Miami, Florida. Photo by Denys Kostyuchenko on Unsplash.
Discussing Florida's proposed science standards in his October 30, 2026, column (subscription required) for the Orlando Sentinel, Scott Maxwell sarcastically announced, "I've decided to go all-in on Florida's goal of prioritizing political narratives where we censor, whitewash and erase every scientific fact and historical truth that gets in the way."
The proposed standards "downplay evolution, ignore 'climate change' and represent a step backwards for public education, according to several experts who've reviewed them," the Sentinel (September 30, 2026) previously reported, quoting NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch. A public comment period ends on October 31, 2026, after which the state department of education is expected to submit a revised version of the proposed standards to the state board of education for its consideration in December 2026.
After reviewing Florida's recent history of attacks on history education, especially with regard to slavery, as well as science education, Maxwell concluded, still sarcastically, "I don't see why the state should buckle now. Indoctrination works best when history is skewed, facts are omitted and inconvenient truths are dismissed."
