Florida Rejects 54 Math Books Claiming Critical Race Theory 

Florida did not include 54 of the 132 submitted textbooks on the state’s list. This represents a historic rejection of 41% of the books submitted for review.

The Florida Department of Education rejected 54 of the 132 submitted mathematics textbooks for its K-12 curriculum, claiming that they “included references to Critical Race Theory (CRT), inclusions of Common Core, and the unsolicited addition of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in mathematics.” 

This represents a historic rejection of 41% of the books submitted for review. The names of the rejected books were not included.

The highest number of books rejected were for grade levels K-5, where 71% were not aligned with Florida standards or included “prohibited topics and unsolicited strategies,” according to the agency.

“It seems that some publishers attempted to slap a coat of paint on an old house built on the foundation of Common Core, and indoctrinating concepts like race essentialism, especially, bizarrely, for elementary school students,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in the statement.

Some Florida Democrats opposed and questioned the decision. 

“Asked for a list of these MATH books to see what GOP leaders are dramatizing now. I wonder if these math books highlighted statistics of racial disparities & that’s what they don’t like? If those statistics make you uncomfortable maybe do something about it instead of erase them?” Rep. Anna Eskamani wrote on Twitter.

“Apparently CRT is being taught in mathematics in Florida, so the @EducationFL has banned some of the math books. No, this is not 1963, it’s 2022 in the ‘Free State of Florida,'” wrote State Sen. Shevrin Jones.

Since 2020, DeSantis has removed concepts like Common Core, which is a group of national academic targets in reading and math, from the state’s curriculum. They were replaced by the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (BEST), standards also dedicated to reading and math.

In 2021, DeSantis banned the teaching of critical race theory, which he described as “the theory that racism is not merely the product of prejudice, but that racism is embedded in American society and it’s legal systems in order to uphold the supremacy of white person.”