The cast of CBS Saturday Morning spread some misinformation about the state of education in Florida when correspondent Cristian Benavides claimed that “classrooms and school libraries look like this” while showing a photo from a substitute teacher that was fired on Wednesday for spreading misinformation.
During his report, Benavides interviewed teacher Andrea Phillips, who was not the one who was fired, but who was there to provide the anti-Gov. Ron DeSantis emotion, “Without a diverse variety of books that represent my students, I can't get them interested in books.”
Reporting over some viral images, Benavides recalled, “Duval County Public Schools, which includes Jacksonville, said it would conduct a formal review of all books. While that review is ongoing, classrooms and school libraries look like this.”
What Benavides left out was a statement from the district. From First Coast News:
In discussion between the district and ESS regarding this individual’s misrepresentation of the books available to students in the school’s library and the disruption this misrepresentation has caused, it was determined that he had violated social media and cell phone policies of his employer. Therefore, ESS determined these policy violations made it necessary to part ways with this individual. (emphasis added)
Benavides then referenced the law’s actual contents, “Under Florida's HB1467 law, beginning this year school books have to be reviewed by a media specialist to ensure they're free of pornography or certain race-based teachings from kindergarten to third grade, the books must be free of instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
This raises the question whether Phillips was fearmongering earlier in the segment or whether she is giving eight year-olds inappropriate reading material, but Benavides wasn’t interested in that. Instead, Phillips was shown lamenting, “They've come for teachers over masks. They've come for teachers over books. Teachers have been called groomers.”
Later, Benavides ignored his own reporting about the K-3 aspects of the law by citing a sixth grader who “fears one of his favorite books may be banned from the classroom.” The boy in question then claimed, “Because there's a boy who likes a boy in the series.”
In yet another instance of dishonest framing, when Phillips was “how crazy this whole situation is,” CBS showed an image of a stack of books by Roald Dahl while the publisher of his books, Puffin, has taken it upon themselves to remove words like “fat” and “boys and girls” and adding passages he never wrote to fit a political agenda.
When the segment eventually ended, back in studio co-host Michelle Miller wondered, “I think the fear a lot of people have is what will be erased from the classrooms. Who will be represented, who won't be? And you know, it's trickling all the way up to high school now. The ban on the AP history course that is piloted now across the country, and so much more. Where will it stop?”
Fellow co-host Dana Jacobson concurred, “I think, Michelle, that was very well said as to erasing who you are erasing out of things, out of books right now, and who's making those decisions, as well.”
To answer Miller’s question, it will end when the left stops trying to push their partisan agendas on children.
This segment was sponsored by Progressive.
Here is a transcript for the February 18 show:
CBS Saturday Morning
2/18/2023
8:30 AM ET
JEFF GLOR: We begin this half hour with the controversy over Florida's education reform law championed by Governor Ron DeSantis. Protesters marched on the state capitol in response to DeSantis's rejection of AP African-American Studies courses in Florida's public schools.
The Republican governor has also championed an education reform law that has led to books being pulled from classrooms and school libraries. Cristian Benavides reports on how this new law is affecting the state's educators.
CRISTIAN BENAVIDES: Jacksonville teacher Andrea Phillips specializes in helping third graders who struggle to read.
ANDREA PHILLIPS: Without a diverse variety of books that represent my students, I can't get them interested in books.
Here's my book prison—
BENAVIDES: In January as the state celebrated literacy week in schools, Phillips says she was told to pack up her classroom library.
PHILLIPS: We were being directed until all books could be vetted and we could be sure that we were in compliance with the state laws –
BENAVIDES: Duval County Public Schools, which includes Jacksonville, said it would conduct a formal review of all books. While that review is ongoing, classrooms and school libraries look like this.
Under Florida's HB1467 law, beginning this year school books have to be reviewed by a media specialist to ensure they're free of pornography or certain race-based teachings from kindergarten to third grade, the books must be free of instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The school district reminded educators violating parts of the law could lead teachers to be charged with a felony.
PHILLIPS: They've come for teachers over masks. They've come for teachers over books. Teachers have been called groomers.
BENAVIDES: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed several new education laws that he says empower parents.
RON DESANTIS: Floridians want our school system to be about educating kids, not indoctrinating kids.
BENAVIDES: Sixth-grader Jonas Walter fears one of his favorite books may be banned from the classroom.
JONAS WALTER: Because there's a boy who likes a boy in the series.
BENAVIDES: Stefani Jorgensen Walter is his mother.
STEFANI JORGENSEN WALTER: I think what the legislation is doing is trying to stoke fear that things are happening in the classroom that aren't happening.
BENAVIDES: Phillips vows to continue her fight for as long as she can.
PHILLIPS: These all have to go.
So I have some health issues that I don’t how much longer I’ll be in the classroom, it’s very upsetting and it’s really hard for me to not just want to yell and scream at—about how crazy this whole situation is.
BENAVIDES: School libraries have thousands of books. Add to that classroom libraries, and often it's just one media specialist per school sorting through it all. For CBS Saturday Morning, Cristian Benavides, Jacksonville, Florida.
MICHELLE MILLER: I think the fear a lot of people have is what will be erased from the classrooms. Who will be represented, who won't be? And you know, it's trickling all the way up to high school now. The ban on the AP history course that is piloted now across the country, and so much more. Where will it stop?
DANA JACOBSON: I think, Michelle, that was very well said as to erasing who you are erasing out of things, out of books right now, and who's making those decisions, as well.
