Florida to start choosing social studies textbooks for next school year

Tampa, Fla. (WFLA) – After a craze focusing on rejected math textbooks, Florida officials are now turning their attention to social studies.

The state is currently in the process of adopting new social studies textbooks, which will be available for use in the 2023 school year.

State guidelines have come under scrutiny in recent weeks with the rejection of several Florida math textbooks.

In particular, the guidelines for social studies textbook publishers outline a number of prohibited topics:

Much of the attention has focused on Critical Race Theory, but more textbooks have been flagged to use topics such as “social justice” and “social and emotional learning.” .

Last month, Rep. Jackie Toledo, R-Tampa, said topics such as Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) should not be taught in math and science, but did not respond when asked if the components were relevant. should be banned from teaching other subjects or not.

Representative Fla, Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, said eliminating topics like these robs children of the opportunity to empathize with others.

“Because yes, we had really terrible things like slavery and Japanese internment camps, but we also had many coalitions of Americans working and fighting together for the law,” says Driskell. fairer and more equal law.”