DeSantis’ ‘anti-woke’ agenda, fully deployed, awaits students, teachers upon return to class

“Florida GOP targets ‘intellectual diversity’ on campus with survey about beliefs”

Miami Herald headline, 4/06/2021

“DeSantis signs bill dubbed ‘don’t say gay,’ says that it’s about parents’ rights”

Herald headline, 3/28/2022

“Florida targets school math textbooks over critical race theory objections”

Herald headline, 4/15/2022

The start of classes this month will have some educators looking over their shoulders. Teachers say headline-grabbing measures adopted by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature have moved the culture war into the classroom. The above initiatives, respectively, seek to gauge whether universities have become leftist bastions, limit discussions of sexuality in the classroom and prevent critical race theory from creeping into the curriculum.

Could a teacher get into trouble for an off-hand comment in response to a student? Will a passage in an assigned book run afoul of Moms for Liberty, the conservative organization fighting for greater control of the educational agenda? In a signal of support, the governor spoke at their Tampa convention last month, as teachers protested outside.

What about teachers displaying photos of their same-sex partners? How much instruction about slavery and Jim Crow policies is considered too much and a case of teaching children to hate America?

The governor has called the new laws a justified antidote to “woke” practices in education, but some educators are bristling at what they see as stifling overreach as the governor seeks reelection and — maybe — a run at the Republican nomination for president.

Education Poll (1) by Casey Frank on Scribd

A poll published this past month — one commissioned by Democrats and conducted by Hart Research Associates — suggested that the Republican moves are politically effective even as school boards struggle with what they can and can’t do. Conducted May 21-30, the survey, previously published by NBC News, sought the views of 1,758 likely voters in seven swing states, including Florida.

Poll question:

When it comes to education becoming too politicized do you consider this to be a very big problem today, a fairly big problem, just somewhat of a problem, or not really a problem today?

Answers:

Very big problem: 42%

Fairly big problem: 39%

Just somewhat of a problem: 15%

Not that much of a problem: 4%

Gov. DeSantis has seized the narrative, claiming that education has become politicized and that he intends to reverse that.

He has also endorsed a slate of 29 local school board candidates — candidates he says are ”pro-parent” and “pro-student.”

In a document analyzing the survey results, the pollster recommended that Democrats “expose Republicans’ extremism, especially their efforts to ban books from schools, and highlight the importance of providing children an honest and accurate education, to undercut GOP culture war attacks.”

Polling Memo (2) by Casey Frank on Scribd

It added that the Democratic messaging should stress that “instead of banning books and censoring curricula, Democrats are focused on investing in schools” and that “we work with parents and teachers to make the investments our kids need to thrive…”

Upheaval over college surveys

The implementation of a yearly survey of students and professors at public colleges and universities to gauge their political views and whether diverse political outlooks are welcomed on campus stirred a social media storm among DeSantis’ critics. The requirement was passed on 2021.

A headline in the online news site Salon.com stated it required students to “register political views with the state.” That headline and accompanying story, shared across social media platforms, elicited outrage. The headline was incorrect and has since been modified.

When the first such surveys were conducted this past spring after a judge let implementation proceed, students weren’t actually mandated to take the survey — or required to sign their names if they did. There was no actual “registering political views.”

The new Salon headline accurately states: “DeSantis signs bill requiring survey of Florida students, professors on their political views”

Still, some educators are uneasy.

“Faculty really feel that they are under siege right now,” said Mathew Lata, professor and president of the Florida State University’s United Faculty of Florida (UFF) Chapter. “They’re asked to state their political preferences. And then particularly those who teach courses in areas that might be considered controversial are feeling pressure to reexamine their syllabi and teach in a way that is not most advantageous to their students, but that follows the policy of the state of Florida and the governor.”

Florida Representative Spencer Roach, a sponsor of the bill, said the legislation was drafted because of anecdotal reports from students saying they were being punished for sharing unpopular views. The surveys are meant to provide data to determine “the status of intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity on Florida college campuses.”

“We sort of followed the lead here from a couple of other states that have worked on this,” Roach said.

The initial survey asked students questions like: Agree or disagree: Students at my institution are not shielded from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable or even deeply offensive, while professors were asked: Agree or disagree: An expectation of receiving continuing contract/tenure is that faculty ascribe to a particular political viewpoint,” and “Students at my institution are encouraged to consider a wide variety of viewpoints and perspectives.”

Survey results are expected by Sept. 1

Parents Rights vs. Don’t say gay

Hart Research poll question:

Are you satisfied with the say that parents have in what their children are taught?

Total Satisfied: 38%

Total Unsatisfied: 50%

The bill touted by DeSantis and passed by the Legislature this past session carries the name the “Parental Rights in Education Statute.” Critics branded it “Don’t say gay.”

The bill bars classroom instruction about sexuality in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms, and in higher-level grades says the education needs to be age-appropriate.

In response to “Don’t say gay,” DeSantis supporters point out that the word “gay” appears nowhere in the bill.

Critics say the purpose of the measure is to chill any discussion of homosexuality and transgender issues — as well as any discussion of sexuality as a whole. The bill has had an impact, even in cosmopolitan South Florida.

Two weeks ago, the Miami Herald reported: “Sex-ed textbook rejected by Miami school board after parents invoke ‘Don’t say gay’ bill.”

A week later, the board reversed itself and approved the book, titled “Comprehensive Health Skills.”

Parents and teachers in four Florida school districts — Orange, Indian River, Duval and Palm Beach — filed suit last month over the lack of specificity in the law. They were joined by the Lambda Legal, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Southern Legal Counsel and the law firm Baker McKenzie.

“There is some broad language in there that could trickle into other grade levels that are not kindergarten through third,” said Alexandria Martin, a teacher at Carol City Senior High. “So, with the political climate, we have right now, everyone in education is really concerned about navigating education in the wake of these.”

Andrew Spar, Florida Education Association (FEA) president, said the new legislation could have sweeping consequences.

In Duval County, a student-produced video titled “All in For Safe Schools” that among other things encouraged creating a “safe and supportive environment” for LGBTQ classmates was pulled from the district’s website.

“The materials you’ve referenced have been removed for legal review to ensure the content complies with recent state legislation,” said Sonya Duke-Bolden, Duval County Public Schools.

Scott Sowell, a teacher at Darnell-Cookman Middle/High School of the Medical Arts in Duval, said that one of his students was involved in creating the video, helping write the script, which Sowell said used appropriate language when discussing LGBTQ issues.

“The main message was it had two audiences,” said Sowell, a gay/straight alliance sponsor. “Number one, it was an audience of LGBTQ students to indicate that they were seen and appreciated and valued as students in our public schools. The second part were resources for teachers and allies of those students with the overall flavor of creating a more safe and welcoming environment for all our students.”

Race in the classroom

Hart Research poll question:

The way students are taught about racial issues and the role of race in America

Total Satisfied: 27%

Total unsatisfied: 60%

On April 15, the Florida Department of Education issued a press release titled “Florida Rejects Publishers’ Attempts to Indoctrinate Students.”

In a surprise move, the state said it was rejecting 41% of math textbooks whose publishers had applied for state DOE approval. The reason was due to impermissible content, including critical race theory (CRT), as determined by a panel of reviewers, ranging from math teachers to parent activists.

That set off a scramble by publishers to find out what the state found objectionable and remove it from the textbooks, so the books could be state approved. A subsequent Herald examination of the reviewers’ work found that only three of 125 reviewers had determined that a total of four math books violated a state rule that prohibits the teaching of CRT.

Since the announcement, denouncing books that teach “woke math” has become a DeSantis staple as he speaks before conservative groups.

DeSantis’ press secretary, Christina Pushaw, sent out a tweet in April in response to those questioning the review process, which included reviews by people connected to Hillsdale College, a conservative institution in Michigan..

“The state declining to purchase certain textbooks isn’t banning them,” she tweeted. “If you want to teach your kid Woke Math, where ‘2+2=4’ is white supremacy, you’re free to buy any CRT math textbook you want.“

Meanwhile, a law known as HB 1467 has, in the words of the governor, preserved “the rights of parents to make decisions about what materials their children are exposed to in school.”

It has also, arguably, made it easier to ban certain books, which some districts have been busy doing.

Among books forbidden in at least one Florida district, according to the organization PEN America, a group of writers and human rights activists, are the classics “Beloved” and “The Bluest Eye” by the celebrated Black novelist Toni Morrison, who died in 2019.

“In Florida, our parents have every right to be involved in their child’s education. We are not going to let politicians deny parents the right to know what is being taught in our schools. I’m proud to sign this legislation that ensures curriculum transparency,” DeSantis said at the signing.

What started as an aversion to critical race theory has been broadened to the exclusion of anything related to Common Core, a teaching standard once championed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush but now derided as federal overreach, and Social Emotional Learning, an educational method that aims to foster social and emotional skills within school curricula.

“A large part of what is teaching is creativity and being able to respond to the students,” said Alexandria Martin, the Carol City High teacher. “And the questions that kids are raising in the classroom, and really have the kids be authentic and allow for them to be inquisitive. And a lot of times when you have outside entities trying to curate what is taught in the classrooms, it really impacts education in an extremely negative way.”

Spar of the FEA said the bills could be contributing to what is a growing shortage of teachers. According to the Florida Education Association, Florida has more than 9,000 school personnel openings, with approximately half being teacher positions.

The situation is of such concern that, effective July 1, the state announced it would issue five-year temporary teaching certificates for military veterans who have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree.

They must have at least 48 months of active-duty military service, 60 college credits with a 2.5 minimum GPA, and a passing score on a subject- area exam.

Martin said combing through books to ensure that no forbidden material slips through is not an effective use of an educator’s effort.

“If it was me, I wouldn’t think that was a great use of my time and talent,” she said.