Tampa-area schools cut back on Shakespeare, citing new Fla. rules

https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2023/08/07/hillsborough-schools-cut-back-shakespeare-citing-new-florida-rules/

by c5karl • 3 years ago

8 17 3 years ago

tampabay.com

c5karl• 3 years ago

https://archive.is/2023.08.08-012347/https://www.tampabay.co...

accrual• 3 years ago

In my deepest and professional sense of things: this is bullshit.

CamperBob22• 3 years ago

You want to see bullshit, call out the people responsible for this -- namely, Republicans -- and watch what happens to your comment score.

1attice3• 3 years ago

HN has taken such a hard-right turn these past few years I've begun intentionally optimizing my karma-motivated behaviour for fluctuations in karma. Which is to say, I mentally overlay my actual karma score with a shadow score that increases whenever someone engages with something I write, either by replying, downvoting, or upvoting. A GOP downvote pile-on is now pretty good evidence of having said something truthful, especially when it's accompanied by an equally strong (or stronger) updraft of upvotes from other tendencies.

I've had half a mind to produce a browser plugin to do this for me, and apply it to everyone else as well, making the posts with the most engagement grow in `font-weight` and `font-size`, but the project is stymied by the number of snapshots and the amount of scraping I'd have to do; plus, there'd always be the possibility of missing an interaction.

tiahura• 3 years ago

These are Democrats grandstanding to embarrass Desantis.

CSMastermind• 3 years ago

The new Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking include lists of books that might be included on the state competency exam. To give students a better chance of mastering the material, the district switched to one novel and excerpts from five to seven different books, including plays.

So the change has absolutely nothing to do with Florida's rules banning sexual materials.

This seems like someone choosing to use this unrelated change to push their political narrative.

I don't think there's much interesting or intellectually satisfying about this.

BugsJustFindMe4• 3 years ago

It's hard for me to see how you've reached that conclusion.

“It was also in consideration of the law,” said school district spokeswoman Tanya Arja, referring to the newly expanded Parental Rights in Education Act. The measure, promoted and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, tells schools to steer clear of content and class discussion that is sexual in nature unless it is related to a standard, such as health class.
Students will be assigned pages from the classics, which might include “Macbeth,” “Hamlet” and the time-honored teen favorite, “Romeo and Juliet.” But if they want to read them in their entirety, they will likely have to do it on their own time.
“There’s some raunchiness in Shakespeare,” said Joseph Cool, a reading teacher at Gaither High School. “Because that’s what sold tickets during his time.” In staying with excerpts, the schools can teach about Shakespeare while avoiding anything racy or sexual.
But teachers are advised, during class lessons, to stay with the approved guidelines, which call for excerpts. If not, in extreme circumstances, they might have to defend themselves against a parent complaint or a disciplinary case at their school.

meragrin_• 3 years ago

unless it is related to a standard

"MacBeth", "Hamlet", and "Romeo and Juliet" are literally in the standard: https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7539/urlt/elabestst...

They are being petty, lazy, or deliberately malicious.

Tampa-area schools cut back on Shakespeare, citing new Fla. rules

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