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Culture War Roundup for the week of January 30, 2023

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  1. Where does it say that the course requires a textbook at all? After all, it says that only 61% of college courses surveyed use a textbook.

  2. It is impossible for a textbook to violate the FL statute, because the FL law does not reference textbooks. It references courses, and permits the study of the concepts listed therein as long as it is done so objectively. It does not require that every resource be objective. Many teachers ask students to critique textbooks, and there is nothing to stop Florida teachers from doing so, if for some reason the State adopts one of the textbooks you find problematic.

  3. Speaking of textbook adoption, state funds can not generally be used to purchase textbooks that have not been adopted by the State or by the district, including AP textbooks. See, eg, this district's list of adopted books, including those for AP classes. hence, if those books are as problematic as you say, Florida will not permit districts to use state money to buy them, just as they did not permit districts to use state money to buy math textbooks which they found problematic.

Edit: Also, 4) The fact that the FL DOE did not take issue with the textbook list indicates that it is not as problematic as you suppose.

Where does it say that the course requires a textbook at all? After all, it says that only 61% of college courses surveyed use a textbook.

HS teachers rarely do this. I had very few HS courses without a textbook, and those were all ones with reading lists of books. Its a question of basic competency and effort.

It is impossible for a textbook to violate the FL statute, because the FL law does not reference textbooks. It references courses, and permits the study of the concepts listed therein as long as it is done so objectively. It does not require that every resource be objective. Many teachers ask students to critique textbooks, and there is nothing to stop Florida teachers from doing so, if for some reason the State adopts one of the textbooks you find problematic.

Obviously the text of the law is written to evade facial challenges and forum shopping to find a particularly left wing federal judge from striking it down on whatever spurious grounds she thinks up. In practicality, the DOE must holistically review a proposed course to see whether, in a large number of instances it will violate the law.

Speaking of textbook adoption, state funds can not generally be used to purchase textbooks that have not been adopted by the State or by the district, including AP textbooks. See, eg, this district's list of adopted books, including those for AP classes. hence, if those books are as problematic as you say, Florida will not permit districts to use state money to buy them, just as they did not permit districts to use state money to buy math textbooks which they found problematic.

There are likely ways for teachers to obtain them for free. They also can use the alternative readings list as a basis, which also would result in a course that is in violation of the law in nearly every iteration.

The fact that the FL DOE did not take issue with the textbook list indicates that it is not as problematic as you suppose.

DOE official statements need to be as measured as possible so as to survive hostile lawsuits.

Obviously the text of the law is written to evade facial challenges and forum shopping to find a particularly left wing federal judge from striking it down on whatever spurious grounds she thinks up. In practicality, the DOE must holistically review a proposed course to see whether, in a large number of instances it will violate the law.

You basically seem to be making this up. There is no way to make a facial challenge to the law regardless of that provision. The Court's govt speech cases in general, and their education cases in particular, make it very clear that govt can use schools to inculcate any values they want. And, the law says what it says, and in fact the very fact that it explicitly permits objective discussion renders the criticism of the law invalid.

There are likely ways for teachers to obtain them for free

Nope.

DOE official statements need to be as measured as possible so as to survive hostile lawsuits.

You obviously haven't read the statements that have been made.