{"id":125474,"date":"2023-04-11T00:05:35","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T04:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=125474"},"modified":"2023-04-10T14:36:45","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T18:36:45","slug":"u-florida-k-12-teaching-course-emphasizes-oppression-power-and-privilege","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/u-florida-k-12-teaching-course-emphasizes-oppression-power-and-privilege\/","title":{"rendered":"U. Florida K-12 teaching course emphasizes ‘oppression, power, and privilege’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Education class uses pro-LGBT, anti-cop organization for ‘gender diversity’ lessons<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A University of Florida course trains future K-12 teachers to consider \u201coppression, power, and privilege\u201d in their profession and create \u201cinclusive\u201d classrooms for LGBT students with material from leftist authors and activists.<\/p>\n

The course, \u201cTeaching Diverse Populations,\u201d informs \u201cthe prospective educator\u201d on \u201cissues of diversity,\u201d including \u201cinequalities in education associated with ability, gender, language, race, and social class,\u201d according to a spring 2023 syllabus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The course requires students to read several chapters of \u201cIs Everyone Really Equal? An Introduction to Key Concepts in Social Justice Education,\u201d a book by diversity writers Robin DiAngelo<\/a> and \u00d6zlem Sensoy.<\/p>\n

The course also references a 2020 document<\/a> by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, on creating \u201csafe and affirming learning environments for LGBTQ students.\u201d These groups support the abolition of law enforcement and trains members on how to hide LGBT identification from parents. Students are required to read this document as part of the unit on “gender diversity.”<\/p>\n

It promotes student organizations known as Gay-Straight Alliances or Gender and Sexuality Alliances. These organizations unsuccessfully tried to defeat Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill<\/a>, which forbade classroom discussion of gender and sexuality through third grade<\/p>\n

The College Fix<\/em> asked UF how long it has taught the course, if it considers teaching a form of social justice activism and if it endorses GSA clubs in schools. The university\u2019s media team didn\u2019t respond to two emails sent in the two weeks.<\/p>\n

The Fix<\/em> also emailed Elizabeth Garis, a professor currently teaching the course and asked how she teaches her students to support transgender children, what her students learn from \u201cIs Everyone Really Equal?\u201d and whether the university\u2019s College of Education endorses LGBT student clubs. She did not respond to multiple emails in the past three weeks.<\/p>\n

The DiAngelo and Sensoy book, published by the Teachers College Press, discusses<\/a> \u201coppression, power, privilege\u201d and other concepts. A portion of the course schedule that incorporates the book contains those terms in its title.<\/p>\n

DiAngelo is famous for her best-selling book, \u201cWhite Fragility: Why It\u2019s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism.\u201d The white academic has drawn controversy for statements<\/a> such as, \u201cPeople of color need to get away from white people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students also read Peggy McIntosh, who popularized the idea of “white privilege<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

Education reform group calls on DeSantis to ‘cut’ at the ‘roots’ of wokeness<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A parental rights and education reform group called on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to take action<\/a> against the course.<\/p>\n

Alex Nester, an investigative fellow for Parents Defending Education, called UF\u2019s course \u201ca prime example\u201d of education curricula \u201cthat prioritize division over educational excellence\u201d in a comment to The Fix<\/em>.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThe university level is where many of our issues in K-12 education began\u2014especially when it comes to divisive race and gender ideology,\u201d Nester said. \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly troubling to think that teachers are being told to view people as victims or oppressed based on their race, because that is exactly how they will view their classrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, \u2018equity\u2019 between these so-called classes will continue to replace academic achievement as the top classroom priority unless and until we address the root of the problem: education certification programs,\u201d Nester said.<\/p>\n