Florida Rejects Woke Math Textbooks

Progressive Democrats’ efforts to add critical race theory to middle and high school curricula extend even to mathematics, confirms a report from CNN. 

An article published last week includes shocking images from math textbooks that were rejected by Florida education officials for failing to comply with the state’s Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking Standards, including references to prohibited topics critical race theory, social emotional learning, and Common Core.

A total of 54 math textbooks were rejected – including volumes published by industry giants McGraw Hill and Freeman and Worth Publishing Group (the parent company of Macmillan learning). More than 70% of books intended for grade levels K-5 were refused.

“It seems 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,” says Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). 

As you can see in the image above, at least one of the books suggests to students that most people are racist. Additional photos shared by CNN show bar graphs measuring racist attitudes by age and political identification; and of course, conservative individuals 65 and older are labeled most racist.

Images from other rejected books show “SEL Objectives” including, “[to help] students build proficiency with social awareness as they practice with empathizing with classmates.” More detailed content was not available to the public due to copyright laws. 

As explained in a previous article (click here), critical race theory (CRT) is a school of thought based on the misconception that the United States is inherently racist and sexist. CRT defines race as a social construct (not a biological trait) perpetuated by institutions and weaponized by whites to oppress others. 

Supporters believe CRT provides the “oppressors” a better look at the everyday lives of the “oppressed.” In reality, the concept shows students a warped view of reality in which racial significance is attached to everything. CRT can foster intense feelings of guilt among genders and races that are presented as “oppressors” and exacerbate racial and ethnic divisions.

CRT proponent Manny Diaz, a former Miami mayor who chairs the Democratic Party of Florida, went so far as to compare the state’s current leadership to Cuban dictators Castro, Chávez, and Maduro. 

“What Florida politicians are trying to do now is ignore the judgement of professionals and impose their own political views [behind closed doors] on every parent and child in Florida,” said Diaz. “My parents did not escape communism in order to have their children live in another authoritarian government, plain and simple.”

Social emotional learning (SEL) is a teaching method that focuses on students’ emotions in an attempt to improve empathy for others, but has largely functioned as a vehicle by which to introduce CRT, gender identity, and other liberal teachings.

Proponents claim SEL will help students manage their emotions, maintain positive relationships, improve empathy for others, and make responsible decisions. But as detractors have pointed out, it is not a teachers’ job to act as a social worker, therapist, or member of the clergy. 

At the end of the day, notes DeSantis, math should be about equations, not emotions. 

“We don’t want things like math to have, you know, some of these other concepts introduced. It’s not been proven to be effective, and quite frankly, it takes our eye off the ball,” said the Florida Governor. “We’re not going to allow and teach that a person simply by virtue of his or her race, color, national origin, or sex is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive. That’s wrong.”

DeSantis signed a new bill last week that prevents schools and businesses from telling students and staff they “must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress because of actions…committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, sex, or national origin” and from teaching that individuals are inherently privileged or oppressed based on race and/or sex. 

The law takes effect July 1st.

Sources:

Florida releases 4 examples from math textbooks it rejected for public schools 

After weeks of suspense, Florida revels why some math texts are too woke 

REVEALED: The questions in Florida’s 54 banned school math textbooks that have references to Critical Race