The State Board of Education is set to vote next week on a proposal that would place strict guidelines on the way U.S. history is taught in public schools, but opponents argue the measure threatens to obscure the realities of historical events as part of a “culture war.”
The proposed rule would mandate that teachers “may not define American history as something other than the creation of a new nation based largely on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence.”
It also would require that teachers facilitating discussions couldn’t “share their personal views or attempt to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view” that is inconsistent with state standards.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran have touted the proposed rule, billing it as a way to combat “critical race theory” in classrooms. Critical race theory is based on the premise that racism is embedded within American society and institutions.
“The Florida Board of Education is meeting, and they are addressing this,” DeSantis said last month during an appearance in Pensacola. “It’s offensive to the taxpayer that they would be asked to fund critical race theory, that they would be asked to fund teaching kids to hate their country and to hate each other.”
Corcoran, at a recent speaking engagement at private Hillsdale College in Michigan, told a crowd that “you have to police” teachers “on a daily basis” to ensure ideas like critical race theory aren’t taught to students.
The Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, opposes the rule. Union President Andrew Spar said in a statement last week that Florida students deserve the “truest and most inclusive picture of their world and our shared history.”
Christopher Weinrich, a teacher for 25 years who heads the Social Studies Department at Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, told The News Service of Florida that the proposal could lead to “inferior” history instruction.
“If you are looking at the early 1800s in American history, and a teacher is afraid to broach the subject of racism, does that mean they are going to then shy away from discussing slavery?” Weinrich said.
One of the courses Weinrich teaches is called “Global Perspectives,” with an objective to teach students to consider issues from multiple viewpoints. He said “inevitably” in class discussions, students will ask for his opinion — and as a teacher, he knows how to use it as a teachable moment.
“All students know that teachers have opinions. What some teachers will do is simply turn it around and say, ‘It’s really not important what I think, rather, what do you think?’ And then, ‘What’s the counter-argument to what this person just said?’ And, you know, you can facilitate discussion in that way,” Weinrich said.
Imposing a rule that Weinrich described as “limiting” could compromise the basis for teaching social studies, he said.
“That’s really the point of studying history and these other social sciences, is that as human beings, we need to come to conclusions about the world around us. And if there are subjects that are taboo, or if there are ways of thinking that are forbidden, we’re not getting the full picture. I believe that is very dangerous, as a society, for us to ignore one or more aspects of looking at an issue,” Weinrich added.
The proposal also has drawn criticism from Democratic state lawmakers.
“I think they were smart not to try to put it into statute, because they would have been roundly ridiculed if it had to go through the legislative process. And the flaws of this idea would pretty much be laid completely bare,” House Minority Co-leader Evan Jenne, D-Dania Beach, said. “So I understand why they want to do this through rule.”
Jenne told the News Service that he hasn’t “seen anything credible that there is large-scale indoctrination” in any Florida schools, from conservative or liberal points of view.
“This idea of indoctrination, it just plays all into the culture wars that are continually being pressed in Tallahassee,” Jenne said.
The State Board of Education is scheduled to meet June 10 at Florida State College at Jacksonville. The proposed rule would be adopted if the board, made up primarily of DeSantis appointees, votes to approve it.
The Florida Department of Education defended the proposed rule in an email to the News Service last week, describing it as “straightforward and populated by widely accepted universal principles of the Socratic method and quality educational processes.”
“It is important to understand that Florida schools are a place that students are taught how to think, not what to think, and discuss the founding principles of our nation, not disseminate propaganda,” the department wrote.
The department also wrote that the proposal “creates a logical means for … great teachers to defend their actions if ever falsely accused.”
–Ryan Dailey, News Service of Florida
Rick G says
I love when these “small government” politicians don’t mind expanding government control over the classroom or women’s bodies.
Deirdre Rutledge says
Fahrenheit 451 is a Ray Bradbury novel about a “fireman” who burns books rather than saves them, as a means to keep society illiterate and complacent. It’s clear politicians like DeSantis will do whatever it takes to hide the truth of our nations history, yet have the nerve to say we don’t have a problem with systemic racism. He epitomizes Fahrenheit 451.
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”–George Santayana
Not a Teacher says
“You have to police teachers on a daily basis”??? You have that wrong. You have to police politicians on a daily basis and their appointees like Corcoran. This political bullshit pretending to solve a problem that does not exist here in Florida.
joe says
Yes…same with the local mask regulations that Republican DeSantis overruled by Executive Order. I’m old enough to remember decades of rhetoric from Republicans about “the government closest to the people governs best”, how they don’t want to be ruled from a “far-off government in Washington”, or wherever. And of course, that golden oldie “State’s rights”… isn’t it becoming obvious that the whole scam is just about keeping power by any means necessary – see January 6 and the ongoing coverup-, cutting taxes for the rich and corporations, shredding any sense of a social safety net? Hopefully, enough people are waking up – if the fact that a nationwide attempt to limit access to voting under the bullshit guises of “election integrity” and “ballot security” aren’t enough, we are in trouble.
Sheila Zinkerman says
Historians are given the daunting task of keeping recorded history on the rails since history evolves based on new discoveries and critical thought by experts in their fields. The proposed rule “will cut the mike” of teachers throughout Florida resulting in students being less informed and uninspired to dig deep into a given subject. Furthermore, DeSantis’s belief that teaching critical race theory will result in kids hating their country and hating other kids is absurd. Give our kids some credit. Information is at their fingertips.
This veteran’s speech shows what will happen in our schools if DeSantis “cuts the mike” of our teachers. Like the Memorial Day crowd, our kids will move in closer.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/veteran-memorial-day-speech-muted_n_60b8af01e4b0169ca97198f9
MikeM says
Teach historical facts and not historical opinions. CRT is a theory not a fact. It is someone’s opinion. It has no place in grade school or high school.
MikeC says
Another BIG LIE by those frantically doing everything they can to maintain their privileged power status, terrified that the fantasy of America The Beautiful is fast slipping away. Truth is Truth. Nothing to be afraid of, unless your life is a lie. They may get what they want right now, but be assured they are NOT the future of society.
Nip Protocol says
You’ve got it backwards. Teaching kids that white people are responsible for all of the worlds woes is only going to make things worse. Also, it’s not conservatives who are doing the censoring. That’s why most liberals say they feel like they can not speak openly around their woke friends for fear that they’ll be ostracized. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THIS COUNTRY HAD SLAVERY! NOBODY IS HIDING THAT FACT! What they are teaching in schools now is reprehensible, and is why we are having so many issues right now. We’re no longer teaching children. We’re indoctrinating activists for a cult lie agenda.
Sheila Zinkerman says
Opinions are often interlaced with historical facts in textbooks and students must learn how to distinguish between the two. These analytical skills are critical to their learning experience, especially during these uncertain times where we find ourselves fact checking the fact checkers. Imagine a student-teacher classroom discussion on any subject void of identifiable opinions. Shush!
MikeC says
Yes, everyone knows “this country had slavery”, but not everyone knows the horrific details, and the racist policies of states and the US Government that has systematically held black people back for 400 years. Not everyone understands the thread that connects the past of Jim Crow to today’s red state voter suppression laws, and the culture wars fueled by the barely concealed longing for a yesteryear where the white man ruled unambiguously and everyone else knew their place. But, hey, save your dixie cups, the South may rise again!
Tim Mcauliffe says
God Bless William T Sherman
Kathryn says
I knew you were my favorite teacher.