New Report: 2,500+ Book Bans Across 32 States During 2021-22 School Year
“While we think of book bans as the work of individual concerned citizens, our report demonstrates that today's wave of bans represents a coordinated campaign to banish books being… More
Florida School District Slaps Stigmatizing and Alarming Warning Labels on Books Deemed “Unsuitable” for Children
Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said in response: “This alarming development is just the latest in an onslaught of attacks against students’… More
Ban on Sexual Health Textbooks Continues Torrent of Censorship in Florida
"This ban on sexual health textbooks in Miami-Dade is yet another alarming victory in a political crusade to place politically motivated constraints on what students can learn. It comes… More
Statement: Florida Rejection of Math Textbooks Raises Question Over Whether Politics Guided Decision
"The Florida Department of Education's rejection of 41 percent of math textbooks submitted to the state--including 71 percent of textbooks for grades K-5-- on the grounds that they include… More
Educational Gag Orders Seek to Enforce Compulsory Patriotism
Three New Bills Become Law in Florida, Mississippi, and South Dakota Monthly Roundup, March This post is part of a series from PEN America tracking the progress of educational gag orders… More
These 4 Florida Bills Censor Classroom Subjects and Ideas
These bills have been the subject of much public commentary, including an unfortunate amount of misinformation. To cut through the confusion, PEN America explains below the salient features of… More
Florida Bill Would Let Parents and Citizens Challenge Any Book Used in Schools
"HB 1467 has been touted as a measure to increase school transparency," said Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America's Free Expression and Education program, "but the real aim is… More
‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Inserts “Heavy Hand” of Lawmakers Into Classroom Lessons
PEN America issued the following statement upon passage of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill, from CEO Suzanne Nossel: "Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill amounts to a government diktat policing the… More
New Stop W.O.K.E. Act Fits Disturbing Pattern in Education Culture War
Governor DeSantis’s Stop W.O.K.E. Act, while undoubtedly aggressive, is no aberration. On the contrary, it is increasingly—and disturbingly—business as usual. More
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Festival Day is still on for today! All of our programs have moved INDOORS!
💔Unfortunately, we've had to cancel our Literary Marketplace due to the wind. You can still support them all online! And we look forward to having them next year!
Here at PEN America, we have long documented the threat #disinformation poses to public discourse and empowerment. To counter that threat, we launched our media literacy program, Knowing the News in 2020. https://pen.org/knowing-the-news/ (1/3)
One teacher's complaint means 116 books are now "Restricted" in all @ecpsfl libraries.
Authors affected include: @nhannahjones @DrIbram @IamGMJohnson @ashleyhopeperez @KyleLukoff @jodipicoult @SJMaas @lxgino @ShaunieDarko @JoKnowles & @MargaretAtwood
https://www.wkrg.com/northwest-florida/escambia-county/florida-teacher-wants-review-of-over-100-books-discussing-sexual-political-and-lgtbq-topics/