An Open Letter on Critical Race Theory to Florida Gov. DeSantis and Comm’r of Education Corcoran

by Keith Flaugh and Pastor Rick Stevens

Thank you, Governor DeSantis and Commissioner Corcoran, for your bold and courageous leadership. Your determination to protect Florida’s children from harmful ideologies is commendable and inspiring!

Governor, we all breathed a sigh of relief when you announced that the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Florida and similar theories are “wacko” and unacceptable in Florida. You have been very clear that embracing a traditional American education focused on reading, writing, math, and civics is the only acceptable way forward. What a seemingly wonderful thing that Florida students would once again be getting a great education. However, with FL DOE-approved materials now being adopted and purchased in addition to the US DOE order to provide CRT grants directly to Florida School Districts, how wrong we were! We all must remember that Communists NEVER stop.

Governor DeSantis, on behalf of over 110,000 active Florida Citizens Alliance supporters and many of our over 100 partner groups, we are urging you to issue a joint Executive Order immediately that:

1) Stops the adoption of ELA textbooks until the FL DOE can be 100% confident that all the textbooks and teacher editions are completely free of Critical Race Theory and its many tentacles (The solution is original sourced materials and classical literature already in the B.E.S.T. ELA Standards.)

2) Strictly prohibits any school district in Florida from accepting a direct federal grant related to Critical Race Theory or its many tentacles.

Use your Executive power as Florida’s Governor and the 10th Amendment to just say NO!

If NOT, Critical Race Theory will be a huge embarrassment to you and all of Florida; and it will be infused into our classrooms for the next 4-6 years!

To be clear on what Critical Race theory is, here are recent quotes from Hillsdale’s Imprimis:

“Critical race theory is fast becoming America’s new institutional orthodoxy… built on the intellectual framework of identity-based Marxism. There are a series of euphemisms deployed by its supporters to describe critical race theory, including “equity,” “social justice,” “diversity and inclusion,” and “culturally responsive teaching.” Critical race theorists, masters of language construction, realize that “neo-Marxism” would be a hard sell. Equity, on the other hand, sounds non-threatening and is easily confused with the American principle of equality…. It has been injected into government agencies, public school systems, teacher training programs, and corporate human resources departments in the form of diversity training programs, human resources modules, public policy frameworks, and school curricula.” [link to complete Hillsdale assessment]

As we write this letter, Florida School Districts are adopting ELA Textbooks. Florida Citizens Alliance supporters and our extended team are just beginning to assess ELA adoption processes taking place in all Florida counties. What we are finding is unacceptable. It is another effort by the large publishers to promote their progressive agenda. These ELA materials continue to reflect the principles of Common Core (i.e., Social Emotional Learning, Equity, Social Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion and worse), and these materials will be in our schools for the next 4-6 years! They completely undermine the great work done by the FL DOE to create the B.E.S.T ELA and Math Standards. However, standards without supporting content are worthless.

An honest, academic, traditional American education is the most important gift we can give our children. A moratorium must be immediately declared to stop all 67 counties from purchasing materials that embrace Critical Race Theory, 1619 Project, and BLM Marxist materials. We should be embracing original sources and truly classical content. These are public domain and available at $.10 on the dollar for mere printing. In addition, it must be clear that an activist teacher bringing supplemental materials into the classroom that undermine our principle Judeo-Christian and original Constitutional values will NOT be tolerated.

Under a different name with new adjectives and nouns, CRT is concealed, shrouded, veiled, or disguised in the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) ELA curriculum.  With the use of subtle messages and euphemisms, teachers are guided to teach Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, etc. Feelings are more important than facts.

One of the major contributors to the Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt (HMH) texts is Dr. Tyronne C. Howard. He is an “expert” in CRT from the University of California. Why is Florida approving textbooks from California or these global publishing companies that are still wedded to Common Core?

Examples:

  • See SRC Attachment 1 taken from the Kindergarten curricula from HMH approved by the FL DOE and found in Santa Rosa County ELA teachers editions of materials being adopted. By the time these children graduate, they will not be able to read, but they will be great activists who hate their families, GOD, and America.  What a horrible thing to do to a child.
  • HMH also uses the theories of their Happiness expert Podcast: The Future of Happiness and Education Feat. Tal Ben-Shahar
  • See IRC Attachment 2 found in Indian River County from materials being adopted. We must never forget the Globalists are communists with a singular objective to control the masses. The less educated, the easier to control.
  • The End of Basic Education: Biden Issues Universal Public School Critical Race Theory Order

FLCA has asked our supporters to check in their district to see if these textbooks and programs are part of their curriculum being adopted. The CRT case is building. Much more to come, but school districts are buying now, and once the $$ are spent, this cannot be undone.

“Leaders of Florida Citizens Alliance just finished a review of the standards to be adopted in Civics, Holocaust, and Character.  As a former teacher and Dean, I can tell you standards are meaningless. The curriculum and text are the only things that matter.  What are the students reading?  What is the teacher saying?  Why are character standards void of mention of family, God, and morality?

I have spoken with Floridians who are reviewing textbooks in their county. In some districts, the School Board is refusing to provide access to student and teacher editions. I was sent the summer curricula and reading list for Palm Beach County from a teacher. This is under a taxpayer grant system given to summer camps.  All is CRT.  See PBC attachment 3

And here are recent specifics in Broward County See BC Attachment 4:

Repeatedly, I have been told from those who have responded so far, all they get from their School Board is, “It’s on the FL DOE approved list.”  Yes, it is on the approved list.  So, I asked, ‘”How is it possible that these publishers continue to be approved in spite of the Governor’s statement condemning CRT?? Who makes these decisions? Since CRT and related theories are a national progressive agenda and national publishers were complicit in Common Core, it is more than certain that the other approved publishers have similar unacceptable content.”   Karen Schoen and fully supported by FLCA.

We will continue to find and expose multiple examples, but the most critical question to ask is, “what can be done NOW to stop this child abuse our education system is forcing on our 2.8 million public school children?”

Governor DeSantis and Commissioner Corcoran, we do not believe that you are aware of the devastating progressive content in these ELA materials that the 67 Counties are adopting.

Governor DeSantis, you are an amazing champion for liberty and an education system based on Judeo- Christian and original Constitutional values. School districts are spending real tax dollars as we speak, and these materials will be in Florida Classrooms for 4-6 years. It is imperative you both stop this immediately! Otherwise, this will be a debacle equal to or greater than the magnitude of the Common Core deception.

Please refer to the embedded links and details we have identified so far. We offer this all in the constructive and best interest of our students and parents.

Respectfully,

Keith Flaugh and Pastor Rick Stevens

Managing Directors Florida Citizens Alliance

Note: Here is the link to the “2020-2021 K-12 English Language Arts Instructional Materials Adoption

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