According to a post on www.msn.com, Florida has rejected 54 of the 132 math books submitted for use as part of the state’s 2022-23 curriculum, a move praised by Gov. Ron DeSantis for identifying references to critical race theory, Common Core, and social emotional learning. The Florida Department of Education announced Friday that the majority of the rejected math books were for grades K-5. “Despite rejecting 41 percent of materials submitted, every core mathematics course and grade is covered with at least one textbook,” the Department of Education said.
The ingenious and insidious creation of ‘race essentialism’ is woven into some math books! The msn.com post continued: “It seems that some publishers attempted to slap a coat of paint on an old house built on the foundation of Common Core, and indoctrinating concepts like race essentialism, especially, bizarrely, for elementary school students,” DeSantis said. “I’m grateful that Commissioner Corcoran and his team at the Department have conducted such a thorough vetting of these textbooks to ensure they comply with the law.”
In 2019, DeSantis issued an executive order calling for the elimination of Common Core, certain standards for math and English, from Florida’s school textbooks and instructional materials. In 2021, the Department of Education informed publishers that textbooks must align to state standards and avoid references to “unsolicited strategies, such as social-emotional learning and culturally responsive teaching.”
“It is unfortunate that several publishers, especially at the elementary school grade levels, have ignored this clear communication and have attempted to slip rebranded instructional materials based on Common Core Standards into Florida’s classrooms, while others have included prohibited and divisive concepts such as the tenants of CRT or other unsolicited strategies of indoctrination — despite FDOE’s prior notification,” the Department of Education said.
Publishers have the opportunity to appeal the rejections along with revising their submitted textbook bids.
