A charter school principal in Tallahassee, Florida, has had to quit her job. It comes after she showed an image of Michelangelo’s statue David to a sixth-grade class (11 and 12-year-olds) during a Renaissance art history lesson.
Three parents complained, saying their children were “upset” by the educational session. Besides the statue of David, the lesson also looked at Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’. One parent called the content “pornographic”.
At an emergency board meeting held at 7am on Monday, Hope Carrasquilla tendered her resignation. She’d been principal of Tallahassee Classical School in Leon County for just less than a year.
“It saddens me that my time here had to end this way,” Carrasquilla told the Tallahassee Democrat.
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In a statement, Carrasquilla said that the school’s board chair, Barney Bishop, had for several weeks been making his displeasure known, “when parents became upset about policies or procedures not being followed to the ‘T.’
“He was more concerned about litigation and appeasing a small minority of parents, rather than trusting my expertise as an educator for more than 25 years.”
She says Bishop took her aside last week and gave her an ultimatum. Resign or be fired.
“Parental rights are supreme”
Two of the parents who complained about the art history lesson said they should have been notified in advance. Last month, the school board passed a motion that parents should receive a warning two weeks in advance of any lessons deemed “potentially controversial”.
Parents are also allowed to review the curriculum and any photos to be shown in such classes.
Carrasquilla admits parents should have been notified about the lesson. However, she said a breakdown in communication between herself, the director of operations and the art teacher led to this administrative oversight on this occasion.
The school opened in the Fall of 2020 and Carrasquilla was the third principal during that time. Some parents told the Tallahassee Democrat they were concerned by the turnaround of staff and the manner of Carrasquilla’s departure.
Bishop admits giving Carrasquilla an ultimatum.
“Parental rights are supreme, and that means protecting the interests of all parents, whether its one, 10, 20 or 50,” he said.
‘Don’t Say Gay’ expansion to all school years in Florida
News of the principal’s exit comes the same week that the administration of Governor Ron DeSantis announced it wants to extend the controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill to all school years in Florida.
The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is officially known as HB 1557, the ‘Parental Rights In Education’ bill. The legislation became law last summer. It bars educators from talking to younger students about anything related to LGBTQ people. Advocates for child safety and LGBTQ rights, and teachers unions, have criticized the legislation.
Next month, the state’s Board of Education will vote to expand the legislation. It comes following a recommendation from the Florida Department of Education. The expansion does not require legislative approval.
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Florida flop Ron DeSantis manages to show off anti-Blackness and queerphobia in one sentence
The governor has taken to pretending whole swaths of people don’t exist.
On Wednesday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre called the expansion proposal “completely, utterly, wrong.” She said it was part of a “dangerous, disturbing trend.”
DeSantis spokesperson Bryan Griffin shot back in a tweet, saying, “There is no reason for instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity to be part of K-12 public education. Full stop.”
Mister P
If they stop educating children then we will have whole generations of the stupidest MFs on earth and they will definitely vote republican.
What a plan. Only republicans could come up that one.
thisisnotreal
hate to break it to you, but we already HAVE a “whole generations of the stupidest MFs on earth”, they are called gen z and they are too busy making tik toks about eating tide pods, creating their next redundant social identity in an attempt to be “different”, and the licking doorknobs and try not to get covid challenge during the pandemic, to read comments like this in the first place lol.
ncman
I guess the statue of David is pornographic because even QUEERTY was afraid to show it here.
dbmcvey
Considering the conservative generated hysteria, I don’t blame any website for being cautious.
abfab
Does Florida allow Queerty within its new iron curtain?
abfab
My fridge has so many David mganets it would send these people into convulsions.
abfab
Oh, thank GOD! Does this mean I can go on living?
Pope Francis says homosexuality is not a crime in a new interview
NPR
By Sylvia Poggioli
Published January 25, 2023 at 1:43 PM ES
DBMC
There’s a 2006 documentary about Florida called “Idiocracy.”
Max
welcome back to the medieval ages!
Mr. Stadnick
The ignorant are taking over and in no time the US will have the least educated and most ignorant population on earth. Our society seems to be celebating the uninformed. Electing the ignorant and elevating them to demigods.
Hail the uneducated
bachy
If only one parent gets to determine that Art History is inappropriate subject matter for their child, do that mean that all the children in that class are prohibited from learning Art History?
It’s as if every student is now subject to the constrained, “home-schooled” sentiments of the most small-minded parent in the community.
dbmcvey
Similar to the anti-trans and anti-black history reactions.
abfab
How on earth do these white trash parents home school? This I gotta see. Is there a docu? Who are these schoolers? Can they be Gay? Can they be complete morons who know zilch about everything except Adam and Eve? So mamy questions!
Man About Town
My first thought was, she should sue the school for unlawful dismissal. But then I thought, it’s probably not worth the time, money, and effort, and hopefully she can now focus on getting a better job elsewhere.
Kangol2
Actually, it is worth the time. A wealth liberal backer needs to start funding lawsuits against these extreme laws that violate not just the US Constitution but the Constitution of the State of Florida. I actually looked up Florida’s Constitution and it gives people extensive free speech rights that cannot be so easily contravened by right-wing nutcase fanatics. But I think people just don’t know this, are scared of DeFascist’s and the Florida GOP’s power, and decided it’s better not to fight these fanatics than to stand up to them. I don’t blame the principal or anyone else who says, I’m out of here, but really, acceding to this extreme right-wing fanaticism is pushing us down a very dangerous slope!
abfab
A slope, yes, but one from which we will climb……… again. I remain positive. Do any one of you think these people have a chance? Nope.
Openminded
This is a charter school and this is what happens with many charter schools. The parents who self proclaim to be “more involved” raising their children think placement in a charter school makes their child special and/or will shield their child from going to school with those “less than them”, when in fact, a charter school’s main purpose is to focus on areas of special interest or common talents among the student body such as music, art, non athletic talents and in some cases, special needs. Charter school parents are often just a bunch of Karens who can’t be happy with the curriculum yet, as in this school, can’t be happy with the staff turnover because the parents can’t be pleased. When you can’t afford private school, you look to put junior in a charter school.
Kangol2
It is a “charter school,” but note that DeFascist has conflated it with a “public school” and “public education.” This is what the right-wing is doing; gutting public education through the promotion and diversion of public funds toward charter schools, and attacking truly public education nonstop by slashing funding and allowing non-rich public education to rot. It’s disgusting, insidious, and extremely dangerous. When will more Americans wake up to what’s going on?
Openminded
Agreed, K2. Tennessee is doing the very same thing. Red neck parents believe their kid is going to a special school (charter), when in fact, they are helping segregate the schools. Minority moms and dads are so busy keeping the lights on and mouths fed, they don’t have time to see that their kids are the only ones being left behind at the “public” schools. The good teachers are moving to the charter schools where they have the best chance at achieving the teaching goals (scores) required to keep their jobs while the lesser teachers are left behind at the “public” schools, floundering just like the left behind students.
DCFarmboy
It is a Christian religious artwork, that was commissioned by the Church to be placed in the Florence cathedral. And the problem is?
Kangol2
He’s a nude dude, so they’re freaking out. That’s the problem.
abfab
Now listen here BobbiSue and JimBoy! We ain’t goin to Urope! You can just fergit about it. MA AND PA TAKIN YER ASSES TO BRANSON THIS SUMMER———YEE-HA!!!
abfab
Can people open Queerty in Florida and all those other godforsaken right wing states? Don’t give up! We are with you ! FIGHT AND VOTE AGAINST THESE ASSHOLES NOW!
RoyM
If Floridians were all exterminated, the world would be a better plac
abfab
No.
Openminded
Very closed minded comment. Wasn’t that long ago that most people were saying that about the “gays”. It is bothersome that someone as radical as DeSantis was elected in a state with so many retirees. Although the majority of them are conservatives, older folks tend to be more mellowed out and not want the major drama that their Governor has given them. Will be very interesting to see what the next election cycle(s) bring for Florida.
inbama
DeSantisism is rapidly spinning out of control.
Sadly, the Republican’s Evangelical base will be delighted.
dbmcvey
So you no longer support DeSantis’ war on trans people and drag queens?
abfab
Watch. Statues by Michaelangelo will be all the rage at this years pride parades. Poor children! Will they ever know the riches of the Medici Family?