Cooper Lewis ‘26, News Editor
Most parents are used to the common occurrence of children bringing home permission slips from school for guardians to sign. But one in particular caught a Miami father, Chuck Walter, by surprise.
Walter, among other parents who have children enrolled at the Coral Way K-8 Center in Miami-Dade County, received a permission slip asking if they were comfortable with their children partaking in a Black History Month activity described as a “read-aloud.” According to a copy of the note obtained by CNN, this ‘read-aloud’ was described as an activity where “students will participate & listen to a book written by an African American.” Walter also stated that if he did not allow permission, his daughter would be removed from the class for the duration of the activity.
Upon reading the permission slip, Walter tweeted a photo of it, curious to see if other parents experienced the same. The name of the school was blurred in the image to prevent backlash. “I was a bit shocked,” Walter said. “This is the first time that I’ve experienced this for a school activity. My first reaction was, ‘Let me share this with other parents and other people and get their perspective.’” The tweet went on to gain 13 million views and nearly 6,000 reposts, with many viewers expressing shock and confusion.
“In compliance with state law, permission slips were sent home because guest speakers would participate during a school-authorized education-related activity,” the school district said in a statement to CNN. “The description of the event may have caused confusion.” Later that month, a mother—whose child also attends a Miami-Dade County school—came out and said that her child had also been given the same permission slip. Back in Sept. 2022, the Florida Department of Education updated its requirements for school-based programs. Programs such as field trips, extracurricular activities, etc. Schools were now required to, “fully inform parents of the details of field trips, extracurricular activities, and supplemental programs.” Earlier that same year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Individual Freedom Act into law. This new law was intended to prevent teachings that may suggest a person is privileged or oppressed based on race, sex, color, or national origin. The law has since faced much backlash and legal troubles since it was created, and has also limited or prevented what can and cannot be taught in schools.
Walter said that as a parent, he is concerned about what the impact of these laws could have on his child’s education. “The school where my daughters attend is a predominantly Hispanic school and I was wondering if it were a predominantly Black elementary school, if they would have sent the permission slip,” he said. “So, who is making the decisions about when they need to get the parents’ permission or not?” Even through the controversy, schools in the county still continue to hold Black History Month related events. The policy that resulted in the permission slip has yet to be re-written, and Florida parents hope their children’s education will not be drastically effected.
Lyon Life 