Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vowed to become an increasingly vocal cultural warrior as he runs for president next year, vowing to stand up to liberal orthodoxies and their defenders. public library.
But his crusade probably unfolded most dramatically in classrooms and college campuses. He banned education about gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten until his third grade, restricted schools and employers from teaching about racism and other aspects of history, and said the state was “indoctrinated.” I rejected math textbooks en masse for what I called . Most recently, he banned the College Board’s Advanced His Placement Course in African American Studies for High School Students.
On Tuesday, Republican Gov. DeSantis unveiled a proposed overhaul of the state’s higher education system that would eliminate what he calls “ideological conformity,” in the most aggressive move yet by the institution. If enacted, it would mandate courses in Western civilization, eliminate diversity and equity programs, and reduce tenure protections.
His plans for the state’s education system include banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, transporting planes of Venezuelan immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, and stripping former Florida giant Disney of its benefits. is in step with the recent movement of Enjoyed half a century.
His fistfighting approach was rewarded by voters who were reelected by 19 points in November.
DeSantis attended Florida State University-Manatee Sarasota, one of the state’s 28 publicly funded state and community colleges, on Tuesday and said he was “hostile to academic freedom” in Florida’s higher education. I vowed to turn the page on the stated agenda. system. DeSantis said the program “forces ideological conformity to stimulate political activism.” “That’s not what we believe is appropriate for the state of Florida.”
New College of Florida, a small liberal arts school in Sarasota, is struggling with enrollment, but calls itself a place for “freethinkers.” He is considered one of the most progressive of her twelve public colleges in Florida.
DeSantis pointed to New College’s low enrollment and test scores as part of the justification for making changes at New College.
“If it’s a private school and you make that kind of choice, that’s fine. I mean, what are you going to do,” he said. “But this is funded with your tax dollars.”
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The university’s board of trustees, which includes six new conservative members appointed by Gov. agreed to appoint him as interim president.
(Since Corcoran cannot hold office until March, the board has interimally appointed Bradley Thiessen, the college’s director of institutional research.)
Corcoran will succeed Patricia Ocker, a longtime English professor and university administrator who will be appointed in 2021.
Dr. Ocker called the move a hostile takeover, expressing his love for both the university and its students. “I don’t think the students are indoctrinated here at New College,” she said. Don’t be a Buddhist in the month and a Christian in March.”
Governor DeSantis announced Tuesday that he has asked Congress to immediately release $15 million to recruit new faculty members and provide scholarships for new colleges.
In all, he asked the state legislature for $100 million a year for state universities.
“We’re putting money in our own mouths,” he said.
New College is a small school with nearly 700 students, but like DeSantis’ proposed overhaul, the upheaval has rippled through Florida.
State Teachers Union President Andrew Gossard said the governor’s remarks about the state’s higher education system were perhaps the most offensive yet.
“The idea is that Ron DeSantis thinks he and Congress have the right to tell Florida students what classes they can take and what degree programs they can pursue,” said Florida Atlantic University. said Dr. Gossard, who is leaving the faculty of “He single-handedly says he believes in freedom, and then passes and proposes laws and policies to the contrary.”
At board meetings, students, parents and professors defended the school and criticized board members for acting unilaterally without seeking input.
Betsy Braden, a self-described parent of a transgender student, said her daughter was successful in school.
“A lot of the students who come here seem to have decided that they don’t necessarily fit in at other schools,” Ms Braden said. “They embrace their differences and show incredible courage in blazing a path forward. They thrive, blossom, and go out into the world to make society better. documented in. Why are you taking this away from us?”
Corcoran, an ally of DeSantis, was mentioned as a candidate for president of Florida State University, but his candidacy was dropped for the following reasons. question about whether he had a conflict of interest or a suitable educational background.
According to a letter from Carlos Trujillo, president of Continental Strategy, a consulting firm with which Corcoran is a partner, Corcoran hopes his title at New College will become permanent.
Since George W. Bush became “education president” in 2000, no Oval Office-seeking Republican has put school reform at the center of its agenda. That may be because for years Democrats have had a double-digit advantage in education polls.
But since the pandemic began in 2020, many Democratic-led states have closed schools longer than Republican states, often under pressure from teacher unions, so some polls suggest that Glenn Youngkin won the Virginia gubernatorial election in 2021 after a campaign focused on “parental rights” in public schools. It was seen as a signal of the political efficacy of education to voters.
DeSantis’ attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs are consistent with recent criticisms of such programs by conservative organizations and think tanks.
Examples of such initiatives include campus sessions on “microaggressions” (usually subtle disrespects based on race or gender) and the need for candidates for teaching positions to submit statements outlining their commitment to diversity. There is a
“It’s basically like making people take a political oath,” DeSantis said on Tuesday. He also attacked the program for “depleting resources and contributing to rising costs.”
Proponents of the DEI program and its diverse curriculum say it helps students understand their own biases and beliefs as well as the wider world, improving their ability to engage in personal relationships as well as the workplace. increase.
Mr. DeSantis’ embrace of civics education and the establishment of special civics programs at some of the state’s 12 public universities coincides with the growth of similar programs across the country, some of which are conservative donors. partially funded by
The program emphasizes not only the study of Western civilization and economics, but also the thinking of Western philosophers, often focusing on the Greeks and Romans. He sometimes cheats and says he ignores the philosophies of non-Western civilizations.
“The core curriculum should be grounded in the real history, the real philosophy that has shaped Western civilization,” said DeSantis. “We don’t want students to graduate at taxpayer’s expense and get a degree in zombie studies.”
New College reforms, including the election of a new Board Chairman, are underway and could be dramatic, given that Mr. DeSantis has appointed six new Board members.
Among them is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, known for his outrageous attacks on “critical race theory,” the academic concept that historical patterns of racism are ingrained in law and other contemporary institutions. including Christopher Ruffo, who is
At the time of his inauguration, Ruffo, who lived in Washington state, murmured He was “recapturing” higher education.
Another new board member is Eddie Speer, who runs a private Christian school in Florida.he had Recommended In a sub-stack post before the conference, all of the school’s faculty and staff contracts were cancelled.
Other new appointments include Dean Matthew Spalding of Washington, DC, the campus of Hillsdale College, a private Michigan university known for its conservative and Christian orientation.Assistant Governor Said Hillsdale, which claims to offer a classical education, is widely regarded as a governor’s model for rebuilding New College.
In addition to the governor’s six new appointees, the university system’s board of directors recently named a seventh member. Ryan T. Anderson is director of the Center for Ethics and Public Policy, a conservative think tank that applies Judeo-Christian traditions to the modern world. Legal, cultural and political issues. His election was deemed to give DeSantis a majority vote of his 13-member board of directors.
Jennifer Reed contributed to the report. Kitty Bennett Contributed to research.
