Randi Weingarten criticizes Florida’s history curriculum as harmful to children.
American Federation of Teachers President Criticizes Florida’s History Curriculum
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has strongly criticized Florida’s history curriculum, arguing that the updated syllabus will be “terrible for kids.”
Weingarten specifically takes issue with a part of the state curriculum that instructs teachers to include lessons on how “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” This move has sparked controversy, with black advocacy groups and other organizations accusing Governor Ron DeSantis and his administration of sanitizing the teaching of black history.
Understanding Our History: The Good and the Bad
“The political changes that have happened in several of these states will be terrible for kids,” Weingarten expressed during an appearance on NewsNation. “Not just for kids of the indigenous nation, not just for kids who are black and brown. It will be terrible for all kids because we need to understand our history, the good and the bad. And frankly, when we understand the bad, it makes the good so much more meaningful.”
Weingarten firmly believes that DeSantis is making these changes to the curriculum for “political reasons” and accuses him of wanting to “sanitize history.” She further asserts that the Florida governor “knows better” and should focus on addressing the significant economic issues within the state.
“But what’s going on now is that they’re using education politically and taking away AP African American studies from the kids who were taking it right then,” Weingarten explained. “They’re almost taking away AP Psych, which is the most popular AP course in Florida. This not only puts their kids at a disadvantage compared to others, but it also severely hampers teaching and learning when you’re constantly questioning what you can say or whom you’re erasing or not erasing.”
Voices of Opposition
The new curriculum on slavery has caught the attention of Vice President Kamala Harris, who denounced the debate over whether or not enslaved people benefited from slavery as ”unnecessary.” While she did not mention DeSantis by name, she referred to Florida’s “extremist” leaders and their efforts to target liberal ideals.
Republican lawmakers, including several presidential candidates, have also criticized Florida’s adjusted curriculum. Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, who is biracial, stated, “Anybody that is implying that there was an upside to slavery is insane.” Similarly, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who is black, firmly stated, “There’s no silver lining in slavery.”
DeSantis Defends Florida’s Education Decisions
Governor DeSantis has defended the state’s decisions on education and pushed back against Harris’s comments in a statement on social media.
“Democrats like Kamala Harris have to lie about Florida’s educational standards to cover for their agenda of indoctrinating students and pushing sexual topics onto children,” the Florida governor wrote. “Florida stands in their way, and we will continue to expose their agenda and their lies.”
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