The first couple weeks of school are pivotal for teachers to get to know the new faces in their classroom. Learning their preferred name is one of the most important ways to do that.
“That’s literally the first day of school, getting to know your student. ‘Hey, Rebecca? What would you like to be called? Would you like to be called Becca?’” said Octavio Hernandez, an algebra teacher at Davenport High School.
Now, teachers will not be allowed to call their students by their nicknames. For example, “Tom” instead of “Thomas” or "Kim" versus "Kimberly."
This is because, on July 19, the Florida Board of Education modified the Florida Administrative Code Rule 6A-1.0955, which now requires written parental consent for using student names other than their legal names.
Polk County Public Schools and districts across Florida have created a form for parents to fill out to specify the use of any deviation from their child’s legal name in school.
Hernandez said with so many new education laws in Florida. Teachers are growing more fearful of losing their jobs.
“I can lose my livelihood; I can lose my license. You're going to fire a decades-long teacher? Teachers that have taught for 20 years, simply because they asked, ‘what would you like to be called?” he said.
According to state leaders, the purpose of the rule is to cover various aspects of maintaining student records in a way that protects the rights of students and parents.
Hernandez believes the focus should be on bigger issues impacting education.
"We have teachers not making enough money, and basically every teacher I know has to have two jobs or a roommate because there's no way you can afford housing. There are so many things that we have to focus on. Instead, the governor is focusing on things that don't exist," Hernandez said.
This new rule goes into effect on Aug. 22.
