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December 1, 2022
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HeadlinesTampa Bay
HAPPY HOLIDAYS? FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICT WALKS BACK DECISION TO NIX HANUKKAH
PRESENTATION
HANUKKAH JEWISH HOLIDAY BACKGROUND WITH MENORAH (JUDAISM CANDELABRA) BURNING
CANDLES AND TRADITIONAL DREIDREL GAME TOY ON WOOD TABLE AND ON AUTUMN BOKEH SUN
FLARE
Jesse SchecknerDecember 1, 202211min21
* Chanukah
* Chanukkah
* Christmas
* Hanukah
* Hanukkah
* Holidays
* Kimberly Poe
* Kurt Browning
* Parents' Bill of Rights
* Pasco County
* Pasco County Schools
* Rachel Long
* Ray Gadd
* Stephen Hegarty
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A spokesperson for the district said officials a ‘trying to be careful’ in light
of the new Parents’ Bill of Rights.
Pasco County Schools says it has reversed its decision denying a mother’s
request to give a Hanukkah presentation to her son’s fifth grade class after
reporters contacted the district for an explanation. And the initial decision
blocking the presentation cited Florida’s relatively new Parents’ Bill of
Rights law.
A district spokesperson now says the mother would have to first meet with school
staff to set up guidelines, but that the presentation has been otherwise
approved.
Rachel Long has visited each of her children’s classes yearly to explain
Hanukkah — the Jewish “Festival of Lights” that takes place around the same time
as Christmas and similarly involves gift giving — since her eldest son was in
preschool. He’s now in 10th grade.
Her short presentation includes no mention of God or religion, Long said.
Instead, it consists of her reading from a book explaining Hanukkah (also
written as “Chanukah”), sharing traditional food, displaying a menorah, and
giving toy tops (dreidels) to each child for an in-class game.
Not counting the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the schools Long’s children attended
welcomed her into the classroom every year without issue. That was until last
week when she reached out to her youngest child’s fifth-grade teacher at his
elementary school in New Port Richey to ask when she could come in this year.
Initially, the teacher seemed open to the idea. She told Long she would confer
with school higher-ups “to determine what day and time would be best.”
A few days later, however, the teacher said that after speaking with school
staff and district administrators, they recommended she deny Long’s request,
citing the Parents’ Bill of Rights.
“As per discussions with the team and Admin, the new Parent Bill of Rights (sic)
obligates us to follow the 5th Grade Standards as written,” the teacher said by
text. “At this time, a Chanukah presentation is not in our standards.”
Long asked: “Then, I assume, no Christmas activities will be done?”
The teacher did not immediately reply.
Screenshots of the text exchange between parent Rachel Long and her son’s fifth
grade teacher. Image via Rachel Long.
The Parents’ Bill of Rights, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on June 30, 2021,
provides that parents can object to — and opt their child out of — instructional
materials based on their beliefs about morality, sex and religion.
The only mention of holidays and cultural traditions in the Pasco School
curriculum guide for fifth grade says students will read stories from “different
cultures” and encourages parents to discuss the meaning of various holidays with
their children.
CPALMS, the Florida Department of Education’s official source for education
standards, includes approved lessons on holidays in world language, history and
civics classes and hundreds of allowances for multicultural education.
Long contacted the school’s principal and got a similar answer. The principal,
she said, claimed to have spoken with an Assistant Superintendent from the
district. The Assistant Superintendent assigned to the school is Kimberly Poe,
according to Pasco Schools Director of Employee Relations Kathy Scalise.
Long said the principal told her: “Due to the Parent Bill of Rights (sic), the
school could not celebrate any holidays.”
Apparently, that doesn’t apply to Christmas, Long contended, noting
Christmas-themed décor throughout a “holiday shop” in the school and a host of
related activities.
“(The) kids are watching the musical ‘Elf Jr.’ during school, the school is
completely decorated for Christmas, and there is a ‘Santa night’ planned,” Long
told Florida Politics.
“(The principal) explained these things by saying they are holiday-themed, not
Christmas, and parents are able to opt their students out. Teachers are allowed
to have Christmas trees in their rooms but are not allowed to do Elf on The
Shelf. If students can participate in all these activities or be opted out, I
suggested that students could be opted out of my Chanukah presentation.”
The elementary school’s “holiday shop” has no shortage of Christmas-themed
decorations. Image via Rachel Long.
Long stressed that she isn’t trying to push her religion on anyone.
“I am just trying to expose my child’s classmates to different traditions,” she
said. Long said the principal agreed to raise the issue again with Poe before
rendering a final decision Thursday but suggested that if the school allowed a
presentation on Hanukkah, “they would have to teach Kwanza and Diwali.”
“I think that would be awesome,” Long said. “I told her that if it is me coming
in that is an issue; I would be happy to send the materials in for the teacher
to use. I explained to her that if I am not able to do my presentation or that
the teacher doesn’t do it, I will raise hell if I see one Christmas paper come
home or I see one Christmas tree in the school.”
Florida Politics contacted principal Poe, Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt
Browning, and Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd. None responded by press time.
But the issue appeared to have been resolved by Wednesday afternoon. Pasco
Schools Public Information Officer Stephen Hegarty told Florida Politics that
Long could indeed do her Hanukkah presentation once she meets with the teacher
and other relevant faculty.
Hegarty confirmed a local TV reporter had also learned of the issue and was
seeking answers. He said the district was being cautious when it expressed
reticence at Long’s request.
“The Parents’ Bill of Rights is new, and even though it does not affect a lot of
things, it affects some things, and everybody wants to make sure they’re doing
the right thing,” he said. “They’re trying to be careful.”
He added, “My understanding is the teacher sought clarification from her
principal, her principal sought clarification, and that’s where we are right
now, which is that she’s going to work through it, make sure it’s all done
appropriately, and I expect she’s going to go into the classroom and make a fine
presentation. My understanding is she’s done a great job in the past.”
Post Views: 0
JESSE SCHECKNER
Jesse Scheckner has covered South Florida with a focus on Miami-Dade County
since 2012. His work has been recognized by the Hearst Foundation, Society of
Professional Journalists, Florida Society of News Editors, Florida MMA Awards
and Miami New Times. Email him at Jesse@FloridaPolitics.com and follow him on
Twitter @JesseScheckner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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21 COMMENTS
* LEZA BERARDONE
November 30, 2022 at 8:48 pm
Ron the Nazi says you can only celebrate Christmas
Reply
* THAT TOO
December 1, 2022 at 3:26 pm
Christmas is also a pagan holiday. You think Jesus would share his birthday
with a guy coming down chimneys Christian’s?
So That’s out too.
Ron’s taken more holidays away then he says liberals have lol
Reply
* OLDWAYS LAWYER
November 30, 2022 at 9:21 pm
It’s going to be a rude awakening when Christi-fascists realize they are a
minority, and that laws like Parents’ Bill of Rights, set up to protect their
dominant culture monopoly, can be used to sue them into oblivion.
Reply
* MARTI
November 30, 2022 at 9:37 pm
Thanks to Rachel Long for assuring Hannukah is included in our children’s
winter celebrations.
Reply
* CHARLOTTE GREENBARG
December 1, 2022 at 7:28 am
Um, the bill doesn’t stop anyone from presenting materials about holidays.
The school got it wrong this year. Far left haters spew lies as usual
Reply
* MC
December 1, 2022 at 9:05 am
The whole point of the law is to have a chilling effect on speech that
offends white patriarchal Christians. You’re in denial about this because
you’re feeling cognitive dissonance about believing you’re a good person
while supporting a Christofascist movement. That gnawing feeling in your
conscience won’t go away until you reject bigotry in all its forms.
Reply
* GDSMITH
December 1, 2022 at 1:28 pm
^^^ This is the correct answer.
Reply
* JOE CORSIN
December 1, 2022 at 9:09 am
Trump 40,000 lies and counting. You fail!
Reply
* ELLIOTT OFFEN
December 1, 2022 at 9:12 am
Florida GQP is subordinate to the Nazi Lowriders gang. They only care about
Jews when they are right wing. George Soros not so much. They are antisemitic
when it comes to George Soros.
Reply
* FRAK FRANK
December 1, 2022 at 2:41 pm
> They are antisemitic when it comes to George Soros.
he is a traitor to free enterprise and all that depend on it.
Reply
* J H
December 1, 2022 at 10:15 am
Around the holidays, every school, hospital, government building, etc. you
enter (that receives state and/or federal funding) is LITTERED with xmas
baubles—creating a fire hazard. It is a VIOLATION of separation church &
state. Put up a menorah, cornucopia, people freak. What ya gonna do?
Reply
* PAT DURAN
December 1, 2022 at 10:17 am
Thank the gods that we still have a free press in Florida, although I’m sure
the Christofascists under DeSantis will try and eliminate that asap.
Reply
* GLORY MOSITY
December 1, 2022 at 10:23 am
I want to know how we can support this wonderful parent, Rachel Long
Reply
* IT'S COMPLICATED
December 1, 2022 at 10:46 am
For crying out loud… go read he bill that passed and was signed by the
Governor before spewing nonsense about it.
From a conservative Protestant Christian perspective, I think it is healthy
to teach about this Jewish celebration. The story that is celebrated is found
in the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees, which IS in Roman Catholic Bibles, NOT in
Protestant Bibles (viewed as not Divinely inspired), and NOT in Jewish Bibles
(viewed as a period historical writing). In my experience, most Protestant
Christians do not know the story or how that led to this Jewish celebration.
Cannot speak for Catholic Christians. Have no idea if other non-Christian or
non-Jewish faiths know anything about it, but is seems like a good idea for
kids to understand a commonly known symbol seen during the winter holiday
season, and how Jewish people use that symbol in their celebration of
Hanukkah.
The common objection that arises from teaching about other faiths is not
teaching what they believe, rather, it is requiring children to read their
respective scriptures, recite chants or catechisms, emulate prayer customs,
or to don religious apparel. Just teach kids what they believe, don’t make
them imitate it, and don’t proselytize them.
Reply
* GDSMITH
December 1, 2022 at 1:33 pm
“The common objection that arises from teaching about other faiths is not
teaching what they believe, rather, it is requiring children to read their
respective scriptures, recite chants or catechisms, emulate prayer customs,
or to don religious apparel. Just teach kids what they believe, don’t make
them imitate it, and don’t proselytize them.”
No one WAS doing that; the bill was based on conspiracist (emphasis on the
‘racist’ part) delusions and baldfaced lies, like ever-so-many conservative
bugaboos.
The bill is absolutely yet another step in advancing the creeping white
supremacist authoritarianism that the GOP is 100% behind.
You couldn’t be more wrong if you tried.
Reply
* FRAK FRANK
December 1, 2022 at 2:33 pm
You ain’t a conservative anymore mister. Pretty soon you won’t be a
christian either. Were taking over.
Reply
* FRAK FRANK
December 1, 2022 at 2:39 pm
> I want to know how we can support this wonderful parent, Rachel Long
Find her a condo in miami.
Reply
* DAVID
December 1, 2022 at 3:03 pm
It’s revealing that one of the principal’s concerns was that if teaching
about Chanukah is allowed they will also have to allow teaching about Diwali
and Kwanza. Tell us more.
Reply
* LIZ
December 1, 2022 at 3:30 pm
I’m glad you mentioned this because I found it telling as well.
Reply
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