36 Comments
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Joseph Mangano's avatar

That DeSantis and his ilk would consider being respectful of the views of others a form of indoctrinating our children tells you a lot about the Republican Party at large.

Susan Beals's avatar

I still say follow the money. Which publishing companies gain from these bans and which ones lose? And who are they affiliated with?

Kate McMullan's avatar

Your reveal about 'race' in one of the text books is a perfect encapsulation of what's going on here. It's all part of the effort to kill public schools.

Greg Kapphahn's avatar

The sad reality of this authoritarian, anti-education exercise in totalitarianism by Dear Leader Desantis has at least four elements:

1) How much money do Desantis and/or his largest campaign contributors stand to make by supplying "approved" textbooks as substitutes for those previously used?

2) Since with "conservatives" every accusation is an admission of guilt, it's clear that Desantis', et al's, problem with these textbooks is not that they are trying to "indoctrinate" students, but that that they encourage students to think outside the box and interfere with the white supremacist, xtian nationalist, indoctrination that Desantis and his cronies want the schools to maintain.

3) The phrase "prohibited topics" comes right out of the playbook of authoritarian regimes throughout the world (Russia, North Korea, and China come to mind): since when have we in AMERICA had "prohibited topics" than cannot be discussed?

and 4) I strongly suspect Desantis and his cronies would fail any class that involved higher mathematical principles, therefore they are offended that such books even exist since they make them feel stupid (which they likely are, at least in the functional sense)?

Clearly Florida schools and teachers must now answer to Desanits' "ministry of truth" and students MUST now be taught that up is down, right is left, 2+2 = whatever the "ministry" wants it to equal, and GOOD (as in "the golden rule"), as it was defined for millennia, must now be portrayed as subversive and EVIL.

JerryBier's avatar

What the ____ is wrong with these people? I have a guess, the Repukes don’t want an informed, intelligent and rational populace because they learn facts and are too difficult to brainwash.

Ian Mark Sirota's avatar

The Republicans now stand for nothing more than outrage politics. They have no new ideas, no policies of their (other than making sure that abortion is completely inaccessible to women but guns are completely accessible to everyone). Ron DeathSantis is the perfect cypher for this new breed of Republican.

Carsten Schmidt's avatar

I think those books were rejected because not all the kids depicted in the graphics were white.

AB's avatar

Anyone with children in Florida should run screaming. DeSantis is terrifying and just spreads hate. I wonder if the textbook companies who publish the books he's banning support diversity and LGBTQ people, or employ some non white men - maybe that's why he's banning them? Hard to think of anyone I despise more.

Vista's avatar

But are they? I haven’t read anything saying that parents are resisting or fighting back against this kind of bigotry and stupidity. Maybe it’s there I just haven’t seen it. Surely there are letters to the editor, Twitter threads something speaking out against these stupid idiologs.

Gloria Kunik's avatar

I have said this over and over. If the parents aren’t arguing against this, then there is no argument regardless of what others say or do. Greg Sargent aka @ThePlumLine shared a WaPo piece a few days ago about the possibility of parents speaking out in legal action. That was the first I’d heard of any organized outrage.

Frederick Lucies's avatar

What is a bully? One who is full of fear and who protects himself from fear by castigating anything he doesn't like. viz DeSantis - and he has scared all the repubs in the FL legislature by his intransigence.

Stoltzfus Esther's avatar

With Desantis you always follow the money. In Florida it is a pay to play administration. He is a horrid little man and Has surrounded himself with thugs and mean spirited power hungry people.

Marg KJ's avatar

This monster, like most rePUGliCONs want the peon’s who are poor to be stupid! Well guess what he can go to ——. As a white woman I will teach all I can about the truth. And share Popular!

Sean's avatar

I love how Florida is just creating a generation of "Florida Men"

Sean Dowd, CPA's avatar

Someone needs to educate this governor about hills and the propensity to become deceased on them. Not everyone can be Donald Trump.

Incidentally, kids can engage through Social Emotional Learning frameworks now or they can engage later with another framework known commonly as Soft Skills Training.

I’m a fan of Stephen Covey and “7 habits of Highly Effective People.” Because he was a Mormon may draw controversy, but working together is something that is largely missing in today’s culture.

Those who can do it will win, those who can’t won’t.

Frank Lee's avatar

"CRT is a graduate-level academic framework which explores how "laws, policies, and procedures that function to produce racial inequality."

No, it is not. Critical Theory in all forms is completely fake scholarship. It is toxic and destructive postmodernist illiberal hogwash. It has absolutely no place in any K-12 instruction, and any institution of higher learning that has it embedded in other subjects needs to have access to all federal assistance.

James Abrego Garcia's avatar

Talking of hogwash, I took a look at your blog. I won't be subscribing.

Seems you struggle to spell "Jonathan".

bayareascott's avatar

Even his comment was incoherent.

Frank Lee's avatar

Suffer from reading comprehension? Seems so.

You should read "Cynical Theories"... let me know if you need assistance understanding it.

bayareascott's avatar

Liking your own comments is bad form.

Frank Lee's avatar

My God you people are weird.

Leah Jones's avatar

I live in Florida, didn’t vote for Desantis but thought initially he might be ok. He seemed concerned about our environment— the Everglades, oceans, marine life. He has devolved into racism misogyny, homophobia, authoritarianism. Maybe it is about his donors. Thank you for highlighting his most recent display of hatefulness.

Colleen's avatar

I believe this, and what’s happening in TN where I live, is part of a plan that starts with turning parents against public schools. Whether it be about masks & covid, about race, sexuality and gender, or social emotional learning…the subjects may not matter as much.

They are setting up to implement a school choice voucher system where parents can take public school money to private schools.

Governor Lee has always said loud & clear that it’s his priority as Governor. They’re changing education funding in TN to a per child formula.

These people intend to defund public schools, and this is going to help them do it. Its horrifying. I see it happening and I feel powerless to stop it.