The Florida Board of Education approved a new rule on Thursday supported by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that effectively bans critical race theory in K-12 public education.
“The woke class wants to teach kids to hate each other, rather than teaching them how to read, but we will not let them bring nonsense ideology into Florida’s schools,” DeSantis said in a news release on Thursday.
“As the Governor of Florida, I love this state, and I love my country. I find it unthinkable that there are other people in positions of leadership in the federal government who believe that we should teach kids to hate our country. We will not stand for it here in Florida.
“I’m proud that we are taking action today to ensure our state continues to have the greatest educational system in the nation,” DeSantis added.
The governor also tweeted on Thursday, “Florida’s education system exists to create opportunity for our children.”
DeSantis added, “Critical Race Theory teaches kids to hate our country and to hate each other. It is state-sanctioned racism and has no place in Florida schools.”
Florida’s education system exists to create opportunity for our children. Critical Race Theory teaches kids to hate our country and to hate each other. It is state-sanctioned racism and has no place in Florida schools. pic.twitter.com/ludv7ARgNP
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) June 10, 2021
His full remarks were delivered to the Florida Board of Education prior to its vote.
According to the new rule, “Instruction on the required topics must be factual and objective, and may not suppress or distort significant historical events, such as the Holocaust, and may not define American history as something other than the creation of a new nation based largely on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence.”
Watch Live: State Board of Education on the importance of keeping Critical Race Theory out of our schools.https://t.co/JgexNXmWrO
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) June 10, 2021
The governor’s news release noted several examples of critical race theory being implemented in Florida.
It stated, “Palm Beach County School Board approved a new ‘Equity Definition’ and ‘Equity Statement’ on May 5, 2021, which reads in part: ‘The School District of Palm Beach County is committed to dismantling structures rooted in white advantage.’”
The release also said, “In Jacksonville, a school planned to hold two school cultural meetings in which students would be separated based on race.”
DeSantis has been a strong supporter of Florida teachers in 2021. In May, the governor announced the state would be sending $1,000 bonuses to teachers and principals.
DeSantis announced the bonuses during an event at Baker County Middle School in Macclenny, thanking teachers and administrators for their dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re proud that we got the bonuses through,” DeSantis said, according to WFLX-TV. “We understand that it was a unique set of circumstances that many of our schools had to do.”
Schools in Florida are open, and we’re saying thank you to our hard-working teachers in the classroom by giving them $1,000 bonuses and raises. #180Days #OpenSchools
Watch live: https://t.co/fXlYaNB77a
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 26, 2021
“Schools in Florida are open, and we’re saying thank you to our hard-working teachers in the classroom by giving them $1,000 bonuses and raises,” the governor tweeted.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.