‘Missed the mark:’ Florida training on new African American history standards skips over controversy

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Education held a training seminar intended to prove the state’s teachers with additional information about Florida’s new African American history standards on Monday.

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It was the first opportunity for Florida’s teachers to learn about the standards straight from the source.

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One of the drafters of the standards, Dr. William Allen, indicated the standards put an emphasis on the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans.

“We want to tell the story completely and we don’t want to focus simply on the victims. We want to focus as well on the people who acted in their own behalf and acted with good effect,” Allen said.

While Allen and Florida Commissioner Manny Diaz have publicly pushed back on criticisms of the standards, there was no direct mention of the two standards that have been the focus of those criticisms during the seminar.

Read: Florida education officials, Lake County school district urge Federal judge to end book ban lawsuit

Those standards reference violence perpetrated ‘against and by’ African Americans and skills slaves learned, which in some instances, could be used for ‘their personal benefit’.

“It’s unfortunate that the state missed the mark,” Genesis Robinson with Equal Ground said.

Robinson told Action News Jax he was disappointed the Department of Education didn’t use the seminar to provide clarity on the most controversial aspects of the new standards.

“They had an opportunity to really set the standard and appease many concerns that there would be misinformation being taught in our education system,” Robinson said.

Related Story: Residents protest new African American history standards outside DCPS headquarters

Andrew Spar, President of the Florida Education Association, also noted there was no opportunity in the seminar for teachers to ask questions and seek additional clarity.

“Learning is an active sport. It’s not one in which you just sit and listen to someone drone on for hours on end, but that’s what, exactly what the Department of education did today,” Spar said.

During the seminar, DOE leaders said the new standards won’t be fully implemented until the 2024-2025 school year.

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Both Spar and Robinson said they’re hopeful there will be additional guidance offered or even revisions made to the standards before that happens.

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