Desantis scrubs textbooks of ‘propaganda’
RON DESANTIS has had school books in Florida revised to remove “political indoctrination”, including references to socialism and the Black Lives Matter movement.
In one example, a textbook for students aged between 5 and 11 years old told parents to talk to their children “about why some citizens are choosing to ‘Take a Knee’ to protest police brutality and racism”.
This was removed by the state government as it was deemed “not age appropriate”.
Another textbook described socialist economies as keeping “things nice and even and without unnecessary waste” and claimed: “These societies may promote greater equality among people while still providing a fully functioning government-supervised economy.” The Florida Department of Education removed the section, citing concerns it was an “inaccurate description of socialism”.
In Florida, publishers are required to submit textbooks to education officials before they are approved for distribution.
On Tuesday, Florida’s education department announced it had approved 66 social studies textbooks, 47 of which were revised “to ensure materials are free from errors and aligned to Florida Statutes”.
There are still 35 books with outstanding issues that are yet to be approved by the state.
Brian Griffin, Mr Desantis’s press secretary, said: “The political indoctrination of children through the K-12 [Kindergarten to 12th grade] public education system is a very real and prolific problem in this country. Just look at some of these examples from textbooks… All caught & all fixed under [Ron Desantis’s] watch.”
Manny Díaz Jr, Florida’s education commissioner, said: “We must ensure our students and teachers have the highest quality materials available – materials that focus on historical facts and are free from inaccuracies or ideological rhetoric.”
However, the move drew criticism from some.
Adam Laatas, professor of education and history at Binghamton University, said: “The changes announced for Florida’s new list of approved textbooks should be of concern not just to every Floridian, but to every American.
“These changes were not made to fix inaccuracies or correct mistakes. Instead, they are intended to constrict and control what Florida’s children will learn.”