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DeSantis proposes additional $200 million to raise FL teacher pay; educators say it’s not enough
Gov. Ron DeSantis has touted a plan to earmark $1 billion towards raising public school teacher pay, calling it a “big win” for Florida’s teachers. But a statewide teacher union was skeptical about the amount of the pay hike — $200-million across school districts — which may not help the lives of struggling teachers. The […]
Gov. DeSantis lambastes ‘ideology’ in FL’s university system and threatens tenure for profs
In a list of higher education proposals Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said that “unproductive” tenured professors are the “most significant deadweight costs” at Florida universities. That’s why the governor wants those professors to face evaluations, at risk of their jobs, at any point of their tenure. That’s not a traditional approach in the world of […]
Amid tragedies in California, FL lawmakers want to add Asian American history instruction into law
As the nation grapples with a string of deadly attacks on Asian American communities in California, a handful of bipartisan lawmakers want to require Florida’s K-12 students to learn about the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in school. Legislation requiring such instruction has been pushed by a group called Make Us Visible, an […]
DeSantis’ rejected AP African American course continues to alarm civil rights groups
The well-known civil rights organization group NAACP is alarmed by the DeSantis administration’s rejection of a college-level high school course on African American studies and will be holding a press conference in Orlando Saturday to speak out against what they call an attempt to erase black history. According to a press release this week, the […]
Dems fight vouchers: ‘I just don’t think we should be subsidizing millionaires or billionaires’
With GOP lawmakers pursuing an expansive plan to let nearly any K-12 student in Florida use taxpayer dollars for a private school education, Democrats began their fight Thursday to ward off the legislation. But at a first stop to discuss the bill (HB 1) in a subcommittee, Democrats’ efforts fell short. Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon, […]
FL Lt. Gov. Nuñez says New College ‘lost its way’ and needs to be ‘reined’ back
Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, who weighed in Tuesday on the New College of Florida shakeup, said the state’s main public liberal arts college, has “lost its way.” That’s why Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed a half dozen Board of Trustees members for the college, many of whom are conservative-leaning appointments. New College, in Sarasota, is largely […]
FL’s higher ed system faces a mountain of contentious changes under DeSantis; here’s a rundown
Gov. Ron DeSantis regularly touts the top-ranking status of Florida’s higher education system, but over the past year, his administration has micromanaged and implemented a barrage of fundamental changes that have impacted how the state’s universities and community colleges function. Between legislation, lawsuits, trials, and conservative policies, DeSantis has engaged in a feud that pits […]
DeSantis wants partisan school board elections; proposes shorter term limits on board members
In a series of education initiatives Monday, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed to further politicize local school board elections — a way to get more conservatives on those boards that oversee Florida’s massive public education system. That means that Floridians would go into a voting booth to pick their preferred school board candidate and see […]
VP Harris in Tallahassee: ‘Can we truly be free if a woman cannot make decisions about her life?’
In a direct challenge to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to his back yard Sunday to announce that President Joe Biden was ordering his administration to protect access to abortion-inducing medications. During a roughly 20-minute address in Tallahassee marking what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Harris […]
Jeb Bush, others weigh in on plan to allow rich families to use public dollars for private schools
A day after a proposal to expand Florida’s so-called scholarship program, which would allow even the very wealthy to send their kids to private schools with public dollars, former Florida governor Jeb Bush and other organizations are weighing in on the newly announced legislation. Bush is the founder of the nonprofit Foundation for Florida’s Future. […]
New proposal: Millionaire families could get state dollars to enroll kids into private schools
House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo are pushing to broaden eligibility to allow even millionaires to use taxpayer dollars for ‘scholarships’ or so-called vouchers to send their kids to private schools. Currently, only certain students are eligible: Low and medium-income families and students with special needs. But legislation filed Thursday morning would […]
Training for public school librarians could mean more book bans and censorship
Florida’s top education officials on Wednesday approved new training protocols for school librarians to consider “bias,” “indoctrination,” and “pornography” when vetting books and other materials in schools. The training, in part, instructs media specialists to “err on the side of caution” when deciding whether a book is appropriate for school libraries. This point speaks to a […]