Should parents be concerned about flags? Miami-Dade School Board to discuss what’s OK
The Miami-Dade School Board is expected to consider this month a measure that will allow only the American flag and the official motto of the State of Florida — “In God We Trust” — be displayed in classrooms and on school district grounds.
The idea, while still up for discussion, could mean that flags from other countries may be banned from hanging year round in a world history class, for example, or a rainbow flag to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month would be prohibited.
The measure is expected to be on the Nov. 16 School Board agenda, but it could be amended or removed entirely following the board’s workshop meeting Nov. 9 where members are able to raise concerns or support or suggest changes. Board member Christi Fraga, who is running for Doral mayor in Tuesday’s election and could be off the board come Nov. 22, sponsored the item.
Fraga did not respond to requests for comment or questions about the item. But Eulalia Jimenez, the Miami chapter president of Moms for Liberty, a conservative parents-rights organization with ties to Gov. Ron DeSantis, said the item is meant to reinforce the flag policy and “remind the school board that public schools [should] be neutral and not to be used to impose any type of ideology or political agenda on the kids. It also solidifies the Parental Rights in Education law.”
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The measure refers to the day-to-day displays seen around schools, argued Jimenez, who worked to get this item up for consideration. “Right now, there’s all sorts of flags. There’s the LGBTQ, BLM [Black Lives Matter], all sorts of flags. We don’t want that anymore. We want it to be the Florida and American flags unless there’s a specific lesson plan.”
Jimenez, who has been a consistent presence at school board meetings and was among those who opposed the adoption of a comprehensive sex education textbook in July and, more recently, recognizing October as LGBTQ History Month, claimed parents should be given notice and an opportunity to opt their students out if flags other than those cited in the policy are to be included in a lesson plan.
School Board policy already requires every classroom to display a United States flag and that the state’s motto be “displayed in a conspicuous place” in all schools and in “each building” used by the board. The measure seeks to review that policy, in addition to state and federal statutes, and, if necessary, amend the school board policy to ensure the flag and motto are displayed as required, and that “the only other flags that may be displayed are those used as part of a temporary unit of study within the approved curriculum,” according to the agenda item obtained by the Herald.
Patriotism vs. censorship
“I did think of country flags, but I think the intent is to get rid of LGBTQ flags,” said Carrie Feit, a district parent and resolutions chair of Miami-Dade County PTA. Moreover, she said, the effort weaponizes a board policy that “has to do with patriotism and honoring our country” and “turns it into a censorship policy.”
Feit is also a co-founder of Parents for Kids Miami, a newly formed group of parents who petitioned the board to adopt the sex education textbook. She argued the effort is not about flags but a distraction, part of the culture wars that have emerged, particularly around education.
Antonio White, United Teachers of Dade first vice president, shared similar sentiments as Feit. As a U.S. Air Force veteran, White argued he has defended this country and the symbols that represent it.
“At UTD, our hope is that the display of the American flag always be seen as an inclusive action rather than as a divisive gesture used by certain groups to attempt to co-opt patriotism or smother diversity of thought and gender and sexual orientation,” he said.
Parents law cited
The effort locally comes after some Florida school districts have already faced lawsuits for displaying flags, citing the Parental Rights in Education law, which critics have dubbed “Don’t say gay” and prohibits discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity-related issues in kindergarten through third grade. It went into effect this school year.
In Palm Beach County last month, a father sued the school district, claiming his son’s middle school teacher attempted to “change his beliefs” by displaying LGBTQ pride flags in the classroom, according to WPTV. And over the summer, some districts began rolling out new guidelines regarding LGBTQ-related issues and cautioned teachers about the topic.
In Miami-Dade schools, the board rejected recognizing October as LGBTQ History Month, despite having done so the previous year, and a measure that would explore the possibility of teaching 12th graders about two landmark Supreme Court cases impacting the LGBTQ communities. At the time, board members who opposed the effort cited the Parental Rights Law and how the recognition could violate it.
