Dear Colleague,
The Florida legislature is currently considering a dangerous piece of legislation, HB 1291/SB 1372. If passed, the bill would threaten the integrity of K–12 history education in Florida by imposing troubling restrictions on teacher training programs and inappropriately intervening in college curricula, classroom instruction, and professional learning. The proposed legislation requires educators to teach a history that is incomplete, tendentious, and politically driven rather than based on evidence and consistent with professional standards.
The American Historical Association intends to send a letter to the Florida legislature opposing the bill. We have been informed by our contacts on the ground in Florida that the time for associations like ours to weigh in will be later, if the bill passes out of the Senate Rules Committee and comes before the full House and/or Senate for a vote. Right now, the most important voices to be heard are those of constituents. We urge you to write or call your state legislators and ask them to vote against the bill when it’s heard in committees or if it comes to the floor for a vote. Since the bill is being considered in both the House and the Senate, you can respond to the measure in either or both chambers. We especially encourage constituents whose representatives serve on the Senate Rules Committee to contact your legislators, as this committee will play an important role in whether the bill advances.
You can use the website Plural to find your state representatives and access their contact information, including email addresses. Feel free to adapt the letter we intend to send, which is available on the AHA’s website, or craft your own.
The AHA, its members, and other historians find ourselves on the front lines of a conflict over understandings of America’s past, confronting radical activists who are promoting ignorance in the name of unity. Please visit our Teaching History with Integrity site for the most up-to-date information about AHA efforts to combat these bills and for resources and expressions of support for history educators. We hope that you will distribute widely our short videos on Teaching with Integrity: Historians Speak.
If you have any questions about this proposed legislation or would like to request updates about its status, please feel free to reach out directly to Brendan Gillis, director of teaching and learning.
The AHA’s advocacy work is more critical now than perhaps ever before. If you believe in the importance of honest history education, please donate to the AHA’s Advocacy Fund to support our advocacy work.
Sincerely,
James Grossman
Executive Director