A.G. Gancarski
The Florida Education Association reiterated opposition to an expected ban of critical race theory, urging “some respect” from the Board of Education for teachers in an email blast Tuesday.
While neither the press release nor the rule change uses the loaded phrase “critical race theory,” the debate and the larger issues regarding education and free speech in the state are at the forefront of what otherwise might be a forgettable board meeting on the road.
On Thursday, the State Board of Education will meet in Jacksonville to vote on a proposal that attacks critical race theory and other deconstructions of traditional civics curricula.
The proposal will ban defining American history as “something other than the creation of a new nation based largely on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence.” Teachers will also be forbidden to “share their personal views or attempt to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view.”
The union, for what could be the final time before Thursday’s vote, memorialized its objections, asserting the change “appears to have a political rather than educational motive.”
Among some suggestions for rewording the rule was a plea to remove the word “indoctrinate.” The goal, the union said, is to be “factual and objective.”
“Students deserve the best education we can provide, and that means giving them a true picture of their world and our shared history as Americans. Hiding facts doesn’t change them. Give kids the whole truth and equip them to make up their own minds and think for themselves,” said FEA President Andrew Spar.
“If giving students a good education is the goal, the rule could be amended to say in part: ‘Instruction on the required topics must be factual and objective, and may not suppress or distort significant historical events, such as the Holocaust, slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow.’”
The FEA seeks an expansion of acceptable topics for exploration beyond those listed in the proposed rule.
“Identifying the Holocaust as the only listed example of a ‘significant historical event’ omits important areas for instruction and discussion that are specifically included in the statute this rule addresses. Recent events have shown us that each of these events has the potential for distortion and mischaracterization, and each should be given special mention in this rule,” the FEA urges the board.
The union position comes when DeSantis, with a 2022 reelection ahead, is vowing to ensure that the ideology of schools tracks with the larger political culture of the state.
“Next week, I have my Commissioner of Education going to the Board of Education banning it … banning any departure from accurate history and following our standards. This is something we’ve got to stay on the forefront of,” DeSantis said on Fox News last weekend.
On Saturday night’s “Unfiltered with Dan Bongino,” DeSantis vowed to turn his “political apparatus” against Republican school board candidates who oppose his educational reforms.
“We’re not going to support any Republican candidate for school board who supports critical race theory in all 67 counties or supports mandatory masking of school children,” DeSantis told Bongino.
School board races in Florida are nonpartisan.
“Local elections matter. We are going to get the Florida political apparatus involved so we can make sure there’s not a single school board member who supports critical race theory,” DeSantis added.
27 comments
Charles
June 8, 2021 at 1:44 pm
Teachers Unions are a top problem in America. They are self serving, greedy, and care only about themselves– total zeros for the children. We need to promote Charter and make public schools obsolete. Teachers Unions have failed American kids and are evil.
Lee
June 8, 2021 at 6:06 pm
This is so true. The Union promotes leftist indoctrinators and is dismissive toward actual teachers. They are more interested in turning kids into savage leftist haters who don’t know what gender they are than in teaching math and history!
FDCole
June 10, 2021 at 6:54 pm
Why Charles, are you afraid of education? What specific problem does public education present that charter and private prevents?
Ron Ogden
June 8, 2021 at 2:46 pm
“. . . may not suppress or distort significant historical events. . .” nor may it shine a purple light on them, use them as weapons in political battles (for political battles should not be fought in public classrooms), offer them as evidence in support of a particular social theory, or allow them to stand alone as if they were the sole events.
Fdcole
June 10, 2021 at 6:58 pm
Ron, I was born in the 50’s and found many untruths in my American History. What should we do about that?
zhombre
June 8, 2021 at 4:24 pm
Florida Education Association = Democrats
Lee
June 8, 2021 at 6:08 pm
Democrats=communists
martin
June 8, 2021 at 4:44 pm
For over 50 years we have dumped untold amounts of money into public education. The results; our children still can’t read, write, or perform basic math at their grade level. The rest of the world is eating us for lunch in science and engineering.
However, or “great educators” are sailing full steam ahead in seeing that our kids are taught that we are a racist nation by definition. Our great educators are holding debate after debate in regards to what rest rooms to use.
Our great educators have allowing our public school system to devolve into a cesspool of waste and union greed.
The Florida Education Association..aka. Teachers Union deserves no respect.
Tom Palmer
June 8, 2021 at 5:47 pm
Let;’s ignore history. It’s fake news anyway.
James R. Miles
June 8, 2021 at 6:58 pm
That’s the GOP mantra! That way, history can repeat itself!
zhombre
June 9, 2021 at 7:57 am
What lab did you two imbeciles leak out of?
James R. Miles
June 10, 2021 at 9:22 am
It’s called an opinion, you fascist idiot and everyone has a right to one even a zombie like you!
Zhombre
June 10, 2021 at 8:34 pm
LOL 😂 you haven’t told me which lab
Rob
June 8, 2021 at 6:57 pm
The fact that teachers unions in America still have the balls to come out and criticize anything is astounding. They have destroyed their own reputations.
Sharon
June 8, 2021 at 7:35 pm
If the teachers want to teach history they can first tell them that the Democrats owned the slaves and also were in the KKK.
If the teachers teach CRT then the tax payers ought to not pay for schools in their taxes!
George
June 9, 2021 at 9:33 am
I hope everyone celebrating this ban realizes that the chickens will come home to roost. When a Democrat wins the governors race again in the future, they will also ban subjects that they do not like. They will use the precident set by DeSantis saying that the gop banned subjects and they are only following the lead of the gop. Any party that has to resort to banning subjects has already lost the fight and only seeks government censorship as a means to delay the inevitable.
Ron Ogden
June 9, 2021 at 12:42 pm
If you so blithely assume that when (if!) Democrats regain power they will ban things they do not like, how can you complain when Republicans in power. . .ban the things they do not like? I mean–equality right? Please do not say that the stuff you want banned should be banned and the stuff I want banned should not be banned because if you do you will start to sound like the late George Carlin.
George
June 9, 2021 at 2:59 pm
Reading comprehension is not your strong point is it Ron? Perhaps I should use simpler words for you to understand.
Neither side should be banning anything period. It is wrong when the gop does it and it is wrong when the dems do it. My point was that dems will use this banning as a precident for them to ban what they do not like. Their rationale will be that they are simply following the lead of the gop. And yes, one day there will be a dem governor again. Might not be in 22 or 26 or even 30 but it will happen again.
Let me repeat what I fist posted for the intellectually challenged like Ron: Any party that has to resort to banning subjects has already lost the fight and only seeks government censorship as a means to delay the inevitable.
April
June 9, 2021 at 4:44 pm
Critical Race Theory is not “history”
I urge you, George, to read it.
Telling a kid he is an oppressor or a victim because of the color of his skin, something he can do nothing about, is horrible. There are Democrats who want CRT banned as well. CRT is and will be damaging to kids. The fact you can claim it is only Republicans speaking against CRT is false
April
June 9, 2021 at 4:47 pm
This isn’t political, George. Parents all over the country are demanding CRT be banned and it has nothing to do with politics. Just last night in my town parents jammed a school board meeting speaking against CRT. Politics was never mentioned. This is about politicizing education and it is wrong
George
June 9, 2021 at 5:55 pm
Can you tell me what classrooms in Florida crt was being taught in last school year?
You say it has nothing to do with politics but then you contradict yourself when you say “Politics was never mentioned. This is about politicizing education and it is wrong.”
It can not be both ways. If it is politicizing education then it is absolutely political. You can’t have the politicizing of education with out politics. Politics is literally the root word for politicizing.
I do not see any examples of crt being taught in k-12 classrooms in this state. Can you please show me the example of where it is currently being taught in k-12 classrooms in Florida?
Tom
June 10, 2021 at 7:50 am
Right George, Yale & Harvard educated Gov Ron is. Just because he disagrees with your narrative that he’s not buying that politicization you disagree. Typical elitism by you.
Zhombre
June 10, 2021 at 9:06 am
Yes, by George, what a supercilious snob!
George
June 10, 2021 at 10:57 pm
The issue of politicization was in reply to what April said. That was her quote I was referencing not the Governors. Try to keep up Tom though reading comprehension does not seem to be your strong point. Put a little effort onto grammar and sentence structure. If you want to call me an elitist because I have an education that’s fine. I suppose that entitles me to call you a moronic simpleton who is unable to compose a complete sentence.
George
June 10, 2021 at 10:59 pm
By George I think you’ve got it zhombre!
Tom
June 13, 2021 at 9:09 am
Oh ok Mr. George.
Talk down to someone when you can’t defend your empty position and or not properly clarify who or what you are referencing.
Spare me with your insults. Your supposed education means nothing.
Tom
June 14, 2021 at 5:57 am
Right trained historian George, LMAO.
I defined what that means in earlier reply on 6-13. Enjoy
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