DCPS's ever changing and shameful narrative about books. (draft)

 So this is what Greene said about books removed from mandarin Middle,

From First Coast News,

We did have a small number of principals interpret directions and guidance more intensely out of an abundance of caution. We have provided additional guidance to those leaders and they have appropriately adjusted their message to teachers.  In their defense, the state training also stressed the accountability of the school principal with respect to the books and materials made available to students.

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/education/duval-county-schools-superintendent-responds-to-viral-video-of-empty-bookshelves-at-middle-school-misinformation/77-c3531f24-9bfa-41eb-994a-8af799d6cb9e

Hmm, a small number of principals, you know, those way too cautious principals.  That is from February 17th. 

That was a few days after the district told below to ABC News,

"As required by state law, we are in the process of having certified media specialists review all classroom library books," said Tracy Pierce, chief of marketing and public relations at Duval County Public Schools. "There are approximately 1.6 million titles in our classroom and media center libraries that need to be reviewed by a certified media specialist."

https://abcnews.go.com/US/thousands-books-including-black-hispanic-historical-titles-review/story?id=97082518

That's a heck of a lot different than a few overly cautious principals, 

This is what was reported on the 7th,

From Jax Today,

It’s been two weeks since the district directed teachers to temporarily cover or store classroom library books, as 52 certified media specialists review classroom and school library books across the district’s nearly 200 schools – a massive undertaking that’s left some classrooms nearly bookless in the interim.

https://jaxtoday.org/2023/02/07/most-florida-school-districts-arent-requiring-teachers-to-hide-schoolbooks-duval-is/

So which is it? Does the district have a small number of over-cautious principals, or did it direct teachers to remove classroom libraries?

I think we know what happened; the first article was nothing but district spin, and another word for soon is lying.  

You might be thinking, Chris, we know all this, but you may not know what follows, and that's an email from the principal of Mandarin Middle, telling ESS that the school did not want to let Jagsfanbrian, the substitute responsible for the video showing empty bookshelves that they did not want to let him go and just wanted him to know the district book removal policy. Oh, the email is from January 31st (he put the video up several days before), two and a half weeks before the overly cautious principal spin.

The principal admits right there they had removed books based on the district policy. There is no ambiguity.  Now DCPS might say they were just one of the overcautious principals, except the district went on to say the entire thing was made up.  

This is what Tracy Pierce, district director of communications, told me 2/20

Doesn't this directly contradict what the principal told the rep from ESS? She was like we are doing the best we can to comply, and he's like, it's all made up, while the district went from it was just complying with the law to nothing to see here but a few over-cautious principals.

Look, the state sucks, what they are doing is bad for education, but that shouldn't excuse the district from just following orders or their ever-changing narrative about what happened. I think the district was put in a hole, decided to keep digging, and then as things snowballed out of control, tried to lie their way out of it. I have presented the facts; you be the judge.