Parental Rights
Florida continues to take tho protect parental rights and ensure the lawfulness of instructional materials. The Florida Department of Education recently created a resource page for parents to help them navigate the avenues available for them to voice concerns regarding potentially unlawful school materials. This resource can be found here.
Parents' Bill of Rights
Section 1014.05, F.S., The Parent’s Bill of Rights became law in 2021. FSDB strongly encourages and provides ways for parents and legal guardians to not only be engaged in their child’s education, but to be a partner in their educational journey. Please use the following links to access information regarding:
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Homework, school attendance, and discipline (FSDB Parent/Student Handbook)
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Course of study including instructional materials (core and supplemental)
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Information on how to object to instructional materials (Library & Non-Adopted Instructional Materials Objection form – forthcoming)
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Exemption from Reproductive Health & Disease Education (Student Progression Plan)
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Student extracurricular activities (FSDB Parent/Student Handbook)
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Exemption from immunizations – Please contact the Health Care Center
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Standardized assessment results – Please see your child’s Student Assessment Report sent home quarterly with their report card.
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Enrolling your child in gifted or special education programs – please contact your school’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) Coordinator
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Instructional Materials (link to charts)
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Promotion, retention, report cards, high school graduation requirements, state standards, and attendance requirements (Student Progression Plan)
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Parent engagement (Parent Services Webpage)
Please contact Tracie C. Snow, FSDB President, to request any of the information listed above and allow 10 days for a response.
Parental Notification Regarding Designation of Bathrooms, Locker Rooms and Dressing Rooms
(Rule 6A-10.086) The purpose of this rule is to protect students’ safety and the fundamental rights of parents to be fully informed of how bathrooms are designated and how locker rooms, which include dressing rooms, are designated and supervised. The rule ensures full transparency to enhance the health, safety and welfare of students when utilizing bathrooms and locker rooms, and protect parental rights.
Educational Records
The protection of student personally identifiable information is of the utmost importance and parents have the right to know how their child’s student information and data are used. The amendment to Rule 6A-1.0955, FAC, ensures third-party vendors are not able to manipulate or compromise student information. This amended rule protects student privacy when students are required to use online educational services or when FSDB contracts with third-party vendors or service providers. The rule also ensures that threat assessments determined to be transient or substantive shall be maintained in a student’s file as long as determined useful pursuant to Section 1006.07(7), F.S. and Rule 6A-1.0018 FAC. FSDB will safeguard student educational records in accordance with state and federal law.
Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida
(Amendment to Rule 6A-10.081) The amendment prohibits classroom instruction to students in kindergarten through grade 3 on sexual orientation or gender identity and protects all students by expanding the definition of discrimination to include subjecting students to training or instruction that espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels any of the concepts listed in Section 1000.05(4)(a), Florida Statutes.
Elementary School Website Listing of Library Materials and Reading Lists
Parents have the right to know what materials their child has access to at school. Amendment to Rule 6A-7.0713, FAC, expands parental rights to give parents the ability to search materials which are in their child’s elementary school library. As you search our library media catalogue via the Alexandria application found on the Library Media webpage, you will find the listing of books, ebooks, periodicals, videos, and other materials which are searchable by author and title. If there is a required reading list for students in grades K-5, they will be posted on individual teacher webpages.
School Safety Requirements and Monitoring
(Amendment to Rule 6A-1.0018) This amendment clarifies the reporting and documentation of threat assessments, including where no threat is found. In addition, the amendment addresses duties of the school safety specialist to ensure all school personnel receive youth mental health awareness training. Districts must submit district and public charter school policies and written procedures pertaining to health, safety, and welfare of students to the Office of Safe Schools by July 1 of each year.