evidence: Human Interest Human Interest News Social Issues News Florida Middle Schoolers Will Now Be Taught That Slavery Had ‘Personal Benefit’ for Enslaved People New academic standards slammed as "a big step backward" will require teachers to instruct that enslaved people "developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit" By Virginia Chamlee Virginia Chamlee Virginia Chamlee is a Politics Writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE for three years. Her work has previously appeared in The Washington Post, Buzzfeed, Eater, and other outlets. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 20, 2023 03:59PM EDT Close Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Photo: Wilfredo Lee/AP/Shutterstock Newly approved academic standards from Florida’s Board of Education will require middle schools to teach that enslaved people "developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit" — a line that has ignited significant controversy among teachers' groups. The standards, which were approved Wednesday, come in response to the state's 2022 "Stop WOKE Act," which stated that race must be taught in "an objective manner" that does not "indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view."