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Florida education officials have rejected dozens of social studies textbooks regarding US History, the Holocaust, and more. One Hillsborough County school board member fears what this means for the future of K-12 education.
According to a press release from the Florida Department of Education, it rejected about 35% of submitted materials. Among the approved materials, many were accepted only after heavy revisions. Some of the revisions got rid of references to the Black Lives Matter movement and social justice.
Hillsborough County School Board member Jessica Vaughn is concerned about what this might mean.
“I’m afraid of what it looks like when leaders in the government try to rewrite or limit student’s access to history”
She ran for school board in 2020 because she believed the education system was heading in the wrong direction. With these recent book rejections, she is still worried.
“When, you know, people don’t actually understand the history of our country, or Civil Rights movement, or, you know, challenges that marginalized communities face intentionally, we can’t really talk about equity, and equality, and the basics that are in our constitution – liberty, freedom – if we don’t understand our history to rectify it.”
Vaughn encourages parents to use public libraries and online resources to fill the gap.
“Don’t be afraid to jump in and teach your kids anything that they might be missing within our school system.”
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