Highlights:
2022: Florida Schools Earned Fewer A’s And B’s Than 2019 Ratings. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “Florida’s first full school report card since the COVID-19 pandemic showed fewer schools earned A’s and B’s than in 2019, according to results released Thursday by the Florida Department of Education..” [Orlando Sentinel, 7/7/22]
The Rate Of Schools That Received C’s And D’s Was Up 4% In The Same Timeframe. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “But compared to 2019, a somewhat smaller percentage of schools earned A’s or B’s this year, about 59% down from 62% three years ago, state data showed. This year, 41% of the schools earned C’s and D’s up from 37% in 2019. There were 30 F-rated schools this year out of 3,412 public schools eligible for a grade. In 2019, there were 14 out of 3,328.” [Orlando Sentinel, 7/7/22]
The Number Of F-Rated Schools Doubled Between 2019 And 2022. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “But compared to 2019, a somewhat smaller percentage of schools earned A’s or B’s this year, about 59% down from 62% three years ago, state data showed. This year, 41% of the schools earned C’s and D’s up from 37% in 2019. There were 30 F-rated schools this year out of 3,412 public schools eligible for a grade. In 2019, there were 14 out of 3,328.” [Orlando Sentinel, 7/7/22]
Students Test Scores In Math, Reading, Science, And Social Studies Fell From 2019 While Ratings Still Went Above Department Of Education Estimates For Schools On The “School Improvement” List. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “Students scores on the standardized math, reading, science and social studies tests that factor into the grades declined from 2019, before the pandemic, so somewhat lower grades were to be expected.” [Orlando Sentinel, 7/7/22]
The Average Teacher Pay In Florida Was The 4th Lowest In The Nation. According to CNBC, “Here are the five places where teachers are paid the least. […] 4. Florida Average salary: $50,443.” [CNBC, 3/16/23]
In A Fundraising Text, DeSantis Seemed To Compare Elementary School Teachers To Hamas Supporters
In Fundraising Text, DeSantis Coupled Supporters Of Hamas With Elementary School Teachers As Examples Of Political Opponents. According to Florida Politics, “Ron DeSantis’ Year of the Teacher is but a sepia-tinged memory now, with 2023 being the Year of the Terrorist. That’s one interpretation to be drawn from the Governor’s latest text message to supporters of his presidential campaign, at least. In a missive to his list Wednesday, the Republican candidate bashed those supporting Hamas terrorists as well as ‘radical’ elementary school teachers, in a seeming attempt to lump ideological enemies into one box. “I have seen the Left’s indoctrination dangerously worsen in the last couple of decades — from student organizations praising Hamas at Ivy Leagues to elementary school teachers pushing radical gender ideology down the throats of first graders,” DeSantis asserted, driving an inevitable call to action. ‘Let me know here: do you agree with the businesses rescinding their employment offers to Pro-Hamas students?’” [Florida Politics, 10/25/23]
2023: Florida School Districts Led The Nation In Book Bans
According To PEN America, Florida School Districts Led The Nation In Book Bans. According to the Palm Beach Post, “Florida leads the nation in book bans. It had more than double the bans of No. 2 Texas, according to a new report by national free speech group PEN America. The report found 3,362 instances of books banned across the nation in the 2022-23 school year, up 33% from the previous one. Forty percent of those were courtesy of Florida school districts. ‘Over two years, there's a pretty clear trend line of this getting worse, and this is becoming normalized,’ said Jonathan Friedman, PEN America's director of free expression and education programs. ‘I think the situation in Florida is really just escalating to a place that feels almost unimaginable to a year ago.’” [Palm Beach Post, 9/21/23]
PEN America Report Showed Florida, Which Banned 566 Books. According to Florida Politics, “Only Texas has banned books more frequently than Florida’s public schools, according to a national free speech organization that attributed two new pieces of the state’s legislation with an uptick in verboten books. PEN America counted 566 Florida book bans spread over 21 of the state’s 67 school districts from July 2021 to June 2022. That compares to the 801 bans in effect in 22 Texas school districts. Pennsylvania clocked in at third place with 457 bans in 11 school districts.” [Florida Politics, 9/19/22]
PEN America Report Noted Book Bans Were Coming From Parent-Organized Groups Such As Moms For Liberty And Florida Citizens Alliance. According to Florida Politics, “The report, issued Monday in recognition of Banned Books Week, raises the alarm from critics that this new momentum for banning books could impair the free exchange of ideas that makes American democracy work. In the vast majority of cases, the new wave is much more than a parent objecting to a book found in their child’s backpack, officials from PEN America said. It’s coming from organized and coordinated groups such as the national Moms for Liberty and Florida Citizens Alliance. ‘Today’s wave of bans represents a coordinated campaign to banish books being waged by sophisticated, ideological and well-resourced advocacy organizations,’ said Suzanne Nossel, chief executive officer of PEN America.” [Florida Politics, 9/19/22]
2014: DeSantis Voted To Cut Education Funding By $145 Billion Over 10 Years, As Part Of Rep. Paul Ryan’s Budget Proposal. In April 2014, DeSantis voted for House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2015 to 2024. According to The New York Times, “Mr. Ryan […] laid out a budget plan that cuts $5 trillion in spending over the next decade. […] Nor did Mr. Ryan shy away from hot-button issues. Education funding would be cut by $145 billion over 10 years. Pell grants for college students would lose $90 billion. University students would start being charged interest on their loans while still in school, reaping $40 billion.” The House adopted the budget resolution by a vote of 219 to 205. [House Vote 177, 4/10/14; New York Times, 4/1/14]
Ryan’s Budget Proposal Also Included A $90 Billion Cut In Pell Grants. In April 2014, DeSantis voted for House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2015 to 2024. According to The New York Times, “Mr. Ryan […] laid out a budget plan that cuts $5 trillion in spending over the next decade. […] Nor did Mr. Ryan shy away from hot-button issues. Education funding would be cut by $145 billion over 10 years. Pell grants for college students would lose $90 billion. University students would start being charged interest on their loans while still in school, reaping $40 billion.” The House adopted the budget resolution by a vote of 219 to 205. [House Vote 177, 4/10/14; New York Times, 4/1/14]
DeSantis’ Budget Cut $35 Million To University Base Funding. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Only nine days before the start of the next fiscal year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his first state budget on Friday, which significantly boosts the state’s investment in environmental spending, relieved some previous shortfalls in public schools but also dealt some last-minute disappointment to cities, districts and universities whose projects were vetoed. […] It also leveled a $35 million blow to university base funding, fell short on DeSantis’ wishes for teacher bonuses and land preservation, and shrank Medicaid reimbursement rates for ‘safety net’ hospitals.” [Tampa Bay Times, 6/21/19]
DeSantis Cut $1.7 Million For The University Of South Florida’s Medical School, Which Was Set For The School’s Operating Budget And Scholarships. According to the Tampa Bay Times, ““In explaining his veto methodology, DeSantis said there were things ‘government just shouldn’t do at all,’ or should be a local responsibility: ‘If I fund something for one county do I have to do it for everybody?’ He also referenced past governors going after political foes in the Legislature, saying he did not use the budget for ‘retribution,’ and said he often called lawmakers whose projects were on the chopping block. Here’s some of what got cut: […] $1.7 million for the University of South Florida medical school. That money, which has been approved every year for nearly a decade, is part of the medical school’s operating budget and also contributes to student scholarships. Mark Walsh, a lobbyist for the university, said the school will have to ‘evaluate’ what comes next.” [Tampa Bay Times, 6/21/19]
DeSantis Cut $200,000 For USF-St. Petersburg’s Gulf Of Mexico Studies Program To Study Algae Bloom And The Dead Zone In The Gulf. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Here’s some of what got cut: […] $200,000 for USF-St. Petersburg’s Gulf of Mexico studies program, which former USF College of Marine Sciences dean William Hogarth said will essentially shutter the program. ‘I guess there will be no funding,’ he said. The institute is designed to tackle such thorny issues as toxic algae blooms and the infamous Dead Zone in the gulf.” [Tampa Bay Times, 6/21/19]
Miami’s New World School For The Arts Took A Six-Figure Pay Cut By DeSantis. According to the Miami Herald, “Miami's New World School for the Arts -- famous for one alumnus who wrote the play that was the basis for the movie ‘Moonlight’ and another who became the musical director for Broadway's ‘Hamilton’ -- took a six-figure hit.” [Miami Herald, 6/21/19]
DeSantis Cut A $1 Million Project For Hernando County School District, Which Would Have Helped The School’s Security Infrastructure And An Addition $1 Million To Construct A New Vocational-Technical School. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “In explaining his veto methodology, DeSantis said there were things ‘government just shouldn’t do at all,’ or should be a local responsibility: ‘If I fund something for one county do I have to do it for everybody?’ He also referenced past governors going after political foes in the Legislature, saying he did not use the budget for ‘retribution,’ and said he often called lawmakers whose projects were on the chopping block. Here’s some of what got cut: • A $1 million project in the Hernando County School District that would have gone toward beefing up school security infrastructure, plus a second $1 million to construct a new vocational-technical school.” [Tampa Bay Times, 6/21/19]
Hernando County School Board Chair Alleged DeSantis Cut The Funding Because The County Refused To Arm School Staff, Instead Hired Law Enforcement. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Hernando County School Board chairwoman Susan Duval alleged that DeSantis vetoed the security money as payback for that county refusing to arm their school staff and choosing instead to hire only sworn deputies. ‘We’ve been a little bit penalized here,’ she said.” [Tampa Bay Times, 6/21/19]
DeSantis Vetoed $1 Billion In Funding For His $92.2 Billion Budget. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, “Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $1 billion in spending Monday from the $93.2 billion state budget crafted by his fellow Republican leaders in the Florida Legislature before the coronavirus pandemic began shattering the economy. DeSantis said he had ‘threaded the needle,’ in preserving some top big-ticket proposals, including pay raises for teachers and state workers and more than $625 million in water projects. The now $92.2 billion budget is set to take effect Wednesday. ‘We had big achievements and big gains,’ DeSantis said. ‘At the same time the budget was coming due, we started to see the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which has changed the trajectory of the nation’s economy and, obviously, the economy here in Florida.’” [Tallahassee Democrat, 6/29/20]
DeSantis Cut $5 Million For The State College Of Florida-Manatee Sarasota’s Parrish Center. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, “Included in the vetoes was $5 million for the State College of Florida-Manatee, Sarasota’s Parrish Center; $20 million for Florida State University’s College of Business; and $1 million for the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center.” [Tallahassee Democrat, 6/29/20]
DeSantis Cut $20 Million For Florida State University’s College Of Business. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, “Included in the vetoes was $5 million for the State College of Florida-Manatee, Sarasota’s Parrish Center; $20 million for Florida State University’s College of Business; and $1 million for the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center.” [Tallahassee Democrat, 6/29/20]
DeSantis Cut $1 Million For The University Of Florida’s Lastinger Center. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, “Included in the vetoes was $5 million for the State College of Florida-Manatee, Sarasota’s Parrish Center; $20 million for Florida State University’s College of Business; and $1 million for the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center.” [Tallahassee Democrat, 6/29/20]
DeSantis Cut $15 Million For The State’s Universities Of Distinction Award, Which Aimed To Award Schools Other Than University Of Florida, Florida State University, And University Of South Florida. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, “Another $15 million for the state’s Universities of Distinction award, aimed at schools other than UF, FSU and the University of South Florida, which already have preeminent university status, was also cut.” [Tallahassee Democrat, 6/29/20]
DeSantis Cut $5 Million From Florida State University’s Institute For Child Welfare. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, “Line-item budget vetoes […] Florida State University […] Florida Institute for Child Welfare: $5 million” [Tallahassee Democrat, 7/1/20]
DeSantis Cut $650,000 Which Was For The Expansion Of Tallahassee Community College’s Nursing Program. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, “Tallahassee’s two state universities and its community college lost more than $26 million in construction and academic dollars when Gov. Ron DeSantis cut local projects from the state budget he signed this week. Among other things, DeSantis zeroed out: […] $650,000 for expansion of Tallahassee Community College’s nursing program.” [Tallahassee Democrat, 7/1/20]
DeSantis Cut $100,000 For The Leon Works Expo And Junior Apprenticeship Program. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, “Line-item budget vetoes […] Tallahassee Community College […] Leon Works Expo and Junior Apprenticeship: $100,000” [Tallahassee Democrat, 7/1/20]
DeSantis Cut $200,000 From Florida A&M University’s Environmental Program Which Targeted Younger Populations. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, “Tallahassee’s two state universities and its community college lost more than $26 million in construction and academic dollars when Gov. Ron DeSantis cut local projects from the state budget he signed this week. Among other things, DeSantis zeroed out: […] $200,000 from a Florida A&M University environmental program that targets youths to balance a $92.2 billion state spending plan.” [Tallahassee Democrat, 7/1/20]
DeSantis Cut $250,000 For The University Of South Florida’s Health School And All Children’s Hospital, Resulting In Cuts To Three Of The Hospital’s Residents. According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, “The latest in a long line of state cuts for USF Health came last week when Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a $250,000 budget item for University of South Florida Health school and All Children's Hospital. It was among almost $1 billion in vetoes and $25 million in vetoes for educational institutions. ‘We've been cut deeply for the past two years - actually the past three,’ Charles Lockwood, dean of USF Health, said. ‘Each year the medical school takes a huge hit in funding.’ But Lockwood was still left shocked when he heard the news of the latest veto. The veto means USF Health will have to cut at least three of its resident spots based at All Children's Hospital, affecting its students with pediatric specialty hopes. It also potentially leads to a larger issue of having to pick and choose branches on which the school can fully focus.” [Tampa Bay Business Journal, 7/9/20]
Teacher Shortages Doubled From 2020 To 2020 In Florida. According to Click Orlando, “Florida’s public schools continue to deal with a shortage of teachers. Vacancies have doubled in the Sunshine State over the last two years, and it’s estimated more than 100,000 students do not have a full-time teacher.” [Click Orlando, 1/22/23]
Estimates Found More Than 100,000 Students In Florida Do Not Have A Full-Time Teacher. According to Click Orlando, “Florida’s public schools continue to deal with a shortage of teachers. Vacancies have doubled in the Sunshine State over the last two years, and it’s estimated more than 100,000 students do not have a full-time teacher.” [Click Orlando, 1/22/23]
DeSantis Signed A Bill Into Law Allowing Veterans To Apply For A Temporary Teaching Certificate Without Earning A Bachelor’s Degree. According to the Associated Press, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a bill making veterans without a bachelor’s degree eligible to receive a temporary five-year teaching certificate. […] DeSantis signed several bills on June 9 that were meant to help veterans find jobs. One was Florida Senate Bill 896, which allows veterans to apply for a five-year temporary teaching certificate without first earning a bachelor’s degree, as is otherwise required to teach in the state.” [Associated Press, 8/18/22]
DeSantis Said The Bill Would Help Bring More Talent In Schools. According to Florida Politics, “Part of the need for such a bill, the Governor said, was a demand for more ‘talent’ in schools. ‘Another thing we did is we said, ‘OK, how can we get more talent into our school system?’ So we did a bill this past year that said if you have completed four years of active duty military and you have, I think, 60 hours of college coursework, you’re eligible. If you had a 2.5 GPA and passed whatever the tests are to pass, you get temporary certification.’ ‘You can work toward your degree,’ DeSantis added. ‘But you can go in and contribute.’” [Florida Politics, 8/3/22]
Military.com: DeSantis’ Veteran Teachers’ Program Was “Unlikely To Fix” The State’s Teacher Shortage Program. According to Military.com, “Six months after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state's veteran to teacher certification pathway into law, only a handful of veterans have been approved for certification across all 70-plus school districts, Military.com has learned. When the school year started in 2022, there were more than 5,000 teacher openings in the state, and the June law was intended to help fill that gap while tackling veteran unemployment. But in total, seven teachers have been hired through the program, a sign that, while the law generated headlines, it's unlikely to fix the problem. Educators say the teacher shortage is driven, in part, by low salaries: Florida is ranked 48th in the country for schoolteacher pay, according to the National Education Association.” [Military.com, 12/14/22]
Florida Department Of Education Hired Seven Veterans Out Of Over 538 Applications. According to Military.com, “On Wednesday morning, Military.com called the state's Department of Education, spoke to a representative, and emailed them a list of questions detailing the findings from contacting the school districts and the account of the fall briefing provided by local officials. In an email Wednesday evening, a spokesperson said that the program currently has seven veterans working as teachers through the program, out of 538 applications.” [Military.com, 12/14/22]
Florida Education Association President Said DeSantis’ Policies Were Making Teaching Jobs Less Attractive In The State. According to the Washington Post, “Florida is already facing a dire teacher shortage, with 9,000 open teaching and staff positions unfilled as the new school year begins, said Florida Education Association president Andy Spar. The shortage is severe enough that DeSantis recently signed a law that allows military veterans to teach without the required certificate or a four-year college degree. Spar said Florida’s new laws have made the profession less attractive for experienced teachers and new college graduates alike. A recent national survey by the American Federation of Teachers found that nearly 80 percent of teachers are dissatisfied with their job. ‘And here in Florida it’s worse,’ Spar said. ‘The low pay, the lack of respect, the constant villainizing, that all takes a toll.’” [Washington Post, 7/30/22]
DESANTIS SIGNED “DON’T SAY GAY” INTO LAW IN FLORIDA, PROHIBITING EDUCATORS FROM DISCUSSING GENDER OR SEXUALITY WITH STUDENTS
2022: DeSantis Signed House Bill 1557 Into Law. In March 2022, according to the Florida Senate, DeSantis signed into law House Bill 1557, which “[r]equire[d] district school boards to adopt procedures that comport with certain provisions of law for notifying student's parent of specified information; require[d] such procedures to reinforce fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding upbringing & control of their children; prohibit[ed] school district from adopting procedures or student support forms that prohibit school district personnel from notifying parent about specified information or that encourage student to withhold from parent such information; prohibit[ed] school district personnel from discouraging or prohibiting parental notification & involvement in critical decisions affecting student's mental, emotional, or physical well-being; prohibit[ed] classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels; require[d] school districts to notify parents of healthcare services; authorize[d] parent to bring action against school district to obtain declaratory judgment; provide[d] for additional award of injunctive relief, damages, & reasonable attorney fees & court costs to certain parents.” [Florida Senate, Accessed on 10/27/22; Florida Senate, H.B. 1557]
Florida Board Of Education Ruled To Expand “Don’t Say Gay” Restrictions To All K-12 Education. According to Politico, “The Florida Board of Education expanded the state’s restrictions on teaching students about sexual orientation or gender identity Wednesday to all K-12 public schools. Under the updated rule expanding the legislation panned as ‘Don’t Say Gay’ by critics, teachers run the risk of losing their educator credentials for leading instruction on those topics to students through 12th grade instead of strictly kindergarten through grade 3. This new guideline, which board members approved unanimously, appears to be even stronger than the parental rights expansions that Republican lawmakers are currently advancing at the statehouse.” [Politico, 4/19/23]
DeSantis Signed H.B. 5 Which Tasked Florida’s Education Department To Develop Civics Curriculum Which Would Include Lessons On The “Evil” Of Communist And Totalitarian Regimes. According to the Naples Daily News, “Gov. Ron DeSantis signed three education bills Tuesday that direct how civics is taught in Florida public schools and universities, including one bill that seeks to assess ‘viewpoint diversity’ on college campuses. The three bills — House Bill 5, House Bill 233 and Senate Bill 1108 — target how civics education and debate topics will be discussed from kindergarten through higher education. […] H.B. 5, known as the ‘Portraits of Patriotism Act,’ tasks Florida's Department of Education to develop civics curriculum that will include lessons on the ‘evils' of communist and totalitarian regimes. DeSantis condemned how some colleges and universities discuss communist leaders and ideologies. Mao Zedong, a Chinese communist revolutionary, is spoken of ‘positively’ on college campuses and Che Guevara, a Cuban revolutionary, is celebrated on shirts, he said. ‘This guy was a total communist thug and yet that's the kind of environment that you see,’ DeSantis said. ‘And so I think by us having this, we're really going to be, I think pushing back against some of the whitewashing that's been done.’” [Naples Daily News, 6/22/21]
DeSantis Signed S.B. 1108 Which Would Require State University And High School Students To Take A Civics Assessment A Graduation Requirement. According to the Naples Daily News, “Gov. Ron DeSantis signed three education bills Tuesday that direct how civics is taught in Florida public schools and universities, including one bill that seeks to assess ‘viewpoint diversity’ on college campuses. The three bills — House Bill 5, House Bill 233 and Senate Bill 1108 — target how civics education and debate topics will be discussed from kindergarten through higher education. […] S.B. 1108 seeks ‘to build bridges civics education between our high schools and post-secondary institutions,’ DeSantis said. State college and university students will be required to take an assessment in addition to a civics literacy course as a graduation requirement. Currently, college students are only required to complete one. The bill further requires high school students to take a civics assessment prior to graduation, DeSantis said.” [Naples Daily News, 6/22/21]
2022: DeSantis Signed Into Law The Stop WOKE Act, Which Prohibited Public Schools And Workplaces From Mandating Trainings That Would Shame Or Guilt Individuals Of Their Race, Sex, Color Or National Origin And Prohibited Indoctrinating Individuals Over Privileges And Oppression. In April 2022, according to the Florida Senate, DeSantis signed into law House Bill 7, which in part “specifie[d] that subjecting any individual, as a condition of employment, membership, certification, licensing, credentialing, or passing an examination, to training, instruction, or any other required activity; or subjecting any K-20 public education student or employee to training or instruction, that espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels such individual to believe the following concepts constitutes an unlawful employment practice or unlawful discrimination: Members of one race, color, national origin, or sex are morally superior to members of another race, color, national origin, or sex. A person, by virtue of his or her race, color, national origin, or sex is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously. A person's moral character or status as either privileged or oppressed is necessarily determined by his or her race, color, national origin, or sex. Members of one race, color, national origin, or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race, color, national origin, or sex. A person, by virtue of his or her race, color, national origin, or sex bears responsibility for, or should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment because of, actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, national origin, or sex. A person, by virtue of his or her race, color, national origin, or sex should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment to achieve diversity, equity, or inclusion. A person, by virtue of his or her race, color, sex, or national origin, bears personal responsibility for and must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress because of actions, in which the person played no part, committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, national origin, or sex. Such virtues as merit, excellence, hard work, fairness, neutrality, objectivity, and racial colorblindness are racist or sexist, or were created by members of a particular race, color, national origin, or sex to oppress members of another race, color, national origin, or sex. However, training or instruction may include a discussion of such concepts if they are presented in an objective manner without endorsement.” [Florida Senate, Accessed on 10/13/22; Florida Senate, H.B. 7]
Miami Jackson Senior High Teacher Criticized DeSantis’ Efforts As Whitewashing History. According to the Miami Herald, “One of the stops was at Miami Jackson Senior High. It was sparsely attended, but the proposed changes to the civics and government standards drew some backlash from members of the public. ‘These concepts I feel like my grandmother would’ve taught in the 1940s,’ said Robin Porter, a social studies teacher at Nautilus Middle School. ‘It’s whitewashed. Literally whitewashed.’” [Miami Herald, 6/1/21]
Some At A Tour Stop For Education Officials Attacked The Standards For Omitting The Word “Slavery” From Teaching Standards. According to the Miami Herald, “In recent days, Florida education officials have been touring the state gathering public input on proposed revisions to the state’s academic standards, which make no mention of critical race theory, even as the governor rails against the concept. One of the stops was at Miami Jackson Senior High. It was sparsely attended, but the proposed changes to the civics and government standards drew some backlash from members of the public. […] Some lambasted the absence of the word ‘slavery’ from the standards. When asked about it, Florida’s K-12 chancellor, Jacob Oliva, told the Miami Herald the education department is doing a listening tour to gather input because there are a lot of points of view. ‘Our goal from the beginning is to be transparent,’ he said. ‘The final product reflects everyone’s values.’” [Miami Herald, 6/1/21]
Chair Of Bethune-Cookman’s Justice And Political Science Department Argued Politicizing Education Would Hurt Students By Limiting Their Exposure To Racism. According to the Miami Herald, “The push to impose restrictions on how teachers discuss race in the classroom comes a year after Americans — among them students, parents and teachers — have faced constant reminders of simmering racial tensions that have been in the forefront of national politics in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. ‘We’re supposed to be in this period of racial reckoning and reconciliation and we can’t necessarily agree on how to introduce quote-unquote facts to children in a way that informs them of the realities and prepares them for global citizenship in the 21st century,’ said Kideste Yusef, the chair of Bethune-Cookman University’s justice and political science department. Many educators, such as Yusef, contend that politicizing education policy will hurt students by limiting what and how they learn about racism’s reach out of concern or fear that students may feel uncomfortable. ‘Are we not strong enough as Americans to dissect our own history and learn from it?’ Yusef said. ‘Education is engaging intellectual curiosity … if we teach one rigid way, how do we develop those critical thinking and assessment skills?’” [Miami Herald, 6/1/21]
Florida A&M University Professor Said Many Historical Facts Have Already Been Omitted From State-Approved Academic Standards, Including African-American History. According to the Miami Herald, “The problem is that many historical facts have been omitted from the state-approved academic standards and history books teachers use to guide their lessons, said Dr. Bernadette Kelley, the director of the African American History Task Force and a faculty member at Florida A&M University. ‘As far as African-American history is concerned, they have not included all of the facts about African-American history. They have omitted a lot of the history and contributions of African Americans in the state of Florida to the U.S. and to the world,’ Kelley said in an interview. ‘To me, that is a denial of some of the facts.’” [Miami Herald, 6/1/21]
State Senator Jones Called DeSantis’ Proposals A “Dangerous Attempt To Whitewash And Rewrite History For The Sake Of Political Expediency.” According to the Orlando Sentinel, “Democrats, especially Black Democrats, reacted with consternation and anger at DeSantis' latest plan. ‘Many Republicans, they go around quoting Martin Luther King,’ state Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-West Park, said after DeSantis referenced the portion of King's ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on Wednesday in which King asked not to be judged by the color of his skin but by the content of his character. […] ‘The fact that the governor used that quote today [in an effort] to ban critical race theory in our schools, [which is] not even taught within our K-12 system, is disingenuous to Black people. ... It's a dangerous attempt to whitewash and rewrite history for the sake of political expediency.’” [Orlando Sentinel, 12/16/21]
DeSantis’ Vague Education Policies Led To Teacher’s Changing Their Lesson Plans Last Minute As Critics Said It Has “Silenced Teachers.” According to the Washington Post, “In Palm Beach County, one teacher changed her plans for a lesson about Sally Ride — the first American woman to fly in space — to omit the fact that Ride was a lesbian because she didn’t know how to explain that without running afoul of the new laws, according to Michael Woods, a special-education teacher there who knows the instructor. Some teachers in Orange County say they don’t know if it’s safe to bring in photos of their same-sex spouses. The school district told them the pictures are fine but said they shouldn’t talk about partners, because ‘it could be deemed classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity,’ according to district spokesman Michael Ollendorff. Teachers in K-3 classrooms were also cautioned against wearing clothing that could bring up similar discussions. ‘The vagueness of these laws is doing exactly what it was intended to do. It’s silencing teachers,’ said Woods, who is also a member of the Classroom Teachers Association. ‘I have grown people coming up to me worried about what they can say.’” [Washington Post, 7/30/22]
DeSantis Signed Legislation Which Would Require Public Universities To Survey Students And Faculty About Their Beliefs And Viewpoints To Support “Intellectual Diversity.” According to the Miami Herald, “In his continued push against the ‘indoctrination’ of students, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed legislation that will require public universities and colleges to survey students, faculty and staff about their beliefs and viewpoints to support ‘intellectual diversity.’” [Miami Herald, 6/22/21]
Surveys Would Discern Extents Of Competing Viewpoints At Public Universities And To Find Whether Surveyors “Feel Free To Express Beliefs On Campus And In The Classroom.” According to the Miami Herald, “The survey will discern ‘the extent to which competing ideas and perspectives are presented’ in public universities and colleges, and seeks to find whether students, faculty and staff ‘feel free to express beliefs and viewpoints on campus and in the classroom,’ according to the bill.” [Miami Herald, 6/22/21]
Miami Herald Speculated That DeSantis Could Use The Bill For Future Tax Cuts If Universities Were Found To Be “Indoctrinating” Students. According to the Miami Herald, “The measure, which goes into effect July 1, does not specify what will be done with the survey results. But DeSantis and Sen. Ray Rodrigues, the sponsor of the bill, suggested on Tuesday that budget cuts could be looming if universities and colleges are found to be ‘indoctrinating’ students. ‘That's not worth tax dollars and that's not something that we're going to be supporting moving forward,’ DeSantis said at a press conference at a middle school in Fort Myers.” [Miami Herald, 6/22/21]
DeSantis’ Education Commissioner Issued A Memo To ] School Districts To Ignore Guidance From The Biden Administration Which Prohibited Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity In Schools. According to the Washington Post, “The DeSantis administration has decried teachings on race, suggested civics instruction that downplays the historical separation of church and state, told school districts to ignore advice from the federal government that guarantees civil rights protections for LGBTQ students and, on Wednesday, asserted that children in elementary schools are being told they are the wrong gender. […] His education department issued a memorandum the next day advising told school districts to ignore guidance from the Biden administration that says federal law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.” [Washington Post, 7/30/22]
Memo Said Biden’s Rulings “Should Not Be Treated As Governing Law” And To Ignore Anti-Discrimination Posters From The USDA. According to the Washington Post, “The memo from Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said the Biden administration’s rules ‘should not be treated as governing law.’ Diaz’s memo also says schools can ignore suggestions from the Florida Department of Agriculture Commission that they should post ‘And Justice For All’ posters from the USDA in schools. The posters explain anti-discrimination laws. Florida Agriculture commissioner Nikki Fried, the only Democrat in DeSantis’s cabinet and a candidate for governor, said schools should display the posters. But Diaz said that ‘doing so may create a conflict with Florida law.’” [Washington Post, 7/30/22]
DeSantis Called To Cut Funding For DEI Initiatives And Curtail Faculty At State Universities. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “Former Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran is slated to become the next president of embattled New College of Florida, while Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing to cut diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and curtail faculty tenure on state university campuses. All of these planned changes apparently are intended to further DeSantis’ campaign against what he describes as a ‘far-left’ agenda in higher education. DeSantis said during a press conference Tuesday morning at State College of Florida’s Manatee-Sarasota campus that the state should halt funding to diversity, equity and inclusion programs and critical race theory ‘bureaucracies,’ leaving them to ‘wither on the vine.’” [Orlando Sentinel, 1/31/23]
DeSantis Sought To Bar Universities From Using Funding On Courses Such As LGBTQ History, Women In Literature, And African American Studies. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “DeSantis now wants to bar universities from using any funding on those initiatives, which included courses in topics like LGBTQ history, women in literature and African American studies; student recruitment efforts; and health programs targeting poor and underserved patients. Instead, DeSantis said, that money should be directed to his priorities, which will focus on ‘promoting academic excellence.’” [Orlando Sentinel, 1/31/23]
DeSantis Held A Roundtable Attacking Diversity Programs At Florida Universities
DeSantis Held A Roundtable Attacking Diversity Programs At Florida Universities. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Gov. Ron DeSantis led a roundtable discussion on Monday that portrayed Florida’s public universities as a system of schools that had lowered its standards and was gripped by an ‘ideology’ that based advancement on race instead of merit. The mid-morning discussion occurred as a wide-ranging bill to change higher education was due to be debated for the first time later in the day by state lawmakers. The measure, House Bill 999, includes a provision that would end funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs at state colleges and universities.” [Tampa Bay Times, 3/13/23]
DeSantis Accused Universities Of Underreporting Diversity Programs. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Also during the roundtable, DeSantis accused universities of underreporting what they spend on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in response to a request from his budget office. Together, the universities said they spend about $35 million on such programs, but the governor said he believed it was ‘significantly higher.’” [Tampa Bay Times, 3/13/23]
DeSantis Said Diversity Programs Were Being Used By Universities “To Try To Impose Not Diversity, But To Try To Impose Uniformity Of Thought.” According to the Tampa Bay Times, “He said universities were right aim for diversity and ‘making sure that people from different walks of life are able to participate. But he added: ‘I think it’s been used in the administrative apparatus of universities to try to impose not diversity of thought, but to try to impose uniformity of thought. And instead of inclusion, the people that dissent from this orthodoxy are actually excluded and marginalized.’” [Tampa Bay Times, 3/13/23]
DeSantis Signed Bill Which Prohibited Universities From Spending State Funding On Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Programs. According to Politico, “Colleges and universities in Florida are no longer allowed to spend their cash on most diversity, equity and inclusion programs under a slate of higher education reforms Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday to curb “woke” ideology on campuses across the state. […] The central legislation enacted Monday, FL S.B. 266 (23R), prohibits Florida schools from spending any state or federal funding on most programs or campus activities that advocate for diversity and inclusion policies or promote political or social activism, something specifically asked for by DeSantis.” [Politico, 5/15/23]
The Bill Would Set A Statewide Review Of College Courses Which Taught “Systemic Racism, Sexism, Oppression, And Privilege” Were Ingrained In American Society. According to Politico, “Under the wide-ranging changes in the bill, Florida is set to undergo a statewide review of college courses and programs for traces of lessons that assert ‘systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege’ are ingrained in American society. It also spurs officials to reconsider what level courses that broach those subjects or ‘distort significant historical events’ should be available to students and could ultimately lead to the ‘removal, alignment, realignment, or addition’ of courses.” [Politico, 5/15/23]
DeSantis Signed A Bill Which Prevented Schools From Requiring A “Political Loyalty Test” For New Hires. According to Politico, “DeSantis on Monday also signed FL H.B. 931 (23R) to prevent schools from requiring ‘political loyalty tests’ in hiring or admissions and attempting to spur more debates among students. As one example of this, Republicans during session cited a statement from Florida Atlantic University asking medical students how they can ‘play an active role’ in addressing and dismantling systemic racism.” [Politico, 5/15/23]
October 2023: A DeSantis-Backed Proposal Which Would Restrict Social Activism And DEI Efforts At Public Universities Was Being Considered By Florida Lawmakers
October 2023: A DeSantis-Backed Proposal To Restrict Social Activism And DEI Efforts At Public Universities Was Being Considered By Florida Lawmakers. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “A proposed regulation aimed at restricting diversity programs and social activism at Florida’s public universities has stirred confusion, with some saying its broadly worded passages could limit free speech. The regulation, when approved, will determine how the state enforces the law known as Senate Bill 266, a measure pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that seeks to gut diversity, equity and inclusion programs at colleges and universities. A draft version being circulated for feedback says in part that universities may not spend public money on activities that ‘advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion’ or ‘promote or engage in political or social activism.’” [Tampa Bay Times, 10/23/23]
DeSantis Rejected AP African American Course Because The Course Included Topics Such As Movement For Black Lives, Black Feminism, And Reparations. According to CNN, “Florida rejected a proposed Advanced Placement course focused on African American Studies because it included study of topics like the Movement for Black Lives, Black feminism and reparations, according to a list of concerns provided to CNN on Friday by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office. The one-page document prepared by the Florida Department of Education also questions the inclusion of certain Black authors and historians whose writings touch on critical race theory and Black communism. For example, the state objects to the inclusion of writing by Robin D.G. Kelley, a professor of American history at UCLA, who ‘warns that simply establishing safe spaces and renaming campus buildings does nothing to overthrow capitalism,’ according to the document.” [CNN, 1/20/23]
DeSantis’ Office Said The Course Framework For The Study Of Reparations Offered “No Critical Perspective Or Balancing Opinion,” Said “All Points And Resources In This Study Advocate For Reparations.” According to CNN, “The state also said the course framework for the study of reparations – the argument to compensate Black Americans for slavery and other historical atrocities and oppressive acts – includes ‘no critical perspective or balancing opinion in this lesson.’ ‘All points and resources in this study advocate for reparations,’ the document said.” [CNN, 1/20/23]
DeSantis, Said The Course Delved Too Far Into Political Agendas Including Topics Such As Queer Theory And Abolishing Prisons. According to Politico, “Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday stood by Florida’s decision to reject students’ access to an AP course on African American studies as outrage mounts surrounding the move, particularly among Black leaders. The Republican governor said that he supports banning the course being offered to some high school students because its lessons delve too far into political agendas, broaching topics such as queer studies and abolishing prisons. Black officials in the state, from Democratic lawmakers to faith leaders, however, are seeking to overturn the DeSantis administration’s determination that the class ‘significantly lacks educational value.’” [Politico, 1/23/23]
DeSantis Hinted At Ending The State’s Relationship With College Board, Which Would Remove AP Courses From Florida High Schools. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Tens of thousands of Florida high school students take Advanced Placement courses every year to have a competitive edge heading into college. Now, Gov. Ron DeSantis says he wants to reevaluate the state’s relationship with the College Board, the private company that administers those courses and the SAT exam. And that has some high school students worried. […] DeSantis has not made clear exactly what he plans to change, but his remarks come after the College Board on Saturday accused his administration of playing politics when it rejected its new Advanced Placement African American studies course over allegations that it ‘lacks educational value.’ ‘This College Board, like, nobody elected them to anything,’ DeSantis said at a news conference Monday in Naples. ‘They are just kind of there, and they provide a service, and so you can either utilize those services or not.’ While DeSantis acknowledged the College Board’s long-standing presence in the state, he said ‘there are probably other vendors who may be able to do that job as good or maybe even a lot better.’” [Tampa Bay Times, 2/13/23]
DeSantis Called For All Florida Colleges And Universities To Adopt So-Called “Free Speech” Provision, Titled “Chicago Statement,” Welcoming Controversial Speakers On University Campuses Regardless Of Student’s Opinions. According to the Miami Herald, “Gov. Ron DeSantis said all of Florida’s colleges and universities should adopt a resolution similar to the ‘Chicago statement,’ a position on free speech that declares that all viewpoints should be allowed to be discussed on college campuses, even if they are ones students may ‘loathe’ or find ‘deeply offensive.’ ‘We are here today to affirm our commitment to ensuring that all Florida’s public universities and colleges protect student speech and the open exchange of ideas on our campuses,’ DeSantis said during a Monday news conference at Florida State University, flanked by the university’s president, John Thrasher, Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran and Marshall Criser, chancellor of the state’s university system.” [Miami Herald, 4/15/19]
DESANTIS DOUBLED DOWN ON HIS RECENT AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY STANDARDS, WHICH ARGUED SOME BLACK PEOPLE HAD BENEFITED FROM SLAVERY
DeSantis Doubled Down On Florida’s African American History Standards, Which Argued Some Black People Had Benefited From Slavery. According to the Washington Post, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is intensifying his efforts to de-emphasize racism in his state’s public school curriculum by arguing that some Black people benefited from being enslaved and defending his state’s new African American history standards that civil rights leaders and scholars say misrepresents centuries of U.S. reality. ‘They’re probably going to show that some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into doing things later in life,’ DeSantis said on Friday in response to reporters’ questions while standing in front of a nearly all-White crowd of supporters.” [Washington Post, 7/22/23]
DeSantis: “They’re Probably Going To Show That Some Of The Folks That Eventually Parlayed, You Know, Being A Blacksmith Into Doing Things Later In Life.” According to the Washington Post, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is intensifying his efforts to de-emphasize racism in his state’s public school curriculum by arguing that some Black people benefited from being enslaved and defending his state’s new African American history standards that civil rights leaders and scholars say misrepresents centuries of U.S. reality. ‘They’re probably going to show that some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into doing things later in life,’ DeSantis said on Friday in response to reporters’ questions while standing in front of a nearly all-White crowd of supporters.” [Washington Post, 7/22/23]
DeSantis Said He Was Not Involved In Writing The New Teaching Materials But Credited “A Lot Of Scholars” For Creating The New Standards. According to the Washington Post, “DeSantis said he ‘wasn’t involved’ in writing the new teaching materials, which took effect this week. But he credited ‘a lot of scholars” with creating “the most robust standards in African American history probably anywhere in the country.’” [Washington Post, 7/22/23]
Florida Board Of Education Approved African American History Curriculum Which Opponents Argued Left Out Florida’s Role In Slavery, Victim Blamed Black Communities, And Used Outdated Language
Florida Board Of Education Approved African American History Curriculum Which Opponents Argued Left Out Florida’s Role In Slavery, Victim Blamed Black Communities, And Used Outdated Language. According to the Florida Times-Union, “The Florida Board of Education approved a new curriculum for African American history on Wednesday, but not without pushback. After more than an hour of public comment, with a majority of speakers opposed, the board voted unanimously to approve the social studies standards for African American history for kindergarten through 12th grades. Opponents say the curriculum leaves out Florida’s role in slavery and the oppression of African Americans, victim blames Black communities and uses outdated language.” [Florida Times-Union, 7/19/23]
FLORIDA EFFECTIVELY BANNED COLLEGE BOARD’S AP PSYCHOLOGY COURSE OVER A SEXUAL ORIENTATION LESSON
Politico: Florida “Effectively Banned” College Board’s AP Psychology Course Over A Sexual Orientation Lesson. According to Politico, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has essentially barred a high school Advanced Placement psychology course in the state because it includes lessons on sexual orientation and identity that violate state law, the College Board said Thursday. The decision not only deepens a raging dispute between the struggling Republican presidential candidate and massive education nonprofit, but it also threatens the course loads of thousands of Florida students just before a new school year. ‘We are sad to have learned that today the Florida Department of Education has effectively banned AP Psychology in the state by instructing Florida superintendents that teaching foundational content on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal under state law,’ the College Board said in a statement. ‘The state has said districts are free to teach AP Psychology only if it excludes any mention of these essential topics.’” [Politico, 8/3/23]
CONSERVATIVE NONPROFIT PRAGERU ANNOUNCED FLORIDA WAS THE FIRST STATE TO APPROVE PRAGERU AS AN EDUCATIONAL VENDOR
Conservative Nonprofit Group PragerU Announced Florida Was The First State To Approve The Company As An Educational Vendor. According to the Miami New Times, “PragerU, a conservative nonprofit often criticized for downplaying systemic racism and promoting anti-immigrant theories, announced today that Florida is ‘the first state to officially approve PragerU as an educational vendor.’ A press release from group states, ‘This fall in schools across America, students will be watching PragerU videos in their classrooms as states officially make PragerU an approved educational resource.’” [Miami New Times, 7/24/23]
PragerU Was Not An Accredited Institution
PragerU Was Not An Accredited Academic Institution. According to the Miami New Times, “Despite its name, PragerU is not an accredited academic institution, nor does it issue degrees.” [Miami New Times, 7/24/23]
PragerU Said It Was Partnering With States To Provide Conservative Lesson Plans
PragerU Partnered With States To Provide Conservative Lesson Plans. According to the Miami New Times, “The group claims it is partnering with as many states as possible to provide conservative lesson plans — touted as ‘PragerU Kids’ — in response to requests from teachers who ‘are sick and tired of curriculum laced with radical political agendas.’” [Miami New Times, 7/24/23]
PragerU Said Its Goal Was To Counter “Left-Wing Propaganda.” According to the Miami New Times, “‘PragerU effectively counters the left-wing propaganda they are pushing on children,’ PragerU said in a news release. ‘They don’t want children to be exposed to an education grounded in our nation’s founding principles and traditional values that inspires self-reliance, gratitude, and a love of America.’” [Miami New Times, 7/24/23]
2012: DeSantis Argued The Functions Of The Department Of Education Should Be Carried Out By State Agencies, And Not A Federal One. According to the American Independent, “The Republicans who have either formally announced bids for president or are rumored to be contemplating jumping into the race have all said they want to eliminate the Department of Education in a move that would have sweeping implications for the distribution of federal education grants, student loans, and how students’ civil rights protections are enforced. […] DeSantis told the Palm Coast Observer in 2012 that the functions of the Department of Education should be carried out by a state agency, not a federal one.” [American Independent, 4/13/23]
2017: DeSantis Said “Washington Shouldn’t Be Dictating Your Education” And Called To “Send That Power Back To The Local Communities.” According to the American Independent, “The Republicans who have either formally announced bids for president or are rumored to be contemplating jumping into the race have all said they want to eliminate the Department of Education in a move that would have sweeping implications for the distribution of federal education grants, student loans, and how students’ civil rights protections are enforced. […] Five years later, during a town hall event at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida in 2017, DeSantis said, ‘Washington shouldn’t be dictating your education.’ ‘I think that you look, we have a very big, diverse country. What would work in Seattle, Washington, is not the same that’s going to work in Omaha, Nebraska, or here in Daytona Beach,’ DeSantis said, as members of the audience jeered. ‘So what we want to do is send that power back to the local communities. Let them do it.’” [American Independent, 4/13/23]
DeVos Family Contributed More Than $280,000 To DeSantis, With $5,500 Coming From Betsy DeVos. According to Salon, “Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her family have donated more than $280,000 to back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' re-election effort amid his crackdown on discussions of race and sexual orientation in schools. DeVos, who served four years as former President Donald Trump's education chief, personally contributed $5,500 to a super PAC backing DeSantis' re-election bid last month, according to state campaign finance records. Her husband, Dick DeVos, the former chief executive of Amway, contributed more than $80,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis super PAC last year. Their son, Rick DeVos, contributed $2,500 directly to DeSantis' campaign, as did their grandson Dalton DeVos and niece Olivia DeVos. Dick DeVos' brother Daniel and his wife Pamela also kicked in more than $70,000 to the Friends of DeSantis super PAC and his other brother Douglas also contributed more than $60,000. Dick DeVos' sister Suzanne Cheryl DeVos added another $50,000.” [Salon, 4/4/22]
DeSantis’ Push For “School Choice” Mirrored DeVos Family Focus On Expanding Charter Schools, Vouchers. According to Salon, “Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her family have donated more than $280,000 to back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' re-election effort amid his crackdown on discussions of race and sexual orientation in schools. […] The former secretary and other members of her family have been deeply involved in the ‘school choice’ movement, pushing to shift public education funds to private and charter schools, and have promoted efforts to use the country's schools to ‘advance God's kingdom.’ DeSantis, meanwhile, quickly pushed for a plan to use taxpayer money to fund private and religious school tuition to expand ‘school choice’ options shortly after taking office in 2019. DeVos touted the plan while part of the Trump administration, tweeting that she ‘completely’ agrees.” [Salon, 4/4/22]
DeSantis’s Push On “Academic Transparency” Legislation And Fight Against “Wokeness” Mirrored DeVos’s Touted Priorities. According to Salon, “Since then, DeVos has turned her focus to ‘parental rights’ — a catchall that covers conservatives' fight against ‘wokeness,’ ‘critical race theory,’ and the ‘1619 Project.’ The effort has led to bans on books on race by authors of color and discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms, as well as the firing of school administrators and librarians. DeSantis has been among the Republican Party's leaders in pushing so-called ‘academic transparency’ legislation touted by DeVos. The governor just signed into law legislation critics decried as a ‘Don't say gay’ bill, which bans schools from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in some classrooms and allows parents to sue school districts over potential violations.” [Salon, 4/4/22]
March 2020: The DeSantis Administration “Strongly Recommended” Closing Schools For Two Weeks Following Spring Breaks To Slow The Spread Of Covid-19. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “All Florida school districts will shut down their schools for an extra week to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran ‘strongly recommended’ to superintendents Friday. Corcoran told the Times/Herald that he made the recommendation on a 4 p.m. conference call with the officials. Earlier in the day, three of Florida’s largest districts, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, already said that they would be shuttered starting Monday. Gov. Ron DeSantis was also on the call. This extra week off will be in addition to most districts’ spring breaks, which were already scheduled either for next week or the following week, so that students won’t be on campus for a total of weeks.” [Tampa Bay Times, 3/13/20]
March 16, 2020: DeSantis Announced That All State Universities Would Transition To Remote Learning For The Spring Semester Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that all state universities will transition to remote learning for the rest of the spring semester. Students who have not already left campus are being instructed to leave and return home. It will be a change for students and faculty, but it is the smart approach to encourage social distancing.” [Tampa Bay Times, 3/16/20]
March 17, 2020: DeSantis Closed K-12 Schools Until April 15. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “Gov. Ron DeSantis shut down all bars and nightclubs for 30 days Tuesday and extended the closure of all K-12 schools to April 15, as part of his efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. For universities and state colleges, online-only operations will extend through the rest of the spring semester. DeSantis stressed that only elderly individuals with symptoms or people with underlying medical conditions who are showing signs of the coronavirus - fever, cough, shortness of breath - can be tested, but added he is ramping up testing around the state to thwart the spread. ‘Just think how it's escalated and how concerned a lot of people are,’ DeSantis said. ‘We want to be able to help folks.’” [Orlando Sentinel, 3/17/20]
DeSantis Said He Would Not Reopen Schools Until It Could Be Done Safely. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “DeSantis said at a Tuesday news conference that he is not going to reopen the schools until it can be done safely and any decision will be done in consultation with superintendents and parents. He said schools will be discussed by a task force on reopening the state that he intends to appoint this week. ‘It is not just going back to school at the end of May for a couple weeks - we are talking about what the fall semester is going to look like for K-12, what is it going to look like for our universities? What needs to be in place?’ DeSantis said.” [South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 4/20/20]
June 2020: DeSantis Announced Plan For Public School Reopening To Full Capacity In August, Said The State Will Rely On Local Leaders To Facilitate Reopening Plans. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Arguing that Florida’s economy depends upon it, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday unveiled a plan that expects K-12 schools to reopen in August at ‘full capacity.’ What that looks like will rely on decisions made by local leaders who know their communities best, he said during a news conference in Melbourne. To help them, the state offered a lengthy set of suggestions based on discussions with experts and other advisers. The effort must make safety a priority, DeSantis said. Families and employees have to feel confident that returning to campus will not create health risks. The plan includes many ideas about disinfecting, cleaning and social distancing — as well as possibilities for when distancing is not possible, such as on buses.” [Tampa Bay Times, 6/11/20]
August 2020: Florida Department Of Health Reported 714 Covid-19 Related Infections Linked To K-12 Education In Two Weeks As Schools Began To Reopen. According to CBS News Miami, “More than 700 coronavirus cases have been linked to K-12 schools and higher-education institutions over the course of two weeks as students and employees began returning to campuses across the state, according to a Florida Department of Health report made public Monday. The report breaks down the number of cases tied to elementary, middle and high schools, as well as colleges, universities and trade schools. Altogether, 714 people, including students and employees, have tested positive for COVID-19 since Aug. 10, according to the report. The cases reflect a two-week period in which thousands of students throughout the state returned to classrooms or began moving into dorm rooms at colleges and universities.” [CBS News Miami, 8/25/20]
DeSantis Issued An Executive Order Blocking Schools From Issuing Mask Mandates. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Two Florida school districts have announced plans to again mandate mask wearing to control the spread of the more contagious coronavirus delta variant. Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to stop them, as well as any others that might follow their lead. Standing behind a lectern with a sign reading ‘Free to Choose,’ the governor announced Friday his plan to issue an executive order instructing the departments of education and health to write rules protecting parents’ right to decide whether their children will mask up in schools. The order, released several hours after his speech, followed recent decisions by the Broward and Gadsden county school systems to require that students wear masks when classes start in August. In it, the governor stated the two departments should use ‘all legal means available’ to control the spread of COVID-19 without violating Floridians’ constitutional freedoms or parents’ rights.” [Tampa Bay Times, 7/30/21]
DeSantis’ Executive Order Came When Covid-19 Infections And Hospitalizations Were Rising Due To The Delta Variant, Which Was Warned For Being More Infectious To Children Than The Original Virus. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “DeSantis’s announcement comes at a time of rising infections and hospitalizations associated with the delta variant, and as public health experts sound warnings that the new strain is more infectious for everyone, including children, than the original virus. It can also infect the vaccinated, though they’re better protected from the worst symptoms. In recent days the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics have called for mandatory masking of everyone in the schools.” [Tampa Bay Times, 7/30/21]
DeSantis Authorized Education Commissioner Corcoran To Pursue All Avenues Ensuring School Districts Comply With His Order Including “Withholding State Funds From Noncompliant School Boards.” According to the Tampa Bay Times, “To give his order teeth, DeSantis authorized education commissioner Richard Corcoran to pursue all avenues to ensure that school districts comply, ‘including but not limited to withholding state funds from noncompliant school boards.’ The governor and education department recently have threatened to cut financial support for districts that don’t follow their mandates, including Hillsborough County for its brief attempt to reject four charter school renewals.” [Tampa Bay Times, 7/30/21]
DeSantis Threatened To Withhold $200 Million In State Aid For Hillsborough County Public Schools If They Did Not Reopen By The End Of August. According to the Washington Post, “Florida is making a high-stakes gamble on school openings, with superintendents pressured into decisions that some fear will result in coronavirus outbreaks. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this week forced one of the country's largest school districts to reopen campuses by the end of August, threatening to withhold up to $200 million in state aid. The Republican’s administration told Hillsborough County — the eighth-largest system in the country — that it would lose state aid if it did not drop plans to reopen schools remotely for the first month of the 2020-2021 school year. So the county revised its plan and will start with just one week of remote learning. Then parents will choose whether to send their children into school buildings.” [Washington Post, 8/14/20]
DeSantis’ Administration Pressured Palm Beach County And Hendry County Schools To Reopen By The End Of August. According to Washington Post, “DeSantis’s administration is playing hardball with other school districts, too, in a state that is one of the nation’s coronavirus hot spots, forcing them to reopen buildings now or earlier than they want. Other governors have linked reopening schools to state funding, but none as explicitly as DeSantis. Palm Beach County was forced by the state to rewrite its plan for school reopenings and now will reopen school buildings to all students earlier than it wanted. Hendry County is a small school district in South Florida with a very high rate of positive coronavirus tests — 21.4 percent on Thursday, according to the Florida Department of Health — that had wanted to open remotely but under state pressure will open campuses on Aug. 31.” [Washington Post, 8/14/20]
714 People Tested Positive For COVID In the First Two Weeks Of The School Year After DeSantis Pushed To Reopen. According to WUSF, “More than 700 coronavirus cases have been linked to K-12 schools and higher-education institutions over the course of two weeks as students and employees began returning to campuses across the state, according to a Florida Department of Health report released Monday. The report breaks down the number of cases tied to elementary, middle and high schools, as well as colleges, universities and trade schools. Altogether, 714 people, including students and employees, have tested positive for COVID-19 since Aug. 10, according to the report.” [WUSF, 8/25/20]
DeSantis Said He Supported Allowing Federal Dollars That Support Low-Income Schools To Follow Students To Any Schools Their Families Choose. According to Politico, “Rep. Ron DeSantis would advocate allowing federal dollars that support low-income schools to follow students to any schools their families choose, including private or religious ones.” [Politico, 5/23/16]
DeSantis Called For More “School Choice Initiatives.” According to Orlando Sentinel, “*Ron DeSantis, U.S. Representative, Republican Priorities: education, the economy and reshaping Florida’s court system. On education, DeSantis wants more ‘school choice initiatives.’ That would mean continuing Republican efforts to expand charter and voucher programs. He also stressed opportunities for students who ‘want to enter the career force immediately upon high school graduation.’” [Orlando Sentinel, 2/4/18]
2016: DeSantis Voted To Reauthorize The Scholarships For Opportunity And Results Program, Which Provides Funding For D.C. Public Schools, Charter Schools And Private Schools Vouchers. In April 2016, DeSantis voted for a bill that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “reauthorize[d] the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) program at current funding ($60 million annually) through fiscal 2021. The bill would [have] equally split funding between D.C. public schools, D.C. charter school expansions and the Opportunity Scholarship program. Additionally, the bill would [have] prohibit[ed] a limitation on the number of students eligible for receiving scholarships under the program, and would repeal a section of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 (PL 114-113) that limits the SOAR scholarship program to students of schools that meet certain requirements.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the measure by a vote of 224 to 181. The Senate took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 179, 4/29/16; Congressional Quarterly, 4/29/16; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4901]
2015: DeSantis Voted To Reauthorize The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, Which Provides Funds For D.C. Students To Attend Private Schools. In October 2015, DeSantis voted for reauthorizing D.C. school vouchers. According to Congressional Quarterly, the legislation would have “reauthorize[d] the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to D.C. students to cover tuition and other expenses to attend private schools. Specifically, the bill would [have] extend[ed] through fiscal 2021 the current annual authorization level of $60 million, evenly split among the program, D.C. public school improvement and D.C. public charter school expansion. The bill would [have] require[d] private schools to be accredited or be seeking accreditation to be eligible to participate in the program and would bar the Education Department from limiting student eligibility based on certain factors, such as the school the student previously attended.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 240 to 191. The took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 559, 10/21/15; Congressional Quarterly, 10/21/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 10]
2015: DeSantis Effectively Voted Against Requiring Washington, D.C. Schools Participating In D.C. School Voucher Program To Certify That Students Are Protected Under Civil Rights, Age Discrimination, And Disability Laws. In October 2015, DeSantis effectively voted against an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly “require[d] schools, in order to participate in the program, to certify that they will provide participating students with protections under civil rights, age discrimination, and disability laws.” The underlying bill was H.R. 10, the Scholarship for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act which would have reauthorized the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The vote was on a motion to recommit. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 185 to 242. [House Vote 558, 10/21/15; Congressional Quarterly, 10/21/15]
DeSantis Said He Wanted To See The Title I And Head Start Programs Converted To A Voucher System. According to Politico, “Two primary education programs funded by the federal government are Title I, which supports schools that serve low-income students, and Head Start, which serves children from birth through age 5. DeSantis wants to see both programs administered like a voucher, where families are able to access the dollars and direct them toward whichever educational programs they want, including ones offered by private schools.” [Politico, 5/23/16]
2015: DeSantis Voted For An Amendment That Would Have Allowed States To Receive Education Funding As A Block Grant And Then Require Those States To Allocate An Equal Share Of Funding To Private Schools. In July 2015, DeSantis voted for an amendment that would allow states to receive federal education funds in the form of a block grant and thus must allocate an equal portion to private schools. According to Congressional Quarterly, the amendment would have, “allow[ed] states to receive federal education funds in the form of a block grant to be used for any education purpose under state law. States operating under a block grant must assess student achievement and must disseminate disaggregated student performance data. The amendment would also require that a state receiving federal education funds as a block grant must ensure that private schools receive an equitable portion of that funding.” The underlying bill would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “reauthorize[d] the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and would make fundamental changes to many of its programs through Fiscal 2019.” The vote was on the amendment. The House rejected the amendment 195 to 235. [House Vote 419, 7/8/15; Congressional Quarterly, 7/8/15; Congressional Quarterly, 7/8/15; Congressional Record, 7/8/15]
DeSantis Called For New School Voucher Program, Providing Vouchers To 14,000 Low-Income Students That Were On The Waitlist. According to WUSF News, “Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he wants to create a new ‘equal opportunity’ voucher program to eliminate a waiting list of about 14,000 low-income students seeking to use state-backed scholarships to attend private schools. The governor is asking lawmakers to create a ‘supplement’ to the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, the state’s largest voucher-type program, which serves nearly 100,000 students but has about 14,000 others stuck on a waiting list. ‘Let’s build on the success … and bring this to another level,’ DeSantis said at an appearance in Orlando as he outlined the proposed Equal Opportunity Scholarship program.” [WUSF News, 2/15/19]
DeSantis’ Proposal Would Make Scholarships Available To The 14,000 Waitlisted Students And Increase Enrollment By 1% Of Statewide Public School Enrollment Following Each Year. According to WUSF News, “The new program in its first year would make scholarships available to about 14,000 students --- roughly the same number on the Tax Credit Scholarship waiting list --- and then increase by 1 percent of statewide public-school enrollment each year after that, according to information from DeSantis’ office.” [WUSF News, 2/15/19]
DeSantis Called For His New Program To Provide Vouchers In A Similar Amount To The Tax Credit Scholarship Program. According to WUSF News, “DeSantis said he wants the new program to provide vouchers that would be similar in amount to the Tax Credit Scholarship Program. ‘But it will provide more resources for families to pick the type of education that makes sense for their children,’ he said.” [WUSF News, 2/15/19]
Funding For The Program Would Come Out Of The State’s Main Public Education Funding Program. According to WUSF News, “Money for the program would come out of the state’s main public-education funding program. That could spur a legal challenge, as a Bush-backed voucher program was struck down as unconstitutional in 2006 by the Florida Supreme Court.” [WUSF News, 2/15/19]
The Tax Credit Scholarship Program Was Funded By Corporations Who Would Donate To Nonprofits Which Fund Scholarships, And In Return, Those Corporations Would Receive Tax Credits. According to WUSF News, “Tax Credit Scholarship Program is structured differently, with state tax dollars not going directly to the program. Instead, companies can receive tax credits for contributing money to non-profit organizations that, in turn, fund the scholarships.” [WUSF News, 2/15/19]
Orlando Sentinel Headline: “Florida’s Voucher Programs: Evidence Of Academic Success Is Limited.” [Orlando Sentinel, 2/28/20]
Sixty-One Percent Of Students In Voucher Programs In Florida Stay For Two Years Or Less. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “The more than 167,000 Florida students now using state scholarships to pay private school tuition — at an annual total cost of more than $1 billion — do not take the same standardized tests as their public school counterparts. And the results of the tests they do take are not public, nor are their private schools’ graduation rates. That means there is little available on scholarship students’ outcomes and few academic studies to mine for information on their progress. […] But Billy Townsend, a Polk County School Board member, said another finding from that same study strikes him as significant, too: That 61% percent of students in the scholarship program stay for two years or less.” [Orlando Sentinel, 2/28/20]
DeSantis Signed Voucher Expansion Bill, Which Would Expand Voucher Programs For All K-12 Students Regardless Of Family Income. According to the Miami Herald, “Millions more Florida school children became eligible for taxpayer-funded school vouchers on Monday as Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a far-reaching bill that the Legislature sped to completion. ‘The State of Florida is No. 1 when it comes to education freedom and education choice. And today’s bill signing cements us in that No. 1 position,’ DeSantis said during a ceremony held at Christopher Columbus High School, a private, all-boys Catholic school at 3000 SW 87th Avenue in Miami-Dade. […] While the two chambers agreed on the policy of granting vouchers or education savings accounts to all K-12 school-aged children regardless of family income, they have yet to agree on how much the expanded program will cost or how to pay for it.” [Miami Herald, 3/27/23]
DeSantis Touted The Bill For Helping “Cement” Florida As Number One “When It Comes to Education Freedom And Education Choice.” According to the Miami Herald, “‘The State of Florida is No. 1 when it comes to education freedom and education choice. And today’s bill signing cements us in that No. 1 position,’ DeSantis said during a ceremony held at Christopher Columbus High School, a private, all-boys Catholic school at 3000 SW 87th Avenue in Miami-Dade.” [Miami Herald, 3/27/23]
Florida Policy Institute Analysis Found Republican House Voucher Extension Program Would Cost Public Schools In Florida Nearly $4 Billion. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “The proposed expansion of Florida’s voucher programs would inflict significant ‘fiscal damage’ on the state’s public schools, likely costing them nearly $4 billion within five years, according to a progressive state think tank. […] The result would be a steep cut in the state education budget for public schools, according to the nonprofit Florida Policy Institute, which opposes the bill. By the 2026-27 school year, Florida’s public schools could lose from $2.4 to $3.4 billion, depending on how many students enroll in the new program, and a year later about $3.8 billion, it found.” [Orlando Sentinel, 1/24/23]
DESANTIS PROPOSED OVERHAULING THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM GIVING CONTROL TO BOARDS FILLED WITH HIS APPOINTEES
DeSantis’ Office Developed A Plan To Overhaul The Higher Education System In Florida To Give More Power To Boards Run By His Political Appointees And Dependent On Politically Controlled Money. According to Seeking Rents, “Records obtained through a series of public-records requests show that DeSantis’ office recently developed a sweeping plan to overhaul higher-education oversight in Florida. The governor’s proposal would have centralized more power in boards run by the governor’s political appointees, made colleges and universities more dependent on money controlled by politicians in Tallahassee, and imposed more restrictions on what schools can teach. The DeSantis plan would have even stripped university presidents of the ability to hire professors.” [Seeking Rents, 6/1/22]
DeSantis’ Office’s Plan Included An Attempt To Strip University Presidents Of The Ability To Hire Professors. According to Seeking Rents, “Records obtained through a series of public-records requests show that DeSantis’ office recently developed a sweeping plan to overhaul higher-education oversight in Florida. The governor’s proposal would have centralized more power in boards run by the governor’s political appointees, made colleges and universities more dependent on money controlled by politicians in Tallahassee, and imposed more restrictions on what schools can teach. The DeSantis plan would have even stripped university presidents of the ability to hire professors.” [Seeking Rents, 6/1/22]
DeSantis Appointed Conservative Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Christopher Rufo To The New College Board Of Trustees. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn’t hidden the fact that he wanted to change the direction of higher education in Florida. The moves he made at tiny New College in Sarasota cemented his resolve. With his staffers saying DeSantis aimed to create a Hillsdale College of the south at New College, the governor appointed several nationally known right-wing education activists to the school’s board of trustees. Among them were Hillsdale graduate school dean Matthew Spalding and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Christopher Rufo, who led the charge to demonize the term ‘critical race theory’ across the nation.” [Tampa Bay Times, 1/9/23]
Ed Speir Was Appointed By DeSantis To New College Board Of Trustees. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, “The day after NFL Buffalo Bills football player Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field in a shocking incident that gripped the nation, Eddie Speir went on Twitter to share his thoughts. Speir is the founder, board chair and superintendent of Inspiration Academy, a private Christian school in Bradenton. He recently was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the New College of Florida Board of Trustees as part of a conservative transformation of the state’s liberal arts honors college, and is pledging to end what he calls a ‘tyrannical ideology’ at the school that is ‘patently anti-western civilization, anti-American, and anti-Florida.’ Speir’s take on Hamlin, whose first name he misstates: ‘Devin Hamlin literally died on national television (so happy he is doing better now), and very few people are stating the obvious for fear of turning his tragedy into a political discussion.’ Speir then delved into what he described as’the shocking number of people especially young athletes of have died suddenly’ and implied there is a possible link to COVID-19 vaccinations. ‘Something has changed in our public health, and we should have a discussion to collectively assess this clear and present danger to all of us,’ Speir wrote, pointing to ‘covid and vaccinations’ as the change before lamenting that ‘it is clearly forbidden to know or talk about somebody’s vaccination status who has died suddenly.’” [Tallahassee Democrat, 1/10/23]
DeSantis Appointed Hillsdale College Dean Matthew Spalding To The New College Board Of Trustees. According to the Washington Post, “Another of the six appointees is Matthew Spalding, a government professor and dean at Hillsdale College, which provides education — and has created K-12 curriculums — that is centered on Western civilization and designed to help ‘students acquire a mature love for America.’ Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has called Hillsdale ‘a shining city on a hill,’ and his wife, Virginia ‘Ginni’ Thomas, was hired by the college to help establish a full-time presence in the nation’s capital.” [Washington Post, 1/7/23]
Rufo Led The Movement Against Critical Race Theory. According to the Washington Post, “Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Friday moved to turn the state’s progressive public liberal arts honors college into a bastion of far-right conservatism like Hillsdale College in Michigan, a small but influential Christian school whose leader is aligned with former president Donald Trump. […] That doesn’t seem to be what DeSantis has in mind. DeSantis’s administration recently asked all public colleges and universities to provide it with data about resources they use related to diversity, equity, inclusion and critical race theory. Christopher Rufo, one of the six appointments, tweeted on Jan. 4: ‘Gov. DeSantis is going to lay siege to university ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ programs.’ Rufo is a conservative activist who in 2020 caught Trump’s eye with an appearance on Fox News in which Rufo declared that critical race theory had ‘pervaded every institution in the federal government.’ He urged the president ‘to stamp out this destructive, divisive, pseudoscientific ideology.’” [Washington Post, 1/7/23]
Matthew Spalding Was A Professor And Dean At Hillsdale College. According to the Washington Post, “Another of the six appointees is Matthew Spalding, a government professor and dean at Hillsdale College, which provides education — and has created K-12 curriculums — that is centered on Western civilization and designed to help ‘students acquire a mature love for America.’ Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has called Hillsdale ‘a shining city on a hill,’ and his wife, Virginia ‘Ginni’ Thomas, was hired by the college to help establish a full-time presence in the nation’s capital.” [Washington Post, 1/7/23]
Speir Said His Role On The College’s Board Was To “Lead New College Of Florida Out Of Wokeness.” According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, “Recently appointed to the New College of Florida board by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Christian school founder Eddie Speir is echoing the governor's war on "woke" in describing his plans for the Sarasota liberal arts college. Speir outlined how he's approaching his New College position in a recent Substack post that begins by declaring ‘we have a mandate’ and goes on to note that DeSantis won reelection by more than 19 percentage points. ‘The taxpayers of Florida have spoken clearly. Do we understand the assignment?’ Speir wrote. ‘As I see it, we as trustees, are to lead New College of Florida out of wokeness and into its mission.’” [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 1/24/23]
New College Board Fired President, Installed Former GOP House Speaker And Former DeSantis Education Secretary As Interim President. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, “The whirlwind unleashed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that rapidly is reshaping New College of Florida picked up speed Tuesday with the president fired amid a broad leadership overhaul that capped a momentous few hours for the Sarasota school. A slate of new board members installed by DeSantis earlier this month replaced college President Patricia Okker with former GOP House speaker and education commissioner Richard Corcoran, installed a DeSantis appointee as the new board chair, moved to hire a former Republican lawmaker as the school's new general counsel and began the process of abolishing programs aimed at increasing diversity, equity and inclusion on campus, turbo charging a dramatic conservative culture shift.” [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 1/31/23]
New College’s Board Appointed Debra Jenks As The New Chair And Former Republican State Senate President Bill Galvano To The College’s General Counsel. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, “The board also selected DeSantis' appointee Debra Jenks as the new chair and voted to negotiate with Bill Galvano, a former GOP state Senate president from Bradenton, to become the college's new general counsel. The changes ensure the college's top officials are in synch with DeSantis' education agenda, which he reiterated Tuesday during a press conference in Bradenton.” [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 1/31/23]
New College Trustees Voted To Make DeSantis Ally Richard Corcoran The School’s President
New College Trustees Voted To Make DeSantis Ally Richard Corcoran The School’s President. According to the Associated Press, “Amid a conservative makeover launched by Gov. Ron DeSantis, trustees of the New College of Florida voted Tuesday to stick with DeSantis ally Richard Corcoran as the school’s president. The trustees voted 10-2 for Corcoran, who has served as interim president since January, over two other candidates to run the Sarasota school that for years had a progressive reputation and somewhat eccentric student body. Corcoran, a former state House speaker and education commissioner, is moving the school in a different direction. ‘I think he’s done a great job getting us where we are today. I know we have a lot of work going forward,’ Trustee Lance Karp said. ‘For the first time now, I’d say there is a lot of positivity.’” [Associated Press, 10/3/23]
DeSantis Endorsed A School Board Term Limits Bill But Said It Did Not Go Far Enough Arguing That Members Should Be Limited To Only Two Terms Not Three. According to Florida Politics, “Gov. Ron DeSantis offered a qualified endorsement Tuesday of legislation (CS/HB 1467) imposing term limits on school board members statewide, but said it didn’t go far enough. ‘I’m a big believer in term limits,’ DeSantis said. ‘I think it should be eight years, two terms. They did three terms, which, you know, it’s fine and I wouldn’t veto the bill just over that. But if it were a standalone measure, I would have insisted on just two terms for school board members because I think that’s enough time to go, serve, get stuff done.’ ‘Is the 12 (years) the worst thing in the world? It may be good,’ DeSantis said, ‘because we have some in the state that have been really entrenched for a long time.’ Eight years are enough for the Governor, he reiterated, saying the House measure was a model of doing it right. ‘I’m a huge believer in term limits,’ DeSantis added. ‘It tells these legislators that your time is limited. You come in, leave a legacy.’” [Florida Politics, 3/15/22]
DeSantis Said His Friends Of Ron DeSantis PAC Spent Around $2.1 Million On School Board Races. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday said his political committee spent about $2 million to support county school board candidates in this year’s elections. DeSantis endorsed 30 conservative school board candidates in the nonpartisan races, most of whom chalked up wins. Speaking at an event Monday in Orlando, DeSantis said his Friends of Ron DeSantis political committee helped pay for advertising for his preferred candidates. ‘We did a couple million dollars, $2.1 million of support, for text messaging, mail pieces, robocalls, all that stuff,’ DeSantis said. ‘All we were doing — it wasn’t rocket science — we were just educating our voters about who shared our values and who didn’t.’ DeSantis’ focus on school board politics came after high-profile clashes with boards during the past two years, based on issues such as student mask requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. In some cases, 2022 election wins helped create conservative majorities on school boards. [Tampa Bay Times, 12/20/22]
DeSantis’ Conservative School Board Candidates Began Purging Superintendents In Broward And Sarasota Counties Who Had Pushed Covid-19 Mandates. According to Politico, “Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis put his weight behind dozens of conservative school board candidates across Florida during the midterms. Now they’re in office — and are purging some educational leaders who enforced Covid-19 mandates. New board members in two GOP-leaning counties essentially sacked their school superintendents over the span of one week. The ousters were spurred by how the superintendents carried out local policies like efforts to support the rights of parents, an issue inflamed by schools imposing student mask mandates last fall in defiance of DeSantis. And while not tied to the 2022 election, the school board in Broward County earlier this month fired its superintendent through an effort led by five members appointed by DeSantis. All combined, school boards with ties to DeSantis pushed out three superintendents in November alone — and each of them served over districts that implemented student mask mandates. […] In Brevard and Sarasota counties, embattled school leaders have faced immediate pressure from newly-installed board members and offered to leave voluntarily rather than risk a vote on their terminations. […] Both Sarasota and Brevard’s school boards put the superintendents on the chopping block the same day that new members endorsed by DeSantis and conservative organizations like Moms for Liberty were sworn into office.” [Politico, 11/30/22]
School Boards Across Florida Were Filled With DeSantis-Endorsed Candidates. According to Politico, “Similar to Sarasota, the leadership shift in Brevard was aided by new board members. Discussions to split with Mullins came at the suggestion of Megan Wright, who was backed in her race by DeSantis and installed on the board and elected vice chair about four hours before triggering the change. Elsewhere in Florida, new board members endorsed by DeSantis are also scoring leadership roles. In Lee County, for example, new board members Armor Persons and Sam Fisher, both endorsed by DeSantis, were elected as chair and vice chair of the school board, as reported by the Fort Myers News-Press. With at least three superintendent jobs opening in Florida, these new-look school boards are now facing the critical task of finding new leaders.” [Politico, 11/30/22]
DeSantis Vowed To Flip More School Board Races In 2024 At His “Freedom Blueprint” School Board Retreat. According to Florida Politics, “The political world is talking about whether Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has what it takes to run for President, but remarks Monday suggest the Governor is currently more focused, at least for now, on smaller stakes, namely school boards and replicating the formula that led to a successful 2022 cycle. A majority of his endorsed candidates for school boards won, his latest in a series of existential challenges to the education establishment. ‘The school board races in 2024 I think give us an opportunity to flip some more of these boards throughout the state of Florida,’ DeSantis said to applause at an Orlando ‘The Freedom Blueprint’ event Monday afternoon.” [Florida Politics, 12/19/22]
DeSantis Called For Imposing Term Limits For School Board Members, Shortening Terms From 12 Years To Eight Years. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “At the news conference, DeSantis’ proposal also revived a yearslong effort by Republicans to impose term limits on local school board members. He said he’d like to see those shortened to eight years from the current 12. ‘I mean, the fact of the matter is you get in there, you have ideas and eight years is enough to get your ideas in and to see some of the successes,’ DeSantis said. ‘Some of the people that are there, get in there for 20 years, and you become entrenched.’” [Tampa Bay Times, 1/23/23]
DeSantis Called For School Board Races To Be Partisan. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “He also suggested the constitutional amendment would allow school board races to be partisan. ‘They have a First Amendment right to do that. They can identify with a party or not,’ DeSantis said. ‘We want to embrace the idea that if you’re campaigning for these positions, you can identify yourself however you want to identify yourself and if that’s with a political party, you would absolutely be able to do it.’” [Tampa Bay Times, 1/23/23]
DeSantis Signed A Bill Limiting Terms Of School Board Members. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a contentious bill Friday in Daytona Beach limiting the length of terms school board members can serve and giving parents more say in what textbooks are used in classrooms. Speaking to an audience of conservative-leaning parents and activists at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, DeSantis said the bill was ‘probably the strongest curriculum transparency legislation in the country.’ HB 1467 establishes 12-year term limits for school board members. Its most controversial provisions give parents and members of the public increased access to the process of selecting and removing school library books and instructional materials.” [Daytona Beach News-Journal, 3/25/22]
DeSantis Was An Original Co-Sponsor Of The Local Control Education Act, Which Would Prohibit The Federal Government From Mandating States Adopt The Common Core Standards. According to Congress.gov, the Local Control Education Act “Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit the federal government from directly or indirectly mandating, directing, controlling, incentivizing, or conditioning federal support on a state's, local educational agency's (LEA's), or school's adoption of: the Common Core State Standards, any other academic standards common to a number of states, or any statewide or nationally recognized content standards; or any assessment, instructional content, or curriculum aligned to, or based on, specific academic standards.” [Congress.gov, Accessed 1/25/16]
DeSantis Received The Endorsement Of An Anti-Common Core PAC, And Vowed To “Continue To Advocate For The Elimination Of Common Core.” According to Florida Politics, “The Senate campaign of Ron DeSantis scored another key endorsement, via the FRC Action PAC. The FRC Action PAC opposes Common Core, and describes itself as giving ‘our members the ability to support deserving, pro-family statesmen. It also allows our supporters to counterbalance the numerous special interest groups on the left that have long used PAC money to run negative ad campaigns and to discourage godly men and women from running for office.’ […] ‘My thanks to FRC Action for the endorsement and I am pleased that the campaign is attracting the support of those who advocate for a culture of life and a strong society,’ said DeSantis, who vowed to ‘continue to advocate for the elimination of Common Core, protection of religious freedom, and repeal of Obamacare.’” [Florida Politics, 11/23/15]
DeSantis Said That Education Policy “Needs To Be Done At The State And Local Level.” According to the St. Augustine Record, “Education is critical,’ DeSantis countered, ‘but most of that needs to be done at the state and local level.” [St. Augustine Record, 10/18/12]
DeSantis Introduced The Academic Partnerships Lead Us To Success (A-PLUS) Amendment To The Student Success Act To Roll Back Federal Mandates, Including Common Core. According to a press release by the Office of North Carolina Congressman Mark Walker, “U.S. Representative Mark Walker (NC-06) and U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis (FL-06) have introduced the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success (A-PLUS) amendment to H.R. 5 the Student Success Act. A-PLUS aims to restore state and local control of education by giving them the option to decline participation in the prescriptive and onerous requirements of federal education programs and focus that funding on solutions that meet their community needs. […]Rep. DeSantis added, ‘The federal government should not be imposing mandates on states and local communities regarding K-12 education. The amendment that we are offering liberates states from burdensome and ineffective regulations, providing local communities with the flexibility to use federal education funding for programs that they believe will best increase the success of students in the classroom.’” [Office of North Carolina Congressman Mark Walker, 2/24/15]
2015: DeSantis Voted For An Amendment That Would Allow States To Withdraw From Common Core Standards. In July 2015, DeSantis voted for an amendment that would allow states to withdraw from Common Core Standards. According to Congressional Quarterly, the amendment would, “allow a state to withdraw from the Common Core Standards or any other specific standards.” The underlying bill would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “reauthorize[d] the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and would make fundamental changes to many of its programs through Fiscal 2019.” The vote was on passage and the House passed the amendment 373 to 57. The underlying bill was received in the Senate and placed on the legislative calendar. No further action has been taken. [House Vote 410, 7/8/15; Congressional Quarterly, 7/8/15; Congressional Actions, H.R.5]
DeSantis Called For Education Commissioner Corcoran To Create New State Curriculum Standards, Do Away With “Common Core” School Curriculum. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Florida must do away with “the vestiges of Common Core,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday, referring to the public school curriculum standards the state adopted nearly nine years ago. ‘We stuck with Common Core then we re-branded it … it’s all the same. It all needs to be looked at, it all needs to be scrutinized,’ the governor said during an announcement at Ida S. Baker High School in Cape Coral, flanked by commissioner of education Richard Corcoran and local school administrators. DeSantis announced an executive order asking Corcoran to spend a year creating new state curriculum standards, which would then be presented to the Legislature for the 2020 session.” [Tampa Bay Times, 1/31/19]
DeSantis Said The New Curriculum Standards Would Make Civics Education A “Central Part” Of What Students Learn, Said So Students Could “Discharge The Duties Of Citizenship.” According to the Tampa Bay Times, “DeSantis also said the new standards, which Corcoran will work to craft as long as the state Board of Education is in agreement, should make civics education even more of a “central part” of what students learn so they can ‘discharge the duties of citizenship.’ Civics education and learning the Constitution was one of DeSantis’ common refrains on the campaign trail, even though students already are required to receive instruction on those subjects.” [Tampa Bay Times, 1/31/19]
DESANTIS OPPOSED BIDEN’S POTENTIAL EFFORTS AT STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS
DeSantis Opposed Biden’s Potential Efforts At Student Loan Forgiveness Because He Claimed That Working Class People Would Be Paying Off The Debts Of Gender Studies PhD Students. According to Business Insider, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis staunchly opposes President Joe Biden's still-to-be released, yet much-talked about plan to forgive some student loan debt. ‘My view is: Why would you make a truck driver, or a waitress, or a construction worker pay off the debt for somebody that got a PhD in gender studies? That's wrong,’ DeSantis, a Republican, said Friday during a press conference in Williston, Florida.” [Business Insider, 4/29/22]
DeSantis Said “Going To A Four-Year Brick-And-Ivy University Is Not The Only Way You Can Be Successful” Despite Going To Yale And Then Harvard Himself. According to Business Insider, “‘Going to a four-year brick-and-ivy university is not the only way you can be successful’ said DeSantis, who received an undergraduate degree in history from Yale University and went on to receive a law degree from Harvard University.” [Business Insider, 4/29/22]
DeSantis Had A Student Loan Balance Of $22,225 On His Latest Financial Disclosure Forms. According to Business Insider, “DeSantis' latest financial disclosures show that as of December 31, 2020, he had a remaining balance of $22,225 on his student loans to Sallie Mae. His salary as governor is $134,181.”
[Business Insider, 4/29/22]
DeSantis Said Biden’s Plan To Forgive $10,000 Of Student Loan Debt Was Not “Fair” And Accused Biden Of Pitting Americans Against Each Other. According to Politico’s Florida Playbook, “President Joe Biden’s announcement that his administration will cancel up to $10,000 of student debt for millions of people and up to $20,000 for those borrowers who received a federal Pell Grant was praised by Democrats but it was sharply criticized by Florida Republicans. Sen. Rick Scott released a ‘digital ad’ that criticized the plan. And both Rubio and DeSantis ripped apart the proposal during their ‘Keep Florida Free’ campaign stops on Wednesday. […] DeSantis said that the plan to cancel debt was not ‘fair’ to waitresses, small business owners and plumbers and said that it showed that Biden was pitting Americans against each other.” [Politico – Florida Playbook, 8/25/22]
DeSantis Joined 21 Other Governors In Condemning Biden On Federal Student Loan Debt Relief, Labeling It A “Regressive Burden.” According to Florida Politics, “Gov. Ron DeSantis is joining with 21 other Republican Governors in a letter to President Joe Biden condemning federal student loan forgiveness plans. The joint letter, led by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, took issue with the anticipated cost burden of the loan forgiveness. The letter estimated that cost at $2,000 per capita, which the Governors called a ‘regressive’ burden. ‘What’s more, the top 20% of earning households hold $3 in student debt for every $1 held by the bottom quintile, generating a lopsided reality where the wealthy benefit at the expense of the working. Simply put, your plan rewards the rich and punishes the poor,’ the Governors contended. The letter also notes that borrowers willingly undertook their obligations. ‘College may not be the right decision for every American, but for the students who took out loans, it was their decision: able adults and willing borrowers who knowingly agreed to the terms of the loan and consented to taking on debt in exchange for taking classes,’ the letter maintained.” [Florida Politics, 9/12/22]
DeSantis Mailer Attacked Biden And Crist On Student Loan Forgiveness While Mocking LGBTQ Community. According to the Huffington Post, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is pushing bigotry and lies in a recent mailer his campaign sent out to voters ahead of next week’s midterm elections. The mailer attacks DeSantis’ Democratic challenger, Charlie Crist, using a slew of misinformation, including that President Joe Biden’s student loan plan will force ‘hard working Floridians to pay back student loans for degrees like Gender Studies and French Poetry.’ The mailer, which a Fort Lauderdale resident shared with HuffPost, shows a photo of Crist and Biden embracing, above a line that reads: ‘The Biden-Crist College Loan Bailout will: Make inflation worse; Punish hard-working taxpayers; Reward universities.’ The flier also includes a photo of a student wearing makeup during their graduation ceremony. A speech bubble drawn over their head shows the student saying: ‘Thank you, Joe Biden and Charlie Crist, for making Floridians pay off my student debt.’ The photo appears to be a stock image of a nonbinary student at a graduation.” [Huffington Post, 11/2/22]
2015: DeSantis Effectively Voted Against Guaranteeing Educational Opportunities For Children With Disabilities. In July 2015, DeSantis effectively voted against guaranteeing educational opportunities for children with disabilities. According to Congressional Quarterly, the motion to recommit would have “guarantee[d] educational opportunities for children with disabilities by requiring that each state demonstrate their laws do not result in a lower standard of education than for those students without disabilities, grant students with disabilities access to a regular secondary school diploma, give parents the right to informed consent about their child's education, cannot lower expectations or academic achievement for students with disabilities, or give educational opportunities for any student, including those from racial and ethnic minorities.” The underlying bill would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “reauthorize[d] the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and would make fundamental changes to many of its programs through Fiscal 2019.” The vote was on the motion to recommit. The House rejected the motion 185 to 244. [House Vote 422, 7/8/15; Congressional Quarterly, 7/8/15; Congressional Quarterly, 7/8/15]
State Board Of Education Implemented New Rule Impacting Students With The Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities In The State. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “By the time the board got to a proposed rule impacting students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, all the energy had left the room. Board members spent six minutes on the proposal, which defined the students’ disabilities in a way that would suddenly take away the academic help many had received for years.” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/4/22]
Florida Had Previously Created Alternate Tests Which Were Based On More Accessible And Understandable Pieces, Called “Access Points,” For Children With Mental Disabilities In Order For Them To Earn Their Diploma. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “The rationale for the rule appeared simple enough. Years ago, acknowledging the state’s general education standards and tests are not developmentally appropriate for certain children, Florida created alternate tests based on more accessible and understandable pieces of those standards, called ‘access points.’ That way, students are pushed to excel to the best of their ability, and can receive a regular diploma that helps them qualify for jobs rather than a certificate of completion.” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/4/22]
Federal Government Allows For The “Access Point” Accommodation But Sets A Cap Of One Percent The Total Student Population In Order To Be Eligible. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “The federal government allows for such accommodations under the Every Student Succeeds Act, but sets a cap of 1 percent of the total student population to be eligible for the alternative tests.” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/4/22]
Senior Chancellor Said Florida Was Just Above The Threshold And Needed To Set New Requirements In Order To Limit How Many Children Could Use “Access Points.” According to the Tampa Bay Times, “‘Florida is a little bit over that 1 percent,’ senior chancellor Jacob Oliva told the board. To get under the cap, the state Department of Education looked for ways to limit how many children can use the access points and participate in alternative testing.” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/4/22]
New Rule Contained More Specific Language For The Meaning Of A “Most Significant Cognitive Disability” And Added Guidelines For Gaining Access To Services. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “That’s why the new rule contains a more specific definition of what it means to have a ‘most significant cognitive disability’ and adds guidelines for gaining access to the services, Oliva said.” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/4/22]
Proposed Rule Required New IQ Levels For Students With Disabilities. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “The rule includes for the first time a set IQ level. It also states that children must demonstrate their inability to make progress on general education standards even with added assistance over two grading periods. Students already in the system would have to be reevaluated to determine if they still qualify. Those new to the public schools would have to wait those two grading periods before being considered, many of them failing in classes along the way. That includes kindergarten through second grade, which have no access points included in the new Florida BEST academic standards. And it all would take place immediately. Department officials did not respond to requests for comment.” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/4/22]
Students Already In The School System Would Need To Be Reevaluated To Determine If They Still Qualify. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “The rule includes for the first time a set IQ level. It also states that children must demonstrate their inability to make progress on general education standards even with added assistance over two grading periods. Students already in the system would have to be reevaluated to determine if they still qualify. Those new to the public schools would have to wait those two grading periods before being considered, many of them failing in classes along the way. That includes kindergarten through second grade, which have no access points included in the new Florida BEST academic standards. And it all would take place immediately. Department officials did not respond to requests for comment.” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/4/22]
Students New To Public Schools Would Have To Wait Two Grading Periods Before Being Considered. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “The rule includes for the first time a set IQ level. It also states that children must demonstrate their inability to make progress on general education standards even with added assistance over two grading periods. Students already in the system would have to be reevaluated to determine if they still qualify. Those new to the public schools would have to wait those two grading periods before being considered, many of them failing in classes along the way. That includes kindergarten through second grade, which have no access points included in the new Florida BEST academic standards. And it all would take place immediately. Department officials did not respond to requests for comment.” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/4/22]