A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to get “the Florida political apparatus involved” in local School Board races, and that apparently is no empty promise.
The administration made an early move in a group of School Board races Monday, with the Governor and Lieutenant Governor endorsing a swath of candidates from around the state.
“We need strong local school board members who are committed to advancing our agenda to put students first and protect parents’ rights. I am proud to endorse 10 local school board candidates who will set our children up for success,” DeSantis tweeted.
“Excited to announce the endorsement of these school board candidates across Florida. With a strong pro-student and pro-parent agenda, these future school board members will ensure our children are educated and not indoctrinated,” tweeted Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez.
The endorsements spanned the state.
In Alachua County, Nuñez endorsed Mildred Russell, who DeSantis appointed to the School Board last year.
In Brevard County, the LG backed Megan Wright, who is running to fight for “parental rights.”
Nuñez endorsed two Duval candidates. One is incumbent Charlotte Joyce, who failed to get a resolution of support for DeSantis’ Parental Rights in Education bill through this year. The other, April Carney, is challenging Elizabeth Andersen for a seat that clearly is a target for conservative activists.
Hillsborough’s Aly Legge, who bills herself as “an Army veteran, an activist, Family Lobby Manager for Moms For America and founder of Moms For Freedom,” also got the LG endorsement.
Nuñez also endorsed Timothy Enos and Bridget Ziegler of Sarasota County.
Ziegler is married to Sarasota County Commissioner Christian Ziegler. DeSantis, when he accepted his Sarasota GOP’s Statesman of the Year award last year, called her out from the audience and said we need School Board members like her in every district.
Roberto Alonso and Monica Colucci of Miami-Dade, and Fred Lowry of Volusia County, were also in the first wave of endorsements.
The endorsements come just days after the Governor offered a survey of how candidates felt about the so-called DeSantis Education Agenda.
Among the questions for survey respondents: Whether they support “workforce education,” the Governor’s “increases in teacher compensation,” or the concept of students being “locked out of school or subject to forced masking.”
“What should your school district do to better prepare students as citizens?” another prompt asks.
Another question regards protecting dissent: “How will you protect a parent’s right to publicly disagree with their school board?”
Respondents are also probed on critical race theory and “the horrors of communism.”
DeSantis has put limitations on School Boards with regularity thus far, battling with numerous local bodies about COVID-19 precautions for much of the pandemic.
He signed legislation that puts term limits on School Board members, but lamented the three-term limit was one too many, and criticized School Boards and the White House for not listening to parents.
7 comments
ScienceBLVR
June 20, 2022 at 3:00 pm
DeSantis’s war on public education, teachers, and anyone who disagrees with him just never ends, does it? There may be a few, but I don’t know one teacher who openly supports his ridiculous authoritarian, book banning, anti LGBTQ, anti-free speech agenda. Our faculty group was just wondering where are the examples of the mythical CRT and “Woke” agenda? And the idea that parents don’t have rights or are disenfranchised at school board meetings? Ha! I call BS on that one.. and I listen to or go to every school board meeting we have in our district. Parents, or any community member, student, or interested party is more than welcome to comment, debate, and state their ideas at the bi-monthly meetings. There is also an email mechanism where anyone can comment or ask a question and they are responded to within 24 hours or less. Nunez should be ashamed to allow DeSantis to use her to spew his made up, there isn’t even a problem, agenda.
I.T. Zapiddy
June 21, 2022 at 4:13 pm
Education is just one area where Gov. DeSantis is confounding the left with win after win, but it is an important area. Democrats would earn the trust of the people if they would abandon these pointless and losing battles over sex in classrooms and racial blame gaming and just concentrate on delivering a good service for the money. Unfortunately, that would incite the fury of their base, and they are scared of their base. Pity.
David Freeland
June 30, 2022 at 9:07 am
The battle is over unfounded false narratives that harm educators and students.
There is no “sex in classrooms”
There is not “racial blame gaming” in classrooms
Schools do deliver an outstanding service for the money – which is very little from the current administration and legislators.
tom palmer
June 20, 2022 at 5:43 pm
Lt governors do that sort of thing to allow the governor to get a free ride if anything goes south. I;m surprised she didn;t weigh in on the races in Polk, where the 9/12 GOP faction is backing candidates and the Polk Dems have taken an unusual action to endorse in non-partisan races because they understand what’s really going on.
Tom
June 23, 2022 at 8:37 am
Hey Palmer, you have no credibility.
America’s Gov vetoed Lake O, the best Gov in country. Best Florida Gov. on environment in 40 yrs., the outlined budget to clean up actuaries and waterways is monumental.
You owe an apology to Gov and to acknowledge the truth. Best Gov in country.
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Donna Dupuy
June 26, 2022 at 9:27 am
Such a shame that you are pimping so openly for DeSantis & Co… we had high hopes for FP as a legit news source at one point.
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