As School Year Begins, Book Bans and Curriculum Laws Spark Controversy

As schools return from summer break, many classrooms are finding themselves in the middle of a culture war waging throughout the nation. As Republican-governed states such as Florida and Texas pass new laws prohibiting select books and topics of discussion from schools, educators are navigating new legal waters with trepidation and uncertainty.

At the forefront of new education restrictions has been Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a predicted contender for the 2024 Republican Presidential nomination. National media outlets across the spectrum have extensively covered Florida's “Parental Rights in Education” bill, frequently called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by the left.

In Oklahoma, new education restrictions have already sparked drama, with CNN (Left Bias) reporting on a teacher resigning after allegedly being placed on leave for displaying a QR code linking to prohibited books. CNN and Fox News (Right bias) both covered another story out of Oklahoma concerning the State School Board penalizing two districts for apparent violations of new laws on race and gender teaching. Fox’s headline labeled the bill a ban of "critical race theory."

Media outlets across the spectrum have criticized book bans, but right rated outlets have focused more on violations of laws regarding discussions on gender and race, often deeming these topics pertaining to a “woke agenda.”