Do textbook selection committees read the books before giving them their stamp of approval? Apparently, they do in Florida. They tossed out fifty-four math books as unacceptable. Let’s take a look at their reasons for denying acceptance.
Because they had so many requests from people wanting to know what was wrong with the math books, the Florida Department of Education put a couple of examples online.
The first, I suppose, teaches bar graphs. There is a lot to be said for the visualization of information, and bar graphs are important. Because they are used frequently, there are myriad examples that could be used. For this lesson, the writer(s) chose to use racial bigotry: which ages and which political affiliations are most prejudiced. I don’t know if the graphs are an accurate reflection of America’s racial prejudice, but I can see that a student might look at that and assume their conservative grandparents were racists. Whether or not the figures are accurate, is this an appropriate consideration to leave in your kids’ heads? Couldn’t they find something more appropriate to children’s lives?
The second example shown is titled “Adding and Subtracting Polynomials.” Again, race enters the picture. It reads, “What? Me? Racist? More than 2 million people have tested their racial prejudice using an online version of the Implicit Association Test.”
WFLA News Channel 8 Website provides a breakdown of the number of books rejected and the reasons for rejection:
- 78 of 132 total submitted textbooks are being included on the state’s adopted list.
- 28 (21 percent) are not included on the adopted list because they incorporate prohibited topics or unsolicited strategies, including CRT.
- 12 (9 percent) are not included on the adopted list because they do not properly align to [Florida’s] B.E.S.T. [Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking] Standards.
- 14 (11 percent) are not included on the adopted list because they do not properly align to B.E.S.T. Standards and incorporate prohibited topics or unsolicited strategies, including CRT.
- Grades K-5: 71 percent of materials were rejected.
- Grades 6-8: 20 percent of materials were rejected.
- Grades 9-12: 35 percent of materials were rejected.
MSN reported that “In addition to references to CRT, the books were rejected for inclusions of Common Core and the unsolicited addition of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in mathematics, according to the department.” The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) stated,
It is also important to remember that publishers may appeal any non-adoption decision and substitute or revise their submitted bids to be included on the state’s adopted list, if the substitution or revision of submitted instructional materials meets the bid specifications and aligns with Florida’s B.E.S.T. standards.
Is your state in the process of reviewing the textbooks to be purchased? You can see the list of the math books Florida rejected along with the publishers and compare it to your state’s selections.
I suggest that you read chapter 9 in my book Who’s Got Dibs on Your Kids? where I cover how systematically kids’ minds are being manipulated. Make certain the people reviewing all textbooks in your state are those you would want directing your student’s mind.
You may also have noticed kids being permitted to rally, demonstrate, and march in protests during class time. The question often was heard, “Why aren’t those kids in class learning reading, writing, and math?” The information in textbooks and the protests are all part of the same plan. In Mark R. Levin’s book, American Marxism, he quotes the late professor Jean Anyon, who promoted “Marxist or Marxist-related indoctrination.” She said:
Re-imaging economic change, institutions, and cultural forms as potentially oppositional does not by itself bring social change. And developing “critical consciousness” in people through information, readings, and discussion does not by itself induce them to participate in transgressive politics—although it provides a crucial base of understanding. To activate people to create or join a social movement, it is important to actually involve them in protest activity of some kind. . . . One develops a political identity and commitment—a change in consciousness—from talking, walking, marching, singing, attempting to vote, “sitting in” or otherwise demonstrating with others.
By setting up situations in the school experience that allow practice of, and assisting students to acquire skill with, public, political contention, we legitimize this work and develop students’ predisposition to engage in it. (Emphasis added.)
Levin goes on to quote John M. Ellis, another professor: “It is safe to say that self-identified Marxists are no more than a tiny fraction of the general public of the United States, which means that there is a huge discrepancy between this very small group in the population and the very large one found among social science professors.” Levin says, “[t]his helps explain why [some] push for free college and the cancellation of student loans. The more young people who are processed through America’s colleges and universities, the greater the chance for their revolution.”
It is important to know your school district’s standards, the methods of teaching, and the actual instruction given your children.