Florida has rejected 54 of the 132 math books submitted for use as part of the state’s 2022-23 curriculum, a move praised by Gov. Ron DeSantis for identifying references to critical race theory, Common Core, and social emotional learning.

The Florida Department of Education announced Friday that the majority of the rejected math books were for grades K-5. “Despite rejecting 41 percent of materials submitted, every core mathematics course and grade is covered with at least one textbook,” the Department of Education said.


“It seems that some publishers attempted to slap a coat of paint on an old house built on the foundation of Common Core, and indoctrinating concepts like race essentialism, especially, bizarrely, for elementary school students,” DeSantis said. “I’m grateful that Commissioner Corcoran and his team at the Department have conducted such a thorough vetting of these textbooks to ensure they comply with the law.”

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In 2019, DeSantis issued an executive order calling for the elimination of Common Core, certain standards for math and English, from Florida’s school textbooks and instructional materials. In 2021, the Department of Education informed publishers that textbooks must align to state standards and avoid references to “unsolicited strategies, such as social emotional learning and culturally responsive teaching.”

“It is unfortunate that several publishers, especially at the elementary school grade levels, have ignored this clear communication and have attempted to slip rebranded instructional materials based on Common Core Standards into Florida’s classrooms, while others have included prohibited and divisive concepts such as the tenants of CRT or other unsolicited strategies of indoctrination — despite FDOE’s prior notification,” the Department of Education said.

Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani blasted the Department of Education’s rejection, poking at mathematical symbols, such as brackets and the equal sign, as representative of Republican problems.


"I wouldn’t be surprised if Florida Republican leaders are preparing to ban Algebra from high schools,” Eskamani tweeted. “They object to the subliminal use of [brackets] as an indoctrination to the concept of inclusion, they don't like the equal sign, and they hate solving problems!”

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Publishers have the opportunity to appeal the rejections along with revising their submitted textbook bids.