Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Time for a mission to rescue public education
Florida’s education system — its public schools that voters have declared a top priority, a state college system that has opened the gates of opportunity for millions, its university system currently ranked No. 1 in the nation — could be its most shining asset. But Gov. Ron DeSantis and his legislative allies keep turning classrooms into platforms for their divisive and self-aggrandizing culture wars.
These assets are too critical to Florida’s future and too precious to waste, and they are in grave peril. In addition to the attacks on LGBTQ+ students and educators, massive new threats have emerged that are terrifying teachers, undermining academic freedom and threatening to drain the public education system of its financial lifeblood and strip universities of their credibility.
The attacks come so quickly, it’s hard to keep up. But the policymakers need to hear from you, the business owners who depend on skilled workers, seniors who have invested their life savings into retirement homes, and quiet patriots who treasure a vision of shared opportunity that education provides. Most of all, from parents who send their children to schools expecting that they will be safe, well-educated and free from attempts to indoctrinate and mislead them about our shared heritage and society. Students need to speak up, too.
Here are some of the clouds gathering above Florida classrooms.
Runaway vouchers
This may be the biggest threat, because it’s all about money. If lawmakers make good on plans to offer vouchers to almost all Florida students, it could drain up to $4 billion from public school budgets.
The Orlando Sentinel’s ongoing investigation of voucher schools has found that many parents are happy about the opportunities provided by the voucher system, especially those who flourish in established, high-quality private schools. But across the state, too many schools are operating campuses that are more like warehouses, with unqualified teachers and premises that don’t meet basic safety standards. Meanwhile, other voucher-accepting schools use curriculum that’s intellectually flawed, conflating religious views with scientific reality and indoctrinating students with dogma dressed up as fact.
Some of these schools prey on the most vulnerable students, promising expertise to parents of children with autism and other developmental problems but filling teaching positions with people who lack college degrees, let alone the specialized training needed to assist children who need more help to thrive.
If Florida leaders want to expand vouchers, they should first ensure that voucher schools meet the same basic standards of accountability and education that apply to public schools. They should respect the choice of parents who want their children in public school, with all the opportunities and benefits that they have come to expect. The proposed legislation falls far short.
Intellectual freedom under attack
Last year’s “Stop Woke” legislation, which singled out lessons based on this nation’s struggles with racism and oppression, was just a start. Florida’s education system is in the crosshairs of a full-scale assault on intellectual freedom. School libraries are being emptied, and the scope is so broad as to be incomprehensible.
Several wildly popular young adult titles, including John Green’s “Looking for Alaska”; ‘“Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human (A Graphic Novel)”; “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky and “Me, Earl and the Dying Girl,” by Jesse Andrews, have been banned. It’s ridiculous. These books are intended for teens, and there are ways for parents to keep their children from accessing them.
But the silliest and most alarming bans feature books intended for young readers, which are obviously singled out because they mention other cultures or reference race-related issues. A PEN America list of books removed from Duval County classrooms pending review included titles where famous sports figures described their experiences with racism, including at least two about Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier.
War on credibility
Even worse, DeSantis is responding to critics of his ideological war on freedom with retaliatory threats that could have significant effects on the ability of Florida students to compete on a national level. After he went to war with the College Board over an advanced placement course in African American studies, saying it included “indoctrination” and “a political agenda,” he threatened to sever Florida students’ access to all AP courses.
If the Legislature lets DeSantis make good on his threats, it will threaten the academic prospects of Florida’s best and brightest students.
Another looming threat could devastate the state’s renowned university and state college system. Earlier this year, the governor demanded information on all higher-education programs that promote “diversity, equity and inclusion.” The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which provides the official accreditation that allows Florida universities and colleges to accept federal financial aid and transfer credits to other universities, has already questioned several moves that threatened academic freedom across the state.
The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.