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Adopted March 21, 2023
Lee County Republican Executive Committee
Motion to Eliminate Social Studies Textbooks with Content That Includes Critical Race Theory and Social Emotional Learning from Adoption at the School District Level and to Adopt Curriculum from the 1776 Project and Primary and Secondary Source Documents
Whereas, The Florida State Legislature passed HB7 known as the Individual Freedom Bill 2022 authored by Senator Ray Rodrigues, formerly of Lee County, and Senator Diaz;
Whereas, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the individual Freedom Bill 2022;
Whereas, Governor Ron DeSantis stated, “We won’t allow Florida tax dollars to be spent teaching kids to hate our country or to hate each other;”
Whereas, HB7 stipulates, among other stipulations, that no person by virtue of his or her race, color, national origin, or sex is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously; and that no person should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability or sex; and that no person, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears the responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same sex or race; and that discussion and curricula regarding topics such as sexism, slavery, racial oppression, racial segregation, and racial discrimination not be used to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view;
Whereas, There is a corresponding Education Rule and a corresponding State Statute, specifically Education Rule 6A 1.094124 titled Required Instruction Planning and Reporting, and State Statute 1003.42 titled required Instruction that stipulate that topics must be factual and objective, and may not suppress or distort significant historical events, such as the Holocaust, slavery, the Civil War and reconstruction, the civil rights movement and the contributions of women, African-Americans and Hispanic people to our country;
Whereas, According to Education Rule 6A-1.094124 and State Statute 1003.42, it is prohibited to teach theories that distort historical events such as the denial or minimization of the Holocaust, and the teaching of Critical Race Theory, meaning the theory that racism is not merely the product of prejudice, but that racism is embedded in American society and its legal systems in order to uphold the supremacy of white persons, and that instruction may not utilize material from the 1619 Project and may not define American History as something other than the creation of a new nation based largely on universal principle stated in the Declaration of Independence;
Whereas, Florida Citizens Alliance, an nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve Florida’s K-12 education by uniting and empowering teachers, students and parents, advocates legislatively to fulfill its mission;
Whereas, Florida Citizens Alliance supports the passing of the Individual Freedom Bill 2022, Education Rule 6A-1.094124, and State Statute 1003.42;
Whereas, Florida Citizens Alliance conducted a comprehensive Social Studies textbook review in anticipation of the adoption and purchase of social studies textbooks by school districts in Lee County and throughout the state of Florida;
Whereas, 69 reviewers statewide reviewed 39 textbooks and found that 29 of the 39 textbooks were contained factual errors, omission of facts, slants, bias, half-truths, and critical race theory, and were too flawed to be adopted and eight textbooks had significant errors that would need to be fixed before adoption; and
Whereas, Florida Citizens Alliance provided to the Department of Education and all School Board Members in all 67 counties in the state of Florida alternative curriculum that includes the 1776 Project from Hillsdale College and primary and secondary source documents to use to replace these textbooks; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Lee County Republican Executive Committee calls upon the Lee County School Board Members to adhere to the requirements set forth in the Individual Freedom Act 2022, Education Rule 6A-1.094124, and State Statute 1003.42, and adopt and purchase Social Studies curriculum and materials from the 1776 Project and corresponding primary and secondary source documents.
For additional extensive support documents please contact LCREC Secretary directly:
Secretary@LeeGOP.org
Submitted by Denise Nystrom
Project Leader for the Social Studies Textbook Review
Committee Precinct woman 313, Lee County
E: denicelynne@gmail.com