Florida Governor Ron DeSantis started the New Year with a bold education agenda that will increase scrutiny on public schools and universities that teach Critical Race Theory and spend money on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training.
This week, the Governor sent out a memo to universities demanding that they disclose expenditures and resources used to fund Critical Race Theory programs, classes, and DEI training.
“All state universities & college systems in Florida have been required to report expenditures and resources utilized for campus activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and critical race theory. Stay tuned,” DeSantis Press Secretary Bryan Griffin tweeted.
MEMO: All state university & college systems in Florida have been required to report expenditures and resources utilized for campus activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and critical race theory. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/E4Z4zLuJgC
— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) January 4, 2023
The memo, written by Chris Spencer, Director of the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget, highlights the need for a ‘cost-effective’ higher education that is also ‘high-quality.’
“As the Executive Office of the Governor prepares policy and budget proposals ahead of the 2023 Legislative Session, it is important that we have a full understanding of the operational expenses of state institutions,” Spencer wrote. “Governor Ron DeSantis has prioritized a cost-effective higher education system that delivers high-quality service to Floridians to best prepare them for employment.”
Florida’s public schools and universities have consistently ranked high in performance, cost of attendance for universities, and educational freedom.
Heritage Foundation releases education freedom report card, with Florida ranking highest https://t.co/iPumVLCoY6
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 9, 2022
DeSantis said that in order for Florida schools to maintain their high standard of excellence, they must cater to the interests of parents and students rather than special interest groups or ideologies.
“We must ensure school systems are responsive to parents and to students, not partisan interest groups, and we must ensure that our institutions of higher learning are focused on academic excellence and the pursuit of truth, not the imposition of trendy ideology,” The Florida Governor said.
While the media has attempted to paint DeSantis’ policies as controversial, polls have consistently shown that battleground voters support bills like the Parental Rights in Education Act and the Stop WOKE Act that have curtailed CRT in schools and controversial lesson plans on LGBT issues.
A poll by the Democratic firm Hart Research found vast support for the education policies of Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis, such as bans on teaching about gender identity and Critical Race Theory, among battleground state voters, reported @LeoFeldmanNEWS. #NationalReport pic.twitter.com/R2xcPwj2Yr
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) July 18, 2022
While the general public in Florida supports DeSantis’ education policies, some teachers and professors have expressed anger at the Governor for limiting left-wing social teachings at public schools and universities.
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In an article by ProPublica, a left-leaning public policy organization, professors who teach Critical Race Theory said they felt pressured to change their lesson plans or cancel CRT-related courses due to the political climate in Florida.
‘Moreover, the push against CRT is hitting academia after decades of declines in the proportion of professors protected by tenure, meaning that most faculty members are not in positions secure enough to resist political pressure’ https://t.co/cuIia2Yrbv
— lisa stampnitzky 🤦🏻♀️ (@stamp) January 4, 2023
Other stories you may want to read:
Tracy Caruso Report: Inauguration of Gov. Ron DeSantis Jan. 3, 2023
‘Freedom Lives Here’ Gov. Ron DeSantis Inauguration Speech
