE LAWSUITS AROUND THE STATE, THERE ARE SO MANY LAWSUITS. THERE'S PAN AMERICAN CENTER VERSUS ESCAMBIA COUNTY. LEE ROY PER LYNN VERSUS THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. PARNELL VERSUS LAKE COUNTY, FOR THE BOOK TANGO MAKES THREE. WE NOW HAVE ARTHUR, THE LITTLE RAT THAT HAD SOMETHING WITH HIS BIRTHDAY AND HE SAID SPIN THE BOTTLE. YOU HAVE NOVA VERSUS DIAZ. YOU HAVE COUSINS VERSUS ORANGE COUNTY. YOU HAVE FALLS VERSUS COKE RAN. WHAT I DON'T SEE IS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WHY? BECAUSE WE HAVE A PROCESS. NOW, WILL WE HAVE TO CHANGE THAT PROCESS? I DON'T KNOW. LET'S SEE ON AUGUST 23rd WHAT HAPPENS. BUT BOTTOM LINE IS NOBODY WANTS PORNOGRAPHY. WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR KIDS READING, LOOK AT OUR SCORES, THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE.

088KIDS ARE NOT GOING IN THERE. BY THE TIME YOU THINK YOU FIND A BOOK YOU COULD LOOK THAT UP IN TWO SECONDS. YOU CAN'T EVEN FIND THE SENTENCE IN A BOOK, RIGHT? BUT NO MATTER WHAT, I UNDERSTAND PARENTS' CONCERNS. AND I UNDERSTAND PARENTS DON'T WANT THEIR KIDS TO HAVE ACCESS TO CERTAIN BOOKS. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A FORM. THAT'S WHY YOU COMMUNICATE WITH US. IF YOU HAVE CONCERN FOR YOUR CHILD, PLEASE LET US KNOW. YOU ARE HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. YOU ARE IN A SAFE PLACE. OUR FOCUS IS TO EDUCATE YOU. NOBODY IS TRYING TO BRAINWASH YOUR CHILD. WE ARE HERE TO GIVE YOUR CHILD A GREAT EDUCATION AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, LIKE PATTI RENDON SAID, WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE LAW. I BELIEVE, I AM A LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN. LET'S HEAR WHAT

089THE LAW SAYS AND LET'S HOPEFULLY GET SOME REAL CLARIFICATION ON THAT. AND IF NOT, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS THAT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LISTENING TO PARENTS AND THAT WE ALSO CONTINUE TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD PROCESS. WE HAVE HAD TWO CHALLENGES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. ONE OF THOSE CHALLENGES, THE BOOK WAS REMOVED. THE OTHER CHALLENGE, IT WASN'T REMOVED. SO WE NEED TO STOP ALL THIS TALKING AND ALL THIS, CREATING ALL THIS DIVISIVENESS. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE ALL AMERICANS AND WE WANT TO KEEP KIDS EDUCATED. BOOKS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A PROCESS AND WE CONTINUE WITH THAT PROCESS. WE DON'T JUST START MAKING RULES AND START GIVING OPINIONS BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE GET IN TROUBLE WITH THE

090LAW, WHEN WE START CREATING OUR OWN OPINIONS ON THINGS. LET'S JUST ABIDE BY THE LAW. LET'S CONTINUE WITH THE PROCESS. LET'S MAKE SURE OUR LIBRARIANS CONTINUE BEING TRAINED. I KNOW, I'VE HEARD FROM OUR LIBRARIANS. THEY RECEIVED AMAZING TRAINING, AND WE CONTINUE. SO THAT WAY THERE'S NOT MISINFORMATION, AND THAT WE'RE NOT ON THIS LIST OF SCHOOLS THAT HAVE TO DEAL WITH A LAWSUIT. THANK YOU. I'LL MOVE ON. MEMBER HAHN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. SO I THINK THAT ALL THOSE DECISIONS AROUND AGE APPROPRIATENESS OR GRADE LEVEL OR READING LEVEL ARE IMPORTANT, OBVIOUSLY. BUT THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT THROUGH THE LENS OF THE LAW. SO, AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THAT THIS PIECE ON PAGE 19 AROUND WHAT IS PORNOGRAPHY, WHAT IS SEXUAL CONDUCT, NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE CRITERIA BECAUSE EVERY

091OTHER DECISION YOU MAKE AROUND AGE APPROPRIATENESS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT THROUGH THE LENS OF THE LAW, LIKE MANY OF MY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE JUST SAID. WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE LETTER OF THE LAW. IT DOES, AND I'VE GONE ON THE RECORD BEFORE, IN MY OPINION, IT DOES CONCERN ME, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE BOOKS IN OUR SCHOOLS AND THE REVIEW IS ON OUR WEBSITE THAT SAYS THAT THE BOOK CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEXUAL MATERIAL. SOME PEOPLE MAY INTERPRET THAT AS PORNOGRAPHY. OTHERS MAY NOT. AGAIN, THAT IS WHY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAWS AROUND PORNOGRAPHY. WE MAY HAVE BOOKS -- THE FACT IS WE MAY HAVE BOOKS SITTING IN OUR SCHOOLS THAT BY THE LETTER OF THE LAW ARE CONSIDERED PORNOGRAPHIC OR OBSCENE. AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO

092GO BACK AND REVIEW OUR CATALOG WHEN THE NEW REGS COME OUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T WANT -- WE DON'T HAVE PORNOGRAPHY BY THE LAW'S STANDARDS IN OUR SCHOOLS OR SEXUALLY EXPLICIT BOOKS THAT ARE CONSIDERED OBSCENE BY STATE LAW. AS MEMBER COMBS SAID, NONE OF US WANTS PORNOGRAPHY IN SCHOOLS. I THINK THAT WE CAN COLLECTIVELY AGREE ON THAT. WHERE I DISAGREE IS I THINK WE MAY ALREADY HAVE IT IN OUR SCHOOLS, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN REVIEWED BASED ON STATE LAWS. SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF GO OFF ON MY OWN PATH. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SUPERINTENDENT COMES ACROSS A BOOK THAT DOES, BUT BASED ON LAW IS PORNOGRAPHIC IN NATURE? DO WE HAVE TO WAIT TILL SOMEBODY CHALLENGES THAT BOOK, MR. PORTER OR

093MR. GIBSON? OR BECAUSE IT'S DEEMED BY ATTORNEYS AND NOT JUST AN OPINION THAT IT IS PORNOGRAPHIC BY STATE LAW, IS IT IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM OUR LIBRARIES? Jim Porter: SO I THINK THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO UNPACK HERE. Stacy Hahn: I'M WORRIED ABOUT OUR POLICY, WHICH I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW. Jim Porter: SO THE STATE LAW REGARDING OBSCENITY HAS BEEN IN PLACE QUITE SOME TIME. IT IS DEFINED AND THERE ARE CRITERIA THAT ARE EXPLAINED AND CRITERIA THAT DEFINE WHAT OBSCENE MATERIAL IS AND LINKED TO WHAT'S HARMFUL FOR MINORS. Stacy Hahn: [INAUDIBLE] Jim Porter: I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO MY RESPONSE AND THEN YOU CAN COME BACK IF YOU'D LIKE, BECAUSE IT IS COMPLEX AND IT IS DICTATED BY THE LAW, NOT ONLY THE STATUTES, BUT ALSO THE UNITED STATES SUPREME

094COURT, WHO HAS GIVEN RULINGS ON OBSCENITY AND PORNOGRAPHY. MY POINT IN SAYING THE LAW, THE CRITERIA HAS BEEN IN EFFECT FOR SOME TIME IS IT GOES TO THE ORIGINAL SELECTION PROCESS. SELECTION PROCESS WE'VE HAD IN PLACE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR MANY YEARS, WHICH FOLLOWS THE LAW, SO THE PRESUMPTION FROM THE LEGAL STANDPOINT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS HAS BEEN FOLLOWED WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE LAW HAS BEEN FOR MANY YEARS, NOT JUST THE NEW LAW. SO THAT -- I TAKE ISSUE WITH THE IDEA THAT THERE'S ANY PORNOGRAPHY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. I THINK THAT IS A VERY DANGEROUS THING TO SAY. BASED ON THE WAY THE LAW HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR SOME TIME AND THE STAFF THAT YOU'VE HAD IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME, AGAIN, IT'S A PRESUMPTION AND I COULD BE PROVEN

095WRONG, BUT THERE IS A LEGAL PRESUMPTION THAT THE SELECTION PROCESS WAS FOLLOWED BASED ON THE FLORIDA STATUTES AND FEDERAL LAW FOR QUITE SOME TIME. NOW, IF THE SUPERINTENDENT, IF SOMETHING IS IDENTIFIED, SOMETHING SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS AND IS THERE, THEN I THINK WE WOULD ADDRESS THAT. I THINK THERE ARE DANGERS TO DOING THAT WHEN WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE, AND AS MEMBER COMBS MENTIONED, THERE ARE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED LEGALLY FOR JUMPING THE PROCESS AND JUST TAKING BOOKS OUT. WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT SITUATION. WHAT I WOULD ADVISE, I'VE WORKED WITH MR. GIBSON, WHO WORKED WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, IF WE FOUND SOMETHING THROUGH THE WEEDING PROCESS, BECAUSE THAT IS A PART OF THIS, TOO, THAT MR. GIBSON AND I WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT. I CAN'T

096GIVE YOU A DEFINITIVE ANSWER ABOUT WHAT OUR ADVICE WOULD BE BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT RISK, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF WE SAY, OH, THIS IS CLEARLY PORNOGRAPHIC BECAUSE GIBSON AND I SAY IT IS, TAKE IT OUT AND WE GET SUED, WE ALSO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DEFEND THAT. OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE REACTED AND REMOVED BOOKS AND NOT FOLLOWED THE PROCESS. WE ARE PROTECTED BECAUSE WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE. AND SO I'M ALWAYS GOING TO GIVE THE ADVICE IF THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE BOOK WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE PROCESS, BUT IF SOMETHING IS THERE THAT IS REALLY OUTSIDE OF THE PARAMETERS OF THE LAW, IT WOULD BE A DISCUSSION AND WE WOULD HAVE TO GIVE THE SUPERINTENDENT ADVICE. HE WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT ADVICE AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO SEE IF WE GET CHALLENGED.

097AGAIN -- Stacy Hahn: YOU'D HAVE TO SEE IF WE GET CHALLENGED. Jim Porter: RIGHT. I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT HAPPENING AND I WOULD STRUGGLE TO GIVE THAT ADVICE TO HIM AND MR. GIBSON AND I WOULD CONSULT ON THAT BECAUSE OF THE PROCESS WE HAVE IN PLACE. I'M NOT SAYING IT'S IMPOSSIBLE THAT THERE IS A BOOK THAT, AGAIN, SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS, BUT THE PRESUMPTION IS THAT THE SELECTION PROCESS HAS FOLLOWED THE LAW FROM THE BEGINNING THAT WE SORT OF, WITH THE BOOKS. Stacy Hahn: I UNDERSTAND. AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE SOMETHING THAT SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS. I MEAN, WE HAD A BOOK THAT WE HAD TO PULL OUT OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE THE PROCESS WASN'T FOLLOWED, RIGHT? WE HAVE A BOOK SITTING IN OUR SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW WHERE EVEN

098ON THE REVIEWERS THAT WE HAVE POSTED SAYS IT HAS SEXUAL CONTENT IN THE BOOK. SO THAT TO ME RAISE A RED FLAG. MAYBE WE NEED TO REVIEW THAT AGAIN TO MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT -- BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET CAUGHT OFF OUR HEELS IS MY POINT IN BRINGING THIS UP. TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS THAT WE DON'T -- YOU'RE THEN SAYING THAT PROCESS, THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS. THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT CAN SLIP. YOU CANNOT BE IN A DISTRICT THIS SIZE, SAY THERE MAY NOT -- THERE MAY BE. SO HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT SO WE'RE NOT DEALING WITH IT WHEN SOMEBODY DOES FILE A LAWSUIT. YOU SAID IF WE DO FIND SOMETHING, IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT'S CAUGHT DURING A REVIEW PROCESS AND WE KNOW --

099WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT HOW THE -- HOW IT FITS IN WITH THE LAW, THERE'S SOME CONCERN THERE, HOW CAN YOU SAY WE'RE JUST GOING TO SIT BACK AND WAIT FOR IT TO GET CHALLENGED. IF WE KNOW, IF WE HAVE CONCERNS THAT IT'S BREAKING THE LAW, SHOULDN'T WE HAVE A WAY TO ADDRESS THAT? Jim Porter: AGAIN, YOU'RE ASKING VERY GOOD QUESTIONS, BUT THEY ARE COMPLEX QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOT YES-AND-NO TYPE ANSWERS. I THINK TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE BOOK CHALLENGE AND MS. COMBS BROUGHT THIS UP, THE PROCESS WORKED. THE PROCESS WORKED. THE BOOK WAS REMOVED AND WE SAW THE PROCESS. AGAIN, THERE IS A WEEDING PROCESS IN PLACE WHERE THEY CONTINUALLY REVIEW MATERIAL TO SEE IF THEY ARE STILL APPROPRIATE, NOT JUST FOR THE REASONS LISTED, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THE LAW HAS CHANGED. IF SOMETHING IS IDENTIFIED

100THEN, THEN I THINK WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION. BUT, AGAIN, -- Stacy Hahn: I JUST DON'T WANT THE REACTION TO BE, WELL, WE KNOW IT MIGHT BE BREAKING THE LAW, BUT UNTIL SOMEONE CHALLENGES IT -- Jim Porter: THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT WHAT I'M SAYING. Stacy Hahn: I JUST WANT US TO BE PROACTIVE IN THAT PROCESS. Jim Porter: WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE WEEDING PROCESS DOES, AND I THINK THIS GROUP, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP NOW OF MS. FOSSETT, IS WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE STATE SAYS ON AUGUST 23rd. BUT I THINK IT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS THAT THEY LOOK AT MATERIAL. AGAIN, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL TO HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE AND NOT FOLLOW IT. IF WE INDEPENDENTLY IDENTIFY THAT SOMETHING IS POTENTIALLY AN ISSUE, THAT IS A CONVERSATION. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT'S

101JUST A YES OR NO TYPE OF THING. IT'S VERY LAYERED, AND THERE'S CRITERIA YOU HAVE TO MEET. Stacy Hahn: AS LONG AS WE'RE OPEN TO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION. Jim Porter: OH, OF COURSE. Stacy Hahn: I THINK, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE IN THIS TIME RIGHT NOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE VERY HYPERSENSITIVE AROUND A LOT OF THIS. I THINK HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE IT GETS CHALLENGED IS IMPORTANT. WITH THE FORM IS THAT IN SPANISH TOO? I ONLY SEE THE ENGLISH VERSION ONLINE. AND THEN I WANT TO MAKE SURE, LIKE, MEMBER WASHINGTON SAID THAT'S AT THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL, BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS CREATE AN EXTRA BARRIER FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE FORM ON THE COMPUTER, SO IF I GO ON THE COMPUTER, I CAN ACCESS THE FORM IMMEDIATELY, BUT IF

102I'M A PARENT WHO NEEDS TO GO INTO A SCHOOL, I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO SET AN APPOINTMENT TO SIT DOWN AND MEET WITH SOMEBODY. THEY NEED TO HAVE THE SAME IMMEDIATE ACCESS, AND THAT FORM, MY UNDERSTANDING, DOES NOT JUST PERTAIN TO LIBRARY BOOKS. IT'S A TEXTBOOK. IT'S ANY TYPE OF MATERIAL, CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY. IT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN SPANISH. AND WE WERE PROACTIVE IN GETTING THE FORM AVAILABLE BEFORE THE STATE PROVIDED ONE FOR US. AND CERTAINLY YOUR SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HAVING IT AVAILABLE FOR PARENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS OR THEY WANT TO PICK ONE UP WHEN THEY ARE AT THE SCHOOL SITE ARE WELL TAKEN AND THOSE THINGS WILL HAPPEN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. I THINK THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT FOR ME. THAT WAS IT. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. MS.

103PEPE, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? NO. OKAY. I WAS CURIOUS. I SAW THE SUPERINTENDENT. YES, YES. MEMBER GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING VERY RICH DISCUSSIONS. AND WHAT HAPPENS, OF COURSE, WHEN YOU GET INTO HOW I FEEL AS AN INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER AND HOW MEMBER COMBS FEELS AS AN INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER, AND WE CAN GO ON AND ON, YOU KNOW, WE'RE INVOKING OUR OWN PREFERENCES WHEN, IN FACT, IT WOULD BE -- WE WOULD ALL EVENTUALLY GO CRAZY IF WE TRY TO FIGHT WHAT IS NOW TWO SOLID PIECES THAT ARE CONCRETE. NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE THE LAW. SECONDLY, WE HAVE THE PROCESS. THE PROCESS ON PAGE 12, 14 IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK IS ALL CONCRETE. THE MENTION OF AESTHETIC AND OTHER AFFECTIVE WORDS WAS PUT IN THE PRESENTATION.

104DOES NOT AFFECT THE PROCESS WHICH IS CONCRETE. I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. WE ARE ALSO LOOKING -- EVERY ONE OF US ARE LOOKING AT TWO DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS. ONE, BOOK BANNING. BOOK BANNING MEANS SUBTRACTING BOOKS THAT CHILDREN, PARENTS MAY OR MAY NOT AGREE WITH, WHICH IS NOT A VERY GOOD PLACE FOR THIS BOARD TO BE IN. THE OTHER PART OF THIS IS WE DO HAVE, AND MEMBER HAHN, YOU WERE RIGHT. WE DO HAVE BOOKS THAT DO HAVE PORNOGRAPHY IN IT. AND WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAW AND MANY OF US DON'T BECAUSE I'M ONE OF THEM, BUT WHAT PORTER HAS SAID IS SPELLED OUT EXTREMELY CONCISELY ON THE BACK OF THE BOOK, FLORIDA STATUTE 847.001, HARMFUL TO MINORS IN WHATEVER FORM DEPICTING NUDITY, SEXUAL CONDUCT, OR SEXUAL EXCITEMENT,

105THE BOOK, IF IT IS PREDOMINANTLY APPEARS TO BE SHAMEFUL OR MORBID INTEREST OR IF THE BOOK IS PORNOGRAPHIC OR IF THE BOOK DEPICTS OR DESCRIBES SEXUAL CONDUCT, THERE ARE WORDS IN HERE THAT DEFY WHAT I MIGHT AGREE WITH OR WHAT ANOTHER BOARD MIGHT AGREE WITH. BUT WHAT IS THE COMMON REALITY IS WE HAVE A SOLID PROCESS. I PERSONALLY DO NOT LIKE A LOT OF THE SEXUALLY ORIENTED BOOKS. I DON'T FIND IT COMFORTABLE, NOR WOULD I READ THEM AS A TEACHER AND I'VE BEEN A TEACHER FOR THREE AND A HALF DECADES. AND I'VE TAUGHT EVERY GRADE LEVEL, EXCEPT FOR FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH GRADE. SO THAT'S AN EDUCATOR POINT OF VIEW. BUT AS A PARENT AND GRANDPARENT. THAT'S MY OWN PERSONAL BACKGROUND. I HAVE A RIGHT TO THAT. BUT WHEN WE SIGN UP AS A BOARD

106MEMBER, MEMBER WASHINGTON, MEMBER PEREZ, ALL OF US, WE MUST MAKE DECISIONS THAT SPEAK TO THE WELFARE OF ALL CHILDREN, OF ALL CHILDREN. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, IF WE INVOKE OUR OWN PERSONAL, MINE INCLUDED, IT WON'T WORK. SO WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO WHAT'S BEST FOR ALL CHILDREN. NOW, BECAUSE THERE IS A DISAGREEMENT IN KITE RUNNER, FOR EXAMPLE. WELL, BY DEFINITION, IT IS ANIME. AND ANIMATED NOVEL IS ONE THAT IS LIKE A COMIC BOOK. NOT A GRAPHIC. GRAPHIC IS MORE PHOTOS, ET CETERA, AND DRAWINGS. ANIMATED, AND THIS GOES BACK TO MEMBER COMBS, WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO READ. WE HAVE A LOW READING LEVEL. SO THESE ANIMATED BOOKS LURE IN A LOT OF OUR YOUTH, AND THAT TO ME IS VERY WORRISOME. THAT IS THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE. WE CAN GO ON

107AND ON ABOUT, OH, HOW DO YOU WANT TO SAY THIS BOOK IS SO AND SO. IT DOESN'T MATTER. BECAUSE WHAT MATTERS IS, EVEN IF YOU GO INTO DEFINITION, WHICH I CLEARLY HAVE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, THE MATTER IS MOOT. IT IS COMPLETELY MOOT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LAW. AND ON AUGUST 23rd, SEVEN BOOKS WILL BE LISTED THAT WILL HAVE TO BE TAKEN OFF THE SHELVES, AND ON AUGUST 23rd, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LAWS -- RULE MAKING, EXCUSE ME, THAT WILL PROBABLY DEFY SOME OF US. WE WON'T BE HAPPY. MAYBE SOME OF US WILL. BUT THE POINT IS, A LOT OF THESE PERSONALITY FEELINGS THAT I THINK ARE SO CRITICAL BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES REVEAL WHO WE ARE AS A BOARD AND INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS, I'M AFRAID MORE AND MORE WE'LL BE CONTOURED BY LAWS

108SIMPLY BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY AFFECTIVE DOMAIN WHICH WE FEEL PASSIONATE AND WE CAN'T ALWAYS AGREE ON WHAT'S RIGHT OR WHAT'S WRONG. LOOK AT HOW WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN THIS VENUE. STILL HAVING DIFFERENT OPINIONS WHICH IS THE CORRECT WAY. BUT ANYWAY. SO THE REASON WHEN WE HAVE DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT ONE BOOK VERSUS ANOTHER, THE SOLUTION IS THE PROCESS. AND KIM AND JOHN, YOU TRIED TO COVER EVERY PARTICULAR AVENUE OF THOUGHT BECAUSE YOU HEAR WHAT WE'RE SAYING. SO HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FIX THAT, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE IT THERE. IT'S TIME TESTED. IT HAS WORKED, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO ADJUST IT AGAIN AFTER AUGUST 23rd, AND SO BE IT. THAT'S CORRECT. BUT I AM VERY THANKFUL BECAUSE I HEAR IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW, THE DISSIDENCE, POSSIBLE DISSIDENCE THAT COULD OCCUR IF

109WE DIDN'T HAVE THE PROCESS. AND ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE A LAW AND STATUTES. SO IN MY MIND, I THINK WE'RE VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF. I JUST HOPE THAT YOU HAVE EVERY LEVEL, FULL FIDELITY, HISPANICS HAVE TO HAVE THE FORMS, YES, MEMBER HAHN, THEY ALSO HAVE TO HAVE THE PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS IN SPANISH. THEY HAVE TO HAVE THAT BECAUSE MAYBE IN FOUR, FIVE YEARS, 50% OF OUR STUDENTS WILL BE HISPANIC AND THE FAMILIES HAVE TO KNOW. SO THAT'S PARAMOUNT. I DON'T KNOW, JUST FOR CURIOSITY, HOW MANY LANGUAGES DO WE HAVE FOR THESE FORMS AND FOR THE ONES THAT ARE COMING AFTER AUGUST 23rd, THERE WILL BE NEW FORMS. HOW MANY LANGUAGES ARE WE GIVING THIS INFORMATION, PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS, THESE FLORIDA STATUTES, 1069, DO WE HAVE ANY VISION ON THAT OR

110ANY -- THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I THINK WHAT -- OBVIOUSLY OUR DISTRICT IS INCREDIBLY DIVERSE, BUT WE WILL WORK WITH OUR ELL DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HITTING AS MANY TRANSLATIONS AS POSSIBLE. ALSO, I KNOW WITH OUR WEBSITE, WE HAVE FEATURES THAT HAVE GOOGLE TRANSLATE, EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC LANGUAGE. BUT THAT'S A GREAT POINT. WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, OUR ELL DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HITTING OUR OBVIOUSLY TOP, NOT ONLY SPANISH, BUT HAITIAN CREOLE AND OTHER LANGUAGES, ARABIC AS WELL, TO SEE IF WE CAN USE THE GOOGLE TRANSLATE PART OF THAT WITHIN THAT WEBSITE, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR OUR STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS WITH THAT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE NEEDED. THANK YOU. Lynn Gray: AND THANK YOU, MS. PEPE. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, WE KNOW

111WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THIS IS FRIENDLY LANGUAGE TO ALL, ALL OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT ARE IN OUR DISTRICT. BUT AT ANY RATE I'M LOSING -- CLOSING, NOT LOSING -- CLOSING IN SAYING PROCESS WORKS AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL STAND THROUGH CONVERSATIONS SIMILAR TO THIS AND PARENTAL CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. WE HAVE ABOUT 15 MINUTES LEFT. MEMBER PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. I'LL MAKE MINE REALLY SHORT. SUPERINTENDENT, DO YOU TRUST YOUR STAFF? Van Ayres: 100% SUPPORT MY STAFF. Karen Perez: NO, DO YOU TRUST YOUR STAFF? Van Ayres: YES, I TRUST MY STAFF. Karen Perez: DO YOU TRUST THEM TO MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR STUDENTS? Van Ayres: YES, I DO. Karen Perez: WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEXUALITY OR SEXUAL CONTENT OR PORNOGRAPHIC, PORNOGRAPHIC IS A VERY HARD

112WORD. IT'S A VERY DETAILED WORD. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CULTURAL CONSTRUCT OF OUR COUNTY, OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THE VIEW AND PERCEPTIONS, ATTITUDES TOWARDS SEXUALITY, IT REALLY, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE VALUES OF THIS DISTRICT. AND LOOK THROUGH THE LENS OF THE DIVERSITY THAT WE HAVE HERE. ALSO, THE SOCIAL YOU'LL ASPECTS THAT -- SOCIAL CULTURAL ASPECTS THAT COME TO THE TABLE AND THE VOICES THAT COME TO THE TABLE. SEXUAL BELIEFS, THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, THE WAY THAT OUR COMMUNITY IDENTIFIES AND THE SOCIAL GROUPS THAT WE HAVE. AND HOW SEXUALITY MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO MANY PEOPLE. SO I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE WAY PORNOGRAPHY IS JUST THROWN ABOUT. SEXUAL CONTENT, YES, BUT PORNOGRAPHY, I HAVE A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THAT WORD. YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN CERTAIN CULTURES THAT HAVE BEEN VERY VERBAL

113AS FAR AS EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN REGARDING SEXUALITY, MORE SO THAN OTHERS. I'M GOING TO ASK ONE MORE TIME, DO YOU TRUST YOUR STAFF AND THE GUIDANCE OF OUR CHILDREN WITH THE LITERATURE THAT WE HAVE ON OUR SHELVES IN OUR MEDIA CENTERS? Van Ayres: MEMBER PEREZ, I 100% TRUST MY STAFF. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER VAUGHN. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, CHAIR COMBS. THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. I AGREE. I AM KIND OF CONCERNED WITH THE WAY THAT WORD PORNOGRAPHY IS BEING USED INTERCHANGEABLY WITH SEXUAL CONTENT. AND I APPRECIATE MEMBER RENDON REFERENCING A DIFFERENT STATUTE TO TRY TO GIVE SOME CLARITY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE CHALLENGE IS, REALLY DEFINING WHAT PORNOGRAPHY IS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. THE STATUTE I THINK THAT WAS REFERENCED WHEN I LOOKED IT UP AND

114MAYBE IT WAS CHANGED WAS IN REFERENCE TO ADULT BOOK STORES. I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT TIES INTO NECESSARILY EDUCATION BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE USED A DIFFERENT GUIDELINE TO GO BY THAT, BECAUSE IF IT HAS EDUCATIONAL VALUE AS OPPOSED TO THE INTENTION BEING AROUSAL, IS WHERE WE HAVE ALWAYS KIND OF MADE THE GUIDELINE OF WHETHER IT'S EDUCATIONAL OR NOT. I APPRECIATE YOU CLARIFYING THAT BECAUSE I DO THINK, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND GROOMING AND KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE THAT WE ARE VERY INTENTIONAL WITH OUR WORDS. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT OUR OPINIONS, BUT HOW WE EXPRESS THEM IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY PERTINENT TO THIS DISCUSSION IN GENERAL, BUT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT OUR MEDIA

115SPECIALISTS ARE ESPECIALLY TAXED BY THIS. I THINK IT'S UNFAIR FOR THEM TO BE SOLELY ON THE LINE FOR ALL OF THIS, THAT WHILE I THINK THAT WHEN PEOPLE DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO DO THAT AS A PROFESSION, THEY KNEW THEY WERE GETTING INTO LITERACY AND EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS. I DON'T THINK THAT THEY FORESAW THAT THEY WERE GOING TO END UP BEING THE POLICE OF OUR TEACHERS AND HAVING TO BE THE ONES WHO ARE COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THIS. IT'S A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY AND PRESSURE TO PUT ON OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS AND PERSONALLY I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF FEEDBACK THAT VERY DEDICATED MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE THINKING ABOUT LEAVING THE PROFESSION BECAUSE THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THEM, THEIR FAMILY, THEIR CAREERS THAT THEY HAVE PUT SO MUCH INTO. HONESTLY, THEIR FREEDOM. SO I

116JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WHILE I'M SURE THERE ARE A LOT OF MEDIA SPECIALISTS THAT SUPPORT THIS, PERSONALLY, THE FEEDBACK THAT I'VE GOTTEN IS THAT THIS IS VERY UNFAIR TO PUT SO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY SOLELY ON THEM IN ONE SCHOOL AND THAT IT'S CAUSING A LOT OF ANXIETY. AND WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE EDUCATORS WHO ARE LEAVING THE SYSTEM AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TEACHER SHORTAGES, I'M WORRIED THIS IS GOING TO LEAD TO MEDIA SPECIALIST SHORTAGES. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SAYING -- I'M GLAD MEMBER PEREZ ASKED THAT YOU SUPPORT YOUR STAFF THAT WE ARE BEING VERY CLEAR THAT WE SUPPORT OUR STAFF AND ANY DECISIONS AND RESPONSIVENESS THAT WE'RE DOING IS NOT JUST TO PROTECT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES BUT ALSO OUR EDUCATORS AND OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS BECAUSE IT IS OUR NUMBER ONE

117PRIORITY TO MAKE SURE THEY FEEL SUPPORTED AND PROTECTED. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO KIND OF POINT OUT WAS, I'M GLAD THAT MEMBER RENDON WAS CLEAR THAT NOT ALL OF THIS IS UNDER THE GUISE OF PARENTAL RIGHTS BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT'S GETTING CONFUSING AND WHERE I'M GETTING A LOT OF FEEDBACK THAT PARENTS ARE SAYING, THIS IS VIOLATING MY RIGHTS, THAT IT IS THE STATE SAYING PARENTAL RIGHTS ARE IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO CHALLENGE BOOKS BUT THEN THEY ARE GOING TO BE THE ONES WHO DECIDE WHAT PORNOGRAPHY IS OR DECIDE WHAT THAT IS OR IF THEY FEEL THAT EVEN IF PARENTS WANT THAT, THAT IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE, THEY ARE GOING TO OVERRIDE THOSE RIGHTS AND THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE THOSE BOOKS AREN'T IN OUR SCHOOL. I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEAR

118BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF CONFUSION IS COMING IN, IS ARE WE GOING AND LEADING ONLY BY PARENTAL RIGHTS OR ARE WE LEADING BY WHAT WE THINK IS BEST FOR CHILDREN, RIGHT? I'M GLAD THAT WAS ACTUALLY TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE CONFUSION IS COMING IN. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT WHEN THIS PROCESS STARTED YEARS AGO, I MADE THE SUGGESTION THAT WE HAD SIMILAR TO RATING SYSTEM, WE PUT A CERTAIN GUIDELINE ON SOME OF THE BOOKS, AND THAT IT WAS NOT AVAILABLE ON OUR SHELVES BUT BY REQUEST PARENTS COULD HAVE THAT CHECKED OUT WITH THEIR PERMISSION. TO ME, THAT IS MORE IN THE VAIN OF PARENTAL RIGHTS THAN ANY OF THE LEGISLATION COMING OUT. WHY WE DIDN'T TAKE THAT DIRECTION, I'M NOT REALLY

119SURE BECAUSE THAT SEEMS LIKE TO ME THAT'S THE BEST WAY IS TO ALLOW PARENTS TO REALLY HAVE THE AUTONOMY, BUT TO CHOOSE A BOOK, IF IT'S RIGHT BUT ALSO MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE. THERE IS A LOT OF CONVERSATION, WE'RE NOT BANNING BOOKS, PARENTS CAN STILL CHOOSE THE BOOKS FOR THEIR KIDS, THAT'S THROUGH. THAT LEAVES OUT OF THE EQUATION THE FACT THAT A LOT OF PARENTS DON'T HAVE THE MEANS TO BUY THE BOOKS, RIGHT OR NECESSARILY EVEN GET TO A LIBRARY. SOME PARENTS DON'T HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION TO TAKE THEIR KIDS TO A PUBLIC LIBRARY OR NAVIGATE THE BUS SYSTEM OR THEIR WORK SCHEDULE DOESN'T ALLOW IT. SO OUR LIBRARIES AT OUR SCHOOL PROVIDE MORE ACCESS. AND AS WE LIMIT THAT, WE LIMIT THE ACCESS FOR PARENTS WHO CAN'T PROVIDE THAT BASED ON OTHER MEANS. I JUST WANT

120TO BE CLEAR THAT WE TALK ABOUT THAT. ALSO, FINALLY, AM I RUNNING OVER? Nadia Combs: NO, BUT WE HAVE ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES AND WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE. Jessica Vaughn: I'LL TRY TO GO QUICKLY. YOU KNOW I CAN DO THIS. I WANT TO SAY MEMBER GRAY, I'M GLAD YOU FEEL THIS IS CONCRETE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'VE ASKED SEVERAL QUESTIONS THAT I HAVEN'T GOTTEN DIRECT ANSWERS TO SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT SEXUAL CONTENT AND WHETHER THAT APPLIES TO WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE YET. SO I WALK AWAY WITH THIS NOT FEELING LIKE ANYTHING IS CONCRETE, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY YOUR DUE DILIGENCE TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GOTTEN TO PUT IN A PROCESS THAT PROTECTS AND REFLECTS EVERYBODY, BUT THAT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF QUESTIONS

121ABOUT WHAT THESE GUIDELINES LOOK LIKE FROM OUR DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND FROM THE RULE AND LAW MAKING. SO I'M HOPING THAT ON THE 23rd THAT I'LL FEEL LIKE MEMBER GRAY DOES AND I'LL HAVE A LOT OF CLARITY AND I'LL FEEL LIKE I WALK AWAY WITH CONCRETE ANSWERS. BECAUSE I'M STILL VERY CONFUSED ABOUT THIS GOING FORWARD. I HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS I WANT TO SAY BUT SINCE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE I'LL DEFER MY TIME AND JUST STATE THOSE PRIVATELY. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH MEMBER VAUGHN THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A SYSTEM IN WHICH WE'RE EDUCATING PARENTS ON THE CONTENT OF BOOKS. RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM THAT REALLY EDUCATES PARENTS. HAVE

122TO FIND A REVIEW. SO IF WE COULD HAVE A SYSTEM THAT DOES THAT, THAT'S GREAT. BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE DEALING WITH THE LAW AS IT'S BEEN GIVEN TO US AND THE FACT THAT THE STATUTE, FLORIDA STATUTE 847 THAT WAS ACTUALLY WRITTEN IN TO HOUSE BILL 1069 AS A REFERENCE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HELD ACCOUNTABLE WITHIN OUR CONTENT. AND ALTHOUGH FLORIDA STATUTE DOES REFER TO PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL AND OTHER AREAS, IT DOES STATE IN 1069 THAT IF A BOOK OR CRITERIA IN OUR LIBRARIES OR OUR MEDIA OR CURRICULUM DOES ALSO MEET THAT SAME STATUTE, THAT IS WHERE IT APPLIES. SO I THINK THAT IS SOME CLARIFICATION, MEMBER VAUGHN, THAT WE DO HAVE, WHERE THE LAW HAS BROUGHT INTO US. ONE QUESTION THAT I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE FOUND AND CAN DIRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, STAFF, IS

123THE WEEDING PROCESS. IT SAYS WHAT THE CRITERIA IS WHEN WE'RE WEEDING, BUT DO WE HAVE A REVOLVING PROCESS OF WEEDING BOOKS IN ANY OF OUR LIBRARIES? I DIDN'T THINK I SAW THE PROCESS AS FAR AS LIKE A REGULAR BASIS WHERE WE DO WEED. IT IS A REGULAR AND ONGOING PROCESS THAT MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE DOING FOR THE ENTIRE COLLECTION EACH SCHOOL YEAR. SO THEY ARE REGULARLY USING -- WE HAVE SOME DIGITAL TOOLS THAT THEY CAN USE AS THEY ARE EVALUATING THEIR COLLECTION, AND THEY PHYSICALLY EVALUATE SECTIONS OF THE LIBRARY ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, THE ENTIRE LIBRARY, THE MEDIA SPECIALIST WORKS THROUGH THE ENTIRE LIBRARY FOR WEEDING PURPOSES AND COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES. Patti Rendon: GREAT. IS THAT IN WRITING? WE HAVE IN OUR -- WE PROVIDE FOR OUR MEDIA SPECIALIST

124A LIBRARY MEDIA PLANNER, AND INSIDE OUR LIBRARY MEDIA PLANNER, THERE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT PROCESS, BUT, OF COURSE, EVERY SCHOOL'S MEDIA SPECIALIST, THE COURSE LOAD THAT THEY HAVE, THE OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED THAT THEY HAVE, THEY MIGHT ADJUST THE WAY THEY MOVE THROUGH THAT PROCESS BASED ON THEIR TIME COMMITMENTS AND THE NEEDS OF THEIR SCHOOL SITE. Patti Rendon: OKAY. AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS, FOR BOTH STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS, THAT AS MUCH AS WE HAVE IN WRITING THAT WE HAVE EXPECTATIONS, THAT I THINK WE ARE OVERALL PROTECTING OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING THAT WOULD BE AN EXPECTATION IN WRITING BECAUSE LIKE MEMBER VAUGHN HAS SAID, WHEN THINGS

125ARE GREAT, WE HAVE STAFF -- GRAY AND WE HAVE STAFF THAT ARE CONCERNED AND WHICH DON'T WANT TO ADD ANXIETY ONTO THEM. BUT THE MORE CLARIFICATION, AND DR. HAHN MENTIONED THE FACT THAT WE PROVIDE TRAINING TO OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS ON EXACTLY WHAT FLORIDA STATUTE 847 MEANS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR LIBRARY MATERIAL, OUR CURRICULUM, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT TAKES AWAY THE QUESTION, THAT TAKES AWAY THEIR ADDITIONAL CONCERNS, AND IF THEY DO THAT WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT WE KNOW WHAT THE EXPECTATION OF THE DISTRICT IS FOR THE WEEDING PROCESS, WE CAN TAKE AWAY SOME OF THAT ANXIETY AND THINGS. AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR PROCESSES, ALL OF OUR HANDBOOKS ARE MEANT TO PROVIDE AS CLEAR OF EXPECTATIONS AND GUIDELINES TO PROTECT BOTH OUR STUDENTS, OUR PARENTS, AND OUR STAFF BECAUSE I

126THINK THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR OVERALL DISTRICT HEALTHINESS AND OPERATIONAL. WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUOUSLY LOOK AT THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT. AGAIN, I WANT TO REITERATE THE FACT THAT LITERACY IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT WE NEED TO DO IT ON THE CONFINES OF MAKING SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING THE NEW LAWS AND THE LAWS OF 1069 AND THE CRITERIA OF OUR STATE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE DETAILED PRESENTATION. I THANK ALL MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS FOR ALL OF THEIR THOROUGH COMMENTS AND TIME THAT THEY PUT INTO THIS. I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE END BUT THE BEGINNING OF REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DISTRICT. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. WE JUST HAVE A FEW MORE MINUTES. I KNOW MEMBER HAHN, MEMBER WASHINGTON AND MYSELF,

127WE HAD A FEW COMMENTS. MEMBER HAHN, I'LL START WITH YOU. JUST HAVE A FEW MORE MINUTES. Stacy Hahn: YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS SAYING THAT WE DON'T TRUST OUR EMPLOYEES TO MAKE DECISIONS, BUT THINGS DO FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. NO SYSTEM IS PERFECT, AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE TO DO REVIEWS ON BOOKS IN LIBRARIES PERIODICALLY TO MAKE SURE NOTHING DOES FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS AND WE NEED A SYSTEM SO WHEN SOMETHING FALLS THROUGH THE CRACK SO WE CAN ADDRESS IT. BECAUSE THAT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO OUR WAY OF WORK. YOU KNOW, I KNOW PEOPLE AREN'T COMFORTABLE WITH THE WORD PORNOGRAPHY. MAYBE A BETTER CHOICE OF WORDS WOULD HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONTENT, EVEN LEANED OVER TO MEMBER VAUGHN AND MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE SAID MORE SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONTENT THAN PORNOGRAPHY. WITH

128THE COMMITTEES THAT ARE SET UP FOR REVIEWING A BOOK CHALLENGE, I KNOW IT'S PARENTS FROM THAT SCHOOL, TEACHERS FROM THAT SCHOOL, THE MEDIA SPECIALISTS ON SOME PAST OCCASIONS WE'VE HAD PEOPLE THAT AREN'T CONNECTED TO THE SCHOOL, BUT ARE CONNECTED TO OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS, BUT IT'S PRETTY CLEAR I THINK IN OUR GUIDE BOOK THAT IT EVEN SAYS PARENTS FROM THE SCHOOL, TEACHERS FROM THE SCHOOL, MEDIA SPECIALISTS AND SO FORTH. SO IT SHOULD BE VERY SCHOOL BASED. AND STUDENTS I THINK IS IN THERE TOO, RIGHT? I THINK IT'S IN THERE. ALSO, LASTLY, WOULD AGREE AND I'VE ACTUALLY SAID THIS, MY GOSH, MAYBE IT'S MORE THAN A YEAR NOW, WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE TAMPA BAY TIMES WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED BUBBLING UP, THAT, YES, WE PROBABLY DO NEED A GUIDELINE, SOME TYPE OF SYSTEM. I KNOW MOVIES USE

129A SYSTEM TO GIVE PARENTS INFORMATION SO THEY MAKE A DECISION ON THEIR CHILD ATTENDING A MOVIE, THEY HAVE A GRADING SYSTEM. I KNOW THAT IS A VERY, LIKE, BIG TASK. I'M NOT SAYING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOULD UNDERTAKE THAT. I CAN PROBABLY FORESEE IN THE FUTURE SOME ENTITY, WHETHER IT'S A DOE OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATION, PROBABLY DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR PARENTS TO HAVE THAT THEY CAN REVIEW BOOKS WITH SOME TYPE OF GRADING SYSTEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO SOURCE BOOKS FOR THEIR CHILD. BUT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. BUT THAT WOULD BE A HUGE UNDERTAKING FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT. BUT I CAN SEE THAT PROBABLY COMING IN OUR FUTURE FOR PARENTS. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PROVIDING ALL THE INFORMATION. IT'S GOING TO BE HELPFUL NOT JUST TODAY BUT MOVING FORWARD. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL MY BOARD

130MEMBERS' COMMENTS. I'VE LEARNED A LOT. IT MAKES YOU KIND OF RETHINK SOME THINGS. AND, YOU KNOW, IT JUST ALLOWS US TO HAVE A CONVERSATION I FEEL IS SO IMPORTANT TO MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY HERE. I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MANY MORE AROUND THE SUBJECT. I APPRECIATE THE TIME TODAY TO DISCUSS THIS. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. MEMBER WASHINGTON AND THEN MYSELF. Henry "Shake" Washington: I WILL BE VERY BRIEF. TWO THINGS I GATHERED WHILE I WAS SITTING HERE. I THINK WE MIGHT NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP AFTER AUGUST 23rd SO WE CAN REALLY GATHER ALL THE INFORMATION AND PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE. AND ONE OTHER LAST THING, I THINK POSSIBLY WE NEED TO HAVE A WORKSHOP FOR THE MEDIA SPECIALIST AND LIBRARIANS SO WE CAN MAKE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE WHEN THEY MAKE DECISIONS WHERE

131THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THE LAW, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I APPRECIATE IT. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. I JUST WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS. REGARDLESS, FLORIDA IS ONE OF THE LEAST FUNDED STATES FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION. I THINK WE WENT FROM 47th TO THE 48th WORST, RIGHT? AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE THE HIGHEST INFLATION. SO THINGS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ALL THESE REQUIREMENTS, LET'S HOPE THAT THE DOE WILL PUT FUNDING BEHIND THAT. FOR EXAMPLE, AND I JUST WANT TO MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A SYSTEM, WELL, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, BUT THAT WOULD REQUIRE A LOT OF TIME, A LOT OF HOURS, A LOT OF FUNDING, AND TEACHERS, THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE. WE

132HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE. IN ADDITION, WITH THOSE CLASSROOM LIBRARIES, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW. IF A TEACHER HAS 600 BOOKS, GUESS WHAT, THEY ARE USING BEANSTACK, WHICH WE PAID FOR AND THEY ARE SPENDING HOURS UPON HOURS OF DOCUMENTING. DO NOT THINK THAT THERE ARE MORE BOOKS IN SCHOOLS NOW THAN THERE WERE A YEAR AGO BECAUSE SOME TEACHERS ARE SCARED. THEY ARE NERVOUS, AND THEY ARE DECIDING NOT TO PUT THE BOOKS IN THERE. SO AS WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT LITERACY AND LITERACY RATES BEING SO LOW, REMEMBER THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IF THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME TYPE OF MANDATE, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FUNDS THAT MANDATE INSTEAD OF MAKING US PAY FOR CONTINUED MANDATES. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. Van Ayres:

133MADAM CHAIR, I JUST WANTED TO THANK KIM, JOHN, DEBBIE, COLLEEN, YOUR TEAM AND ALL OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS ACROSS THIS DISTRICT FOR WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY. BOARD MEMBERS, I APPRECIATE THIS WORKSHOP AND, COLLEEN, THANK YOU TO YOUR TEAM SHORTENING THAT PRESENTATION UP TO TEN MINUTES SO WE COULD HAVE THIS DIALOGUE AND CONVERSATION. BOARD MEMBERS, THIS PROVIDES, THE PURPOSE OF THE WORKSHOP IS PROVIDE US GUIDANCE AND GIVE US DIRECTION. I THINK WE CAME OUT WITH A LOT TODAY THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH. I JUST APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AND THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.