Florida lt. gov. on officials rejecting CRT-laced textbooks: 'Parents should be breathing a sigh of relief'
Florida rejects 41% of math textbooks for including critical race theory, most aimed at K-5 students
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez said Monday parents "should be breathing a sigh of relief" after officials rejected public school textbooks for including critical race theory.
"What a novel concept to make sure kids aren’t indoctrinated. This was a very transparent and open process," Nunez told "Fox & Friends."
"It was done by the Department of Education with lots of individuals that are former teachers and administrators. Reviewing textbooks to make sure they did not have these types of philosophies and ideologies that are harmful to our children."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FLORIDA REJECTS 41% OF MATH TEXTBOOKS FOR INCLUDING CRT, MOST AIMED AT K-5 STUDENTS: 'IMPERMISSIBLE'
In this photo from Feb. 24, 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks at the 2022 CPAC conference at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Florida's Department of Education (DOE) rejected 41% of mathematics textbooks submitted for use in the state's public schools Friday, citing critical race theory and other issues with the texts.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has led a push to reform education standards and practices in the state. Florida called for textbook submissions from publishers in 2021 in accordance with a 2019 executive order from DeSantis aimed at eliminating Common Core standards in the state. The textbooks rejected "were impermissible with either Florida’s new standards or contained prohibited topics."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 41% rejection rate was the highest in Florida's history.
"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," DeSantis said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "I’m grateful that Commissioner Corcoran and his team at the Department have conducted such a thorough vetting of these textbooks to ensure they comply with the law."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nunez said those textbook publishers have an opportunity to fix their content.
"My belief is that they probably will have to move on," Nunez said.
"All grades have at least one high-quality curriculum that will align with our standards. The state standard said we want to make sure our kids can learn. Be free from indoctrination. I think parents should breathe a sigh of relief today."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.