Citizens for Truth and Justice in Education (CTJE)

VIRTUAL | "Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy" with Katherine Stewart · Americans United for Separation of Church and State The Rochester, NY chapter of Americans United proudly presents New York Times bestselling author ## Katherine Stewart speaking on # **Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy** Why ha...

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The Art & Politics of Comic Books & Graphic Novels Today we celebrate the amazing creativity and social commentary found in the pages of our favorite graphic novels and comic books. What's your favorite comic book series?

Let's celebrate the amazing creativity and social commentary found in the pages of our favorite graphic novels and comic books. What's your favorite comic book series?

Public Schooling in America - Network For Public Education From book bans to teacher qualifications, our new report examines the laws and policies that support or undermine each state’s public schools and the students who attend them.

NPE’s 2024 report card - #PublicSchoolinginAmerica
- Measuring Each State’s Commitment to Democratically Governed Schools. Did your state make the grade? Read the report here. networkforpubliceduc...

Public Schooling in America - Network For Public Education From book bans to teacher qualifications, our new report examines the laws and policies that support or undermine each state’s public schools and the students who attend them.

Congratulations to ND, CT, VT, IL, & NE for earning an A for states that support their public schools #PublicSchoolsWeek #PSW24 - Read NPE's #PublicSchoolinginAmerica to see where your state stands networkforpubliceduc...

Blog Posts Archive - Network For Public Education Our Blog

The NPE Blog of the Day is curated by Peter Greene. Powerful writing by bloggers from across the nation that inspire, inform, and educate on all things public education. Don’t miss out on all the latest news in Education. Subscribe today networkforpubliceduc...

@network4pubed.bsky.social

August 2nd at Daytona Beach City Hall from 930a-1130a please join us for a safe & peaceful protest showing our opposition to this administration #JUV #DaytonaBeach50501 #resist #fightfascism @healergirl165.bsky.social @justkellykelly.bsky.social @chasingoz.bsky.social @50501supporters.bsky.social

Inside the Secret Right-Wing Plan to “Take Down the Education System… Documented is an investigative watchdog and journalism project committed to holding the powerful interests that undermine our democracy accountable.

"We'll have to litigate in some areas that are not so favorable in order to get the split in the circuit," Farris told the donors. "Judicial selection is a big, a big part of the strategy," Farris explained.

documented.net/investigatio...

The state BOE has had a busy summer.

It banned 55 titles by pretending HB 1539 became law (it didn’t), used the new AG “Office of Parental Rights” to threaten educators with jail time, and appointed a new Commissioner to further push an anti-democratic agenda.

We MUST pay attention.

Voices of The Young Writers Committee — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide Meet the next generation of writers and activists speaking out on the issues that matter most. From the shrinking of civic space to highlighting freedom of expression as the bedrock of democracy, memb...

Meet the next generation speaking out for free expression.

From shrinking civic space to defending democracy, PEN International’s Young Writers Committee (@youngwriterspen.bsky.social) raises their voices with urgency and hope ⬇️

www.pen-international.org/committee-ne...

What If Social Media Filtered Abuse Like It Filters Spam? A report from PEN America and Consumer Reports urges tech companies to treat online abuse like spam, filtering harm before it reaches users.

As platforms lose diverse voices, our digital spaces become less free, less representative and less equitable.

A new report from PEN America and @consumerreports.org asks: What If Social Media Filtered Abuse Like It Filters Spam?
msmagazine.com/2025/07/23/s...

Blog Posts Archive - Network For Public Education Our Blog

The NPE Blog of the Day is curated by Peter Greene. Powerful writing by bloggers from across the nation that inspire, inform, and educate on all things public education. Don’t miss out on all the latest news in Education. Subscribe today networkforpubliceduc...

The following was provided in response to the first portion of your statement: • Per the custodian, The titles "Push," "Collateral," "A Court of Silver Flames," "A Court of Frost and Starlight," and "A Court of Wings and Ruin" have been categorized as adult fiction by established review sources. Following Broward County Schools' policy, which does not allow adult fiction in schools, these books have been removed. This action aligns with the guidelines for providing age-appropriate reading materials to students. Regarding the book "Anatomy of a Single Girl", following the Superintendent's Review Committee's decision to remove "Anatomy of a Boyfriend", the superintendent has also determined that this title should be removed. The department received instructions from the general counsel and superintendent, in accordance with directives issued by the Florida Department of Education, to remove the titles "A Court of Mist and Fury," "A Court of Thorns and Roses," and "Empire of Storms."

Broward County Public Schools overturned three decisions by the Superintendent’s Review Committee to retain certain texts for HS students as a result of “directives” (threats) from the FLDOE.

Also any “adult fiction” is off limits? So, Shakespeare and Milton are YA now?

No country has ever increased freedom and liberty by banning books - www.bookbanpetition.us

Sign the Pledge to vote for libraries and the freedom to read! When I vote, I will consider how candidates who support libraries and the freedom to read.

Support libraries! Sign the pledge today.
buff.ly/P5OlvhZ

What Shapes Our Reading Preferences? What has influenced the types of books you like to read?

What influences the types of books you like to read?

The Benefits of Reading to Your Children before Bed Bedtime stories offer benefits beyond simply helping lull your child to sleep.

Bedtime stories offer benefits beyond simply helping lull your child to sleep.

Since the SBOE meeting on June 4, we have tracked over 180 physical copies of this book being quietly removed from 15 districts in the state.

We know this is not a complete picture of the censorship happening due to threats made by state leadership, but it certainly shows how insidious it is.

The Florida Crusades, funded by taxpayers Florida in Five: Five stories to read from the past week in Florida politics.

Also from @jasongarcia.bsky.social…

[The tool is] being supplied by a vendor who hired a lobbying firm run by one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ top fundraisers shortly before landing the contract from his administration.

jasongarcia.substack.com/p/the-florid...

Letter from Florida Ed Commissioner putting districts “on notice” for using Beanstack to meet the classroom library catalog requirements. The letter alleges that the platform “provides access to material that is not age or developmentally appropriate” though the platform does not offer access to read materials at all. Beanstack provides a thumbnail image and description of the materials available in a particular school, grade, or classroom collection, offers ways to encourage reading and test comprehension, and expands reading initiatives into the community.

This is an attempt from the state to deny access to a wonderful platform used by districts to comply with the state’s classroom library transparency rules and encourage reading.

Why?

Because they signed a $15.6M contract with TEG to create an unnecessary statewide transparency tool.

Maxwell: The mind of a Florida book-banner is a delusional place Florida already ranks No. 1 in book censorship. Now the state is beefing up its list of banned books, even as student scores drop on reading tests and the state sinks to 47th in SATs.

“…politicians in this state spend way more time trying to restrict reading than encourage it. Instead of trying to boost sad-sack test scores, they’re still screaming about Judy Blume.”

www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/07/23/f...

Titles listed as retained for HS, but since removed include: A Court of Thorns and Roses A Court of Mist and Fury Empire of Storms

Here’s the form the district submitted to the state on 6/30/25.

You can see that each of the three titles were determined by committee to be appropriate for HS students with content that is “mature in nature, but does not violate state statute.”

"Safeguard your independent media and defend your national archives," writes Anna Nemzer, who launched the Russian Independent Media Archive with fellow exiled journalists in 2023. Resist takedowns and censorship, she says, or "truth begins to disappear." thehill.com/opinion/whit...

Texas families sue to block Texas Ten Commandments law - Americans United AU & allies sued on behalf of 16 families to challenge the Texas Ten Commandments law that requires every public school classroom to display the Commandments.

BREAKING: We're suing Texas!

AU and allies, representing a group of sixteen Texan families, filed suit in federal court today to block the new state law requiring all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments.

www.au.org/the-latest/p...

“God Bless” and the Gospel of Government Control: How Florida’s “Letter to Parents” Reveals the Project 2025 Blueprint Florida’s education letter echoes Project 2025’s agenda—masking religious control, censorship, and exclusionary policies as “parental rights,” while silencing diverse families and public school voices...

This letter is not a one-off. It is a blueprint. It shows how the rhetoric of “freedom” can be weaponized to restrict, how the language of “rights” can be used to erase, and how government can cloak control in the comforting guise of parental love.

www.freedomtoreadproject.org/_god_bless_a...

If you’re not already following @freedomreadproject.bsky.social, please make sure to tap the tag and click follow.

While this story is based on Florida because it has larger implications for the country, you will find news and information on the freedom to read from a national perspective.

Education Department says it's releasing more than $5 billion in frozen grants The grants fund a wide range of education programs, including migrant education, services for English language learners and adult education.

The grants fund a wide range of education programs, including migrant education, services for English language learners and adult education.

Wave of New State Bills in 2025 Cast a Web of Control over Higher Education Lawmakers have passed a stunning wave of educational gag orders that directly censor higher ed teaching, as well as laws that target tenure and traditional faculty governance, intervene in how academi...

2025 is already a record-breaking year for higher education censorship, with more than 70 bills and policies introduced in 26 states, casting a web of state control over higher education, write PEN America's Laura Benitez, Amy Reid, and @jonfreadom.bsky.social
pen.org/with-a-wave-...

Graphic shows the 'Top 10 Censored Books Listed By Teachers" from The State of Teacher Use in US Secondary English Classrooms' reported by NCTE, featuring book covers including 'The Bluest Eye', 'The Hate U Give', works by Sherman Alexie, and 'Gender Queer' among others, with National Council of Teachers of English and PEN America logos at the bottom.

Look familiar? These are the most censored books named by English teachers in a study funded by @ncte.org.

The study found that although most teachers value teaching diverse texts, they are often stopped from doing so.

Read more at: ncte.org/wp-content/u...