(The Center Square) — The Florida House Education Quality Subcommittee met in Tallahassee on Wednesday to discuss an upcoming bill that will ensure students, particularly those with disabilities, are able to make informed decisions about their ongoing education once they reach age 18.
House Bill 19 requires that school districts instruct parents on legal rights and responsibilities that transfer to students at the age of 18 and ways that students can provide informed consent to allow their parents to participate in their education decisions.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides the blueprints for state and public agencies to deliver interventions, education and related services to eligible children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 years old.
Those states that receive IDEA funding must comply with a series of requirements, including identifying, evaluating and making placements for students with disabilities.
Florida law states that an individualized education program must be developed for each eligible student from age 12 or once they reach the seventh grade.
The bill will also require school districts to provide information and instruction to a student and their parent/legal guardian on the student’s legal rights, self-determination and responsibilities, upon reaching the age of majority.
Options to maintain parental involvement in a disabled student’s education must be included in the information provided to the student and their families by school districts. These include Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act waivers, powers of attorney, guardian advocacy and guardianship.
As it stands, parents must apply for guardianship through the court system once their child turns 18, the process of getting guardianship can take months and thousands of dollars to achieve. The bill will essentially cut both costs and time needed to receive guardianship. The bill also has no fiscal cost to the State of Florida and was introduced by state Rep. Allison Tant, D-Tallahassee.
All members of the subcommittee unanimously voted yes for HB 19.
Also discussed during the meeting was library materials available to students in Florida schools.
A presentation by the Department of Education’s Chancellor Paul Burns on library media and instructional materials training, pointed out new rules that have come into effect to protect children from being exposed to inappropriate materials in schools.
Florida educators are required to undergo training regarding the selection of books in classrooms and that includes the prohibition against distributing material that’s harmful to minors or materials that may indoctrinate the child.
According to Burns, a work group is currently developing the definition of age-appropriate materials for elementary school students.
Polk County Superintendent Fred Heid spoke about the process his school district has adopted. The district allows parents to challenge instructional materials available to their children. A committee also reviewed all written and recorded media to ensure staff do not inadvertently provide restricted material to students.
Heid added that the vast majority of families are opting to stick with the current school curriculum.
Providing prohibited materials is a third-degree felony and with each issued resource that has been prohibited it is counted as a separate charge.
