How do you feel about the way Black History will be taught in Florida schools? Tell us here
Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration are changing how students will learn Black history in Florida schools.
On Wednesday, July 19, the Florida Board of Education, whose members were all appointed by DeSantis, approved new academic standards for social studies — a 216-page document that specifies how educators should teach social studies from kindergarten to high school in the state’s public schools.
The move immediately drew criticism, primarily because of two points:
- Under the new direction, middle schoolers will be instructed that enslaved people developed “skills” that could be used for their “personal benefit.” During slavery in the U.S., Black men and women were forced to perform manual labor without pay, were physically and sexually abused with punishments that included rape and whippings, and were denied basic rights like the access to education.
- High school students will be taught about violence perpetrated “by African Americans” when learning about events like the Ocoee and Tulsa Race massacres. The Ocoee massacre took place in the city of Ocoee in Central Florida: After African Americans tried to vote, a white mob murdered them. The Tulsa Race massacre refers to a 1921 incident where white Tulsans attacked a prosperous predominantly black neighborhood in Oklahoma, killing hundreds of residents and burning more than 1,250 homes.
What do you think about this? Please tell us.
You can be a former teacher or a current teacher. You can be a former parent of kids in Florida schools or a current one. You can be a principal, cafeteria worker, bus driver, school district official or another employee of a school. You can be a student or former student.
Whoever you are, we’d love to talk to you.
Why do you think this is happening? What impact will this have on students? How should local school board, educators and parents react?
If you’d like to share your opinion about this issue, please fill out our quick form below about it.
Can’t see the survey? Follow this link to fill it out.
