Story by Chris Knight • Monday, May 15,2023
A screenshot from Grade 5 teacher Jenna Barbee in which she talks about the investigation she's facing.© Provided by National Post
A Florida teacher, under investigation for showing the animated Disney movie Strange World in her class of Grade 5 students, has taken to TikTok to tell her side of the story.
The incident began this month when Jenna Barbee, a teacher at Winding Waters school in Hernando County, Fla., received a letter indicating that the State Board of Education was “investigating alleged misconduct” after one of the students’ parents complained about the content of the film.
Strange World, released last year and featuring the voices of Jake Gyllenhaal, Gabrielle Union and others, is an adventure tale about a family of explorers who explore a weird underground world. It’s rated PG in America for “action/peril and some thematic elements.”
A review in the National Post notes: “It features a three-legged dog, an adorable blue amoeboid character named Splat, and a casually open gay character to annoy the sort of people who get annoyed by that sort of thing.”
Things grew more heated after a Twitter user posted the letter and added: “Florida is not safe for teachers, DO NOT MOVE HERE.”
Barbee has now released a six-and-a-half-minute TikTok video in which she begins: “I am the teacher that is under investigation with the Florida Department of Education for indoctrination for showing a Disney movie. I just wanted to come here and tell you my truth.”
In the video, Barbee explains that, after a morning of standardized testing for her students, she decided it would be “a great time to give them a brain break by showing them a movie that related to what we were learning about in school.”
She continues: “Our unit at the time was earth science and ecosystems and how they interact.” She adds that the film also includes “huge lessons of overcoming differences, spreading kindness, communication and chasing your dreams.”
She further notes that all her students’ parents had signed permission slips allowing their children to watch PG-rated movies in class, with no objections to specific content.
The Simpsons predicted Florida parents' outrage over statue of David's nudity, fans say
“Is a character in the movie LGBTQ?” she says. “Absolutely. Is that why I showed it? No!”
Barbee says that one of the students was a daughter of a school board member, and “that school board member is currently on a rampage to get rid of every form of representation out of our schools.”
She adds that after meeting with the parent (as a parent and not a school board official) she understood the parent’s concerns. “Seeing how upset she was I told her I understand my lessons … but she had already reported me and there was nothing she could do about it.”
The issue is Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, dubbed the “don’t say gay” law, which was introduced last year by Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis. It forbids teaching students in Florida schools about gender and sexual identity.
Jaboukie Young-White provides the voice of 16-year-old Ethan in Strange World.
© Disney
DeSantis has spoken recently about “Woke indoctrination in our schools,” while his press secretary Christina Pushaw has referred to the act as an “anti-grooming bill,” adding on Twitter: “If you’re against the Anti-Grooming bill, you are probably a groomer or at least you don’t denounce the grooming of 4-8 year old children.”
The Florida governor is also in a protracted battle with Disney after the entertainment company opposed the new legislation. He responded by trying to strip Disney World of its self-governing status in Florida, and appointed a new board to run the region. Both the old and new boards are now suing one another.
Barbee notes in her video that none of her students seemed to notice or care that a character was gay, and then when students had previously come out to her, her response has been a non-committal: “OK that’s awesome, do you.”
“Their teacher showed a movie to help them connect to our curriculum and learn some valuable life lessons, but the minor representations that have nothing to do with the movie are such a big deal that now admin in in their room, pulling their teacher out, calling the students one by one down to the office to interrogate them in the middle of my lesson … Do you know the trauma that that is going to cause to some of my students?”
She concludes: “If you haven’t seen the Disney movie Strange World, I highly recommend it … you may learn a thing or two.”
DeSantis has spoken recently about “Woke indoctrination in our schools,” while his press secretary Christina Pushaw has referred to the act as an “anti-grooming bill,” adding on Twitter: “If you’re against the Anti-Grooming bill, you are probably a groomer or at least you don’t denounce the grooming of 4-8 year old children.”
The Florida governor is also in a protracted battle with Disney after the entertainment company opposed the new legislation. He responded by trying to strip Disney World of its self-governing status in Florida, and appointed a new board to run the region. Both the old and new boards are now suing one another.
Barbee notes in her video that none of her students seemed to notice or care that a character was gay, and then when students had previously come out to her, her response has been a non-committal: “OK that’s awesome, do you.”
“Their teacher showed a movie to help them connect to our curriculum and learn some valuable life lessons, but the minor representations that have nothing to do with the movie are such a big deal that now admin in in their room, pulling their teacher out, calling the students one by one down to the office to interrogate them in the middle of my lesson … Do you know the trauma that that is going to cause to some of my students?”
She concludes: “If you haven’t seen the Disney movie Strange World, I highly recommend it … you may learn a thing or two.”
No comments:
Post a Comment