The latest on Miami-Dade's school permission slips controversy

Catch up quick: Earlier this month, the school district garnered national attention after Local 10 reported that Coral Way K–8 Center in Miami sent out the slips so students could "participate and listen to a book written by an African American."

• The form was sent home to comply with state law that requires parental permission for guest speakers and extracurricular activities, district officials said at the monthly school board meeting.
• The fallout, however, led Florida Department of Education officials to say the move was "nothing more than a political ploy" and an "absurd" interpretation of state rule, the Miami Herald reported.

What the law says: The Parental Rights in Education Law, dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by critics, requires school districts to adopt procedures for notifying parents about events or activities that extend beyond the approved curriculum.

• But since its passing, the law — among other broadly written laws — has caused confusion among educators over what applies and what is or isn't considered to be age appropriate.
• In Miami-Dade, schools have sought parental consent for activities such as club meetings and events, guest speakers, college adviser visits, tutoring or enrichment sessions, school dances and listening to a Holocaust survivor speak, the Herald reported.

Reality check: State law also requires that teachers teach African American history, which state and local officials have emphasized.

State of play: Jackie Gil-Abarzua, a teacher at Thomas Jefferson Biscayne Gardens K–8 in North Miami, said she sends permission slips home all the time, including ahead of a lesson that featured virtual reality headsets because they were not included in the approved curriculum.

• "Everything is there [in the form], but there's confusion among teachers," she told Axios.

• The district needs to be more specific about things like introducing a new gadget or bringing in a speaker, she added.

What they're saying: On "This Week in South Florida," board member Steve Gallon III said the issue wasn't about Black history, but it served as a "catalyst for a discussion around the ambiguity around what these laws intended."

• "I did not believe that the permission [for this event] was consistent with the intent of the law," he said, adding permission shouldn't be required "when you're talking about instruction [and] activities that extend learning."

During the same discussion, board member Roberto Alonso said the issue was "blown out of proportion," but acknowledged fear likely motivated the decision to request permission.

• "This teacher was sending out a slip trying to cover themselves in many ways," he said.

The bottom line: School board members and district officials agreed there needed to be more clarity around state laws and what educators locally are being asked to do.