Florida is shopping for social-studies textbooks. No social-justice content allowed

As the Florida Department of Education seeks proposals from textbook companies to provide socialstudies materials to schools, it is making clear that concepts such as critical race theory and social justice should not be included.

The department is accepting bids from companies through June 10 to provide social-studies books for a five-year period starting in 2023. The department posted to its website a 29-page document that lists criteria for what is expected to be included in the books — and what’s expected to be left out.

“Critical race theory, social justice, culturally responsive teaching, social and emotional learning, and any other unsolicited theories that may lead to student indoctrination are prohibited,” part of the document said, citing state education standards.

The criteria emphasize a requirement that all materials align with the state’s Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking standards, which were adopted by the state in 2019. Those standards came after Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order to eliminate vestiges of politically unpopular Common Core standards.

Companies vying to provide social-studies textbooks should “not attempt to indoctrinate or persuade students to a viewpoint inconsistent with Florida standards,” the guidelines say.

The State Board of Education last summer approved a rule that placed restrictions on the way history can be taught in public schools, a move that DeSantis billed as a way to combat critical race theory.

Critical race theory, which is based on the premise that racism is embedded in American institutions, has been a target of DeSantis and other Republicans across the country. DeSantis last month signed a bill (HB 7) that will limit the way race-related issues can be taught in schools and in workplace training. That law also serves as a basis for the state’s prohibition on critical race theory, often referred to as CRT.

“We’re working to make sure that the purpose of the school system is to educate our kids, not to indoctrinate our kids. And that’s what parents want to see. So, we are doing more than anybody on education across the board,” DeSantis said during an event Wednesday in Crestview.

The social-studies textbook guidelines quote the state law and list what are described as “potential CRT components,” such as the concept that a person “bears responsibility for, or should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment because of, actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, sex, or national origin.”

The textbook criteria also explicitly bar social-studies materials that would teach the concept of social justice.

“Social justice is closely aligned to CRT,” the document said.