and Florida to find out whether any of the companies designing California’s textbooks are the same ones kowtowing to Florida’s extremist agenda.A copy of the letter sent to publishers is below:
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
May 20, 2023
RE: Florida K-12 Social Studies Textbooks
Dear Publisher,
Earlier this month, the Florida Department of Education rejected dozens of social studies textbooks and worked with publishers to edit dozens more — erasing topics about race, civic engagement, and historical protest. California will not be complicit in Florida's attempt to whitewash history through laws and backroom deals; Parents have a right to know what's happening in the dark to undermine our children's education — and California deserves to know whether any of the companies designing textbooks for our state's classrooms are the same ones kowtowing to Florida's extremist agenda.
To date, Florida officials have not released full details around this process. This week, my office submitted to the Office of Governor DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education a public records request related to this situation. Specifically, we are seeking all communications between their offices and textbook publishers reflecting revisions that publishers proposed in order to get their textbooks approved for use in Florida.
While we await a response to the public records request, I am seeking similar information from your company, which was identified as being engaged in this process and whose textbooks may also be adopted for use in California's public schools. Accordingly, I request that you disclose to my office whether your company submitted social studies textbooks for approval in Florida and, if so, whether your company was among those that agreed to make changes demanded by Florida officials. I also request that you provide excerpts reflecting any changes that your company agreed to make in response to Florida's demands.
Please send the requested information to govlegalunit@gov.ca.gov by Thursday, June 1. If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact my Office of Legal Affairs at the email address above.
Sincerely,
Gavin Newsom,
Governor of California
Source: Office of the Governor
