TAMPA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education are facing renewed criticism over the state's new academic standards for Black history.
Teachers tell 10 Tampa Bay they're concerned over what the changes could mean for them, their students and the state's future.
"It's sort of a slap in the face to history and to the stories," David Calhoun, who has been teaching social studies in Florida for more than two decades, said. "I teach history, and history is not for anybody's political gain. It's ugly, but it's the truth."
In Calhoun's view, the state's new social studies standards stray from the truth, particularly a portion that says African Americans received some "personal benefit" from slavery, a matter DeSantis defended in a recent press conference.
DeSantis said, "I think that they're probably going to show some of the folks who eventually parlayed being a blacksmith into doing things later in life."
Calhoun said the matter is centered on inaccuracies and distracts from the atrocities of slavery.
"They make this sound like it's some kind of job corps thing where the people get off the boat and there was like somebody sitting there and saying, "Hey, you want to be a carpenter or a blacksmith? That's not how it worked," Calhoun said.
With the new school year now weeks away, leaders of the Hillsborough Teacher's Union want the school board to step up to help guide teachers.
Wendy Carey is the co-chair of Human and Civil Rights/Ethnic and Minority Affairs HCR/EMAC at HCTA.
"We want to work directly with the School Board members," Carey said, "and make sure they understand what's what needs to be taught, and that we have a clear understanding and input on that."
At the core of her concerns is what's best for Florida students.
"I think our students will fall behind not having that correct education and proper quality education," Carey said.