It’s a Florida fight to the debt.
Critics are objecting to the use of famed money guru Dave Ramsey’s finance textbook in Pasco County schools, arguing that it alludes to the Bible, decries all forms of debt and fails to focus on key math skills.
The district received nearly 60 letters opposed to the evangelical Christian’s “Foundations in Personal Finance” being used in classrooms as part of a new financial literacy requirement.
“God forbid we have a few Bible proverbs in there,” fumed a district source. “Considering all of the controversial — and that’s putting it mildly — subject matter we see in books and textbooks these days that’s a laugh in my opinion.”
But those who oppose the book’s use aren’t chuckling.
The Florida Department of Education approved the book for use in classrooms in 2022. The move came after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed new legislation requiring a financial literacy course for incoming high school freshmen beginning the next academic year.
The campaign against Ramsey’s book was spearheaded by the Florida Freedom to Read Project, a non-profit organization opposed to the introduction of conservative-leaning materials into school libraries.
The group has also objected to the use of materials from PragerU, a conservative media group helmed by radio host Dennis Prager.
“I think the overall curriculum adoption process has been infected, especially in Florida,” board member Jessica Wright told NPR. “It’s become hotly political.”
DeSantis, critics argue, has sought to impose right-leaning viewpoints into public schools.
The outlet reported that Wright obtained official state and county reviews of the book that found it lacking in several areas — including an omission of math concepts related to finance.
Others questioned the overtly Christian references in the text, asserting that the religious content was inappropriate for public schools.
The district source argued that students learn math in dedicated math classes — and that opposition to the book was rooted in discomfort with the author’s perceived political leanings.
“Let’s be honest,” she said. “This is about the profile of the writer, not the content.”
Other objectors cited Ramsey’s blanket opposition to any type of debt. Those positions, they argued, were unrealistic and counterproductive.
“Instructing students to spend all disposable income erasing debt, rather than learning to appropriately use it to their advantage is too severe,” one stated, according to NPR. “Part of our work with this instruction should be to educate students on how to identify good v. bad debt (mortgage v. credit cards for instance) – not how to avoid it all together.”
Others were uncomfortable with Ramsey’s tendency to bluntly blame individuals for the state of their finances.
A spokesperson for the author did not return a Post request for comment.
The district will issue a final decision on the book’s adoption later this month.