I. The following procedures shall be followed when guest speakers are invited to address students. The teacher must remain in the classroom during the entire presentation of the guest speaker. All Guest Speakers must be approved online through the District’s Level II background screening and the Health and Safety Curriculum Committee.

Note: There are many topics which must also go through the Health and Safety Curriculum Committee screening process.

II. Prior to the presentation, the teacher will:

A. Review the speaker’s qualifications and determine that the speaker's material aligns to Sarasota County Curriculum, is relevant to students, contains factual and objective content that takes into consideration the accurate portrayal of the state’s broad racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural diversity without bias or indoctrination, is in accordance with state standards including all content being free of prohibited pornography, obscenity, and sexual conduct in accordance with Florida Statute 1006.28, and that can be delivered in an age- appropriate manner.

B. Submit a "Guest Speaker Approval" form along with a synopsis of the speaker’s bio and the material to be presented to the designated school administrator for review and approval.

III. Upon receipt of a Guest Speaker Approval form, the school administrator shall review the form, speaker bio, and synopsis of the material that the speaker will present and evaluate it for compliance with the criteria listed in II.A., above; relevant state statutes, appropriate School Board Policy, and academic standards; and FAC 6A-1.094124.

A. If the school administrator has concerns about the speaker or material to be presented, the school administrator shall consult and obtain pre-approval from their assigned District level administrator.

B. The school administrator shall only approve the speaker once he or she has determined that the material to be presented complies with the criteria outlined in III., above, has satisfied the Health and Safety Curriculum Committee screening process, when necessary, and has been approved by OCI. Thereafter the school administrator shall notify the teacher of the speaker’s approval. Upon receipt of approval from the school administrator but prior to the speaker’s presentation, the teacher shall:

C. Meet with the speaker to discuss expectations for the appropriate presentation of materials in conformance with district and state standards.

D. Provide advance notice to parents of the name of the speaker, the proposed content of the presentation, and the date and time of the presentation.

IV. Parent/guardians who question the appropriateness of the qualifications of a guest speaker and/or the content of the presentation may register their concern with the teacher who shall discuss the concerns with the designated school administrator.

If the parent’s/guardian’s concern is not resolved, the parent/guardian may opt their child out of the presentation and the teacher shall find a suitable replacement assignment for the student to complete in another area of the school’s campus during the presentation.

V. This policy does not apply to Student Clubs and Organizations. Policy 4.50 outlines the requirements for those organizations.