Florida Balks on Training African-American History Teachers

The Florida state government this week postponed a planned training event for African-American history teachers, according to a new report from The Orlando Sentinel. The move puts an anticipated course in limbo for its 300+ planned attendees. According to a task force who voted to postpone the event, it was necessary to hold off in order to account for the results of the Florida Board of Education’s July vote on new standards for African-American history. The all-Black task force just barely passed the measure, on a slim 6-4 line. Though African-American history is required instructional material in the state of Florida, the manner in which it’s taught has recently come under increased scrutiny in recent months. In January an AP African American Studies course prepared for Florida classrooms was rejected due to a series of topics Governor Ron DeSantis found objectionable, including units on reparations, the modern Black Lives Matter movement, and Black queer studies. Meanwhile, Governor DeSantis is attempting to sell his education priorities on the national stage as he embarks on a run for President of the United States. “Following woke indoctrination in our schools, that is a road to ruin for this country,” he said at a campaign event last year. “And we’re not going to let it happen.”