Under the direction of Florida Citizens Alliance, I volunteered to be the Project Leader for the Social Studies Textbook Adoption Review. In this capacity, I have been able to utilize my experience in the field of education as a teacher and administrator, as well as my involvement with Florida Citizens Alliance and the Lee County School District. It is my passion to make sure that our children are protected and receive the best education possible.
This was the time of year when textbook publishers submitted to the Florida State Department of Education the textbooks that they wished to be considered for adoption by the 67 counties in Florida. This year, it was the Social Studies books that are being reviewed for adoption. This is a critically important process because keeping in line with Governor Ron DeSantis’ goals and the Florida State Statutes, we want to make sure that textbooks that contain critical race theory and social-emotional learning do not end up in the hands of our children.
You will be impressed to learn that there are 90 reviewers who are reviewing 50 textbooks, and these reviewers come from all areas in the State of Florida. There are so many grassroots organizations that are now involved in making sure that our children receive the education that they deserve, and when Florida Citizens Alliance requested reviewers these organizations reached out to their constituents. As a result, we have numerous individuals who were willing to give their time to review these textbooks.
Our goal is to recommend that the State Education Department remove textbooks that violate statutes. There is still much work to do on the part of everyday citizens to be the eyes and ears that our communities and state needs. I am happy to report that it is obvious that individuals across the State of Florida are involved in maintaining our God-given, constitutional freedoms.
