Textbook Bans Yield Lucrative Contracts for Businesses Backed by DeSantis and Youngkin
The Florida Department of Education recently rejected more than 50 mathematics textbooks under the guise of “new learning standards” or because they “contained prohibited topics” that included references to critical race theory. The number of rejections equates to about 40% of all submissions made for use in Florida public schools.
While the public school system in question has often had many different publishers to choose from, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education have ensured that only one publisher is now acceptable for use in K-5 mathematics.
Accelerate Learning, a company out of Houston, Texas that produces STEMscopes Florida math books, is now the only option for Florida school districts and has been handed a windfall by Gov. DeSantis. Accelerated math textbooks are also limited to two options: McGraw Hill LLC and Savvas Learning Company LLC, formerly known as Pearson K12 Learning LLC.
The Florida Department of Education said more than half of the textbooks being disallowed incorporated “prohibited topics or unsolicited strategies, including Critical Race Theory,” while others were not allowed because publishers “rebranded” Common Core Standards.
According to the Accelerate Learning website, the math book for Florida was "built from the ground up to the Florida B.E.S.T. [testing standards] by practicing educators using the flexible 5E lesson model." In addition, the K-5 math books were also created in partnership with Rice University, in Houston, Texas.
It seems like a huge expense for a company to design an entire curriculum for one specific state if they had no assurance that their textbook would, in fact, be purchased by that state. Now that no other publisher is acceptable, Accelerate Learning appears to have an unspoken exclusive contract with Florida’s Department of Education.
The Accelerate Learning company was acquired by the Carlyle Group on Dec. 20, 2018, according to the firm's website. During that time, Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was the joint CEO of the firm — Youngkin resigned in 2020 to run for office in Virginia after 25 years with the company.
Much like Florida Governor Ron Desantis, the first thing Glenn Youngkin did as governor of Virginia was to sign an executive order to "end the use of inherently divisive concepts, including critical race theory, and restoring excellence in K-12 public education in the commonwealth." This move is quite comparable to DeSantis' "Stop WOKE Act," which prohibits any teaching in Florida that could make students feel they bear personal responsibility for historic wrongs because of their race, color, sex or national origin.
Along with Governor Younkin, Ron DeSantis has taken a lead role nationally in Republican efforts to aggressively push back against liberal cultural values and what he calls “woke indoctrination.” The “Individual Freedom Bill” also known as the "Stop WOKE Act," was passed during Florida’s legislative session this year and has been sent to Governor DeSantis for his signature. Youngin can also trace his roots back to Texas, specifically as a 1990 graduate of Rice University, which is the co-partner of Accelerate Learning who helped to create their textbooks.
Governor Youngkin also appears to be a huge fan of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and has said, “I think Governor DeSantis has done a lot of really impressive things to lead and this is where I look to lead as governor.”
While it is not currently clear how either Youngkin or DeSantis stand to profit directly from their exclusive awards to only a few choice textbook companies, Youngkin’s past connections with the Carlyle Group, which later acquired Accelerated Learning, is highly suspicious. What is now at issue is whether Younkin holds any stock in the company, which is often how senior executives are compensated, or whether he is engaging in favors in order to advance himself in some other way.
Ron DeSantis is also making laws that stand to enrich only a few select companies, and his ties are also in question. McGraw-Hill Education, one of the two companies approved to supply advanced math textbooks to Florida’s Public Schools, was accused of whitewashing history in October of 2015, after publishing a caption in a geography textbook referring to American slaves as "workers." The company has also been linked to broader controversies within the Texas Education Agency, involving a proposed curriculum intended to downplay slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, while emphasizing religious freedoms and stressing state’s rights.
Specific proposed changes in Texas Public School textbooks included: downplaying Abraham Lincoln's role in the Civil War; putting more emphasis on Confederate Leader Jefferson Davis; questioning the Civil Rights Movement; downplaying Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy; putting more emphasis on the aspect of states’ rights.
This new textbook limitation, put in place by Governor DeSantis, on the heels of Florida passing the “Stop WOKE Act,” clearly seeks to favor only a handful of companies who will now profit handsomely, while the options for teachers in Florida continue to be limited. What is evident is the cycle of banning aspects of education that ultimately yields a windfall for companies connected to Governor Youngin and Governor DeSantis.
Another alarming feature that continues to make guest appearances in the backstory origins of the laws established in both Florida and Virginia, is the State of Texas. This conservative bastion state, which has often served as a model for implementing stringent, conservative laws meant to roll back Civil Rights and test the constitutionality of States Rights, is now directly involved in profiting from these latest educational restrictions imposed by both Florida and Virginia.
Within this circle of restriction and profit lies a bigger picture: one that continues to have links to the politicians making the laws and controlling our children’s education. These laws, intended to appear as a shiny religious distraction for the bigoted masses, are turning out to be giant, money-making propositions for companies that appear to have been working on these plans for some time. Accelerated Learning says it best themselves when they say they have built their books “from the ground up to the Florida B.E.S.T.,” just in time for an exclusive deal.
Amee Vanderpool writes the SHERO Newsletter and hosts the live SHERO podcast on Callin. She is an attorney, published author, contributor to newspapers and magazines, and analyst for BBC radio. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.
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So I'm guessing we're looking forward to a "Stock Purchase" in the text book company by Ron DerFührer in the near future so he can join the ranks of the @GOP enacting legislation for personal gain under the guise of "protecting the public"
Thank you Amee for further exposing DeSantis for what he is. Just another money-grubbing GQP trying to dethrone OrangeMan as head of the InJustice League.