Joe Henderson
The change we see across Florida and throughout the country grew from seeds Republicans planted decades ago.
While Democrats strayed from their working-class roots, Republicans took control of state governments by appealing to everyday folks. We saw that in Florida for sure, where the GOP has a stranglehold on state government, and it shows no signs of stopping.
Well, it’s happening again, this time even closer to home.
The new battlefield for Gov. Ron DeSantis is local School Board races, and it’s having an impact.
There was a saucy little story in the Tampa Bay Times about the Pasco County School Board race.
DeSantis recently announced 16 endorsements in School Board elections around the state and, well … you know the drill:
“These candidates will ensure our students succeed, protect parental rights in education, and combat the woke agenda from infiltrating public schools at the local school board level,” he said.
One of DeSantis’ endorsements went to Al Hernandez in Pasco’s District 1, who looks like he just stepped from Republican Central Casting.
He has a lot of big-name endorsements besides DeSantis and is well-connected in the business world. Hernandez also is on the board of trustees at Pasco-Hernando State College and seems to understand the School Board is a complicated job.
However, the conservative Pasco Watch group had someone different in mind.
The Times reported Pasco Watchers want Steve Meisman, whose platform seems to focus on eliminating “woke crap” from Pasco’s classrooms.
Let’s step back for a second.
I can’t imagine many teachers in deep red Pasco, home to Richard Corcoran and Wilton Simpson, fit the profile to which Meisman refers.
Even if there were, teachers throughout the state are already scared of saying anything that might cause a child to complain to their parents. Worse, teachers are leaving the profession like passengers scrambling for the last lifeboat on the Titanic.
Do you blame them?
And now, they see the possibility their local boards will attract single-issue candidates who cherry-pick isolated incidents and turn meetings into performance art.
DeSantis is guilty of this too, and it’s by design.
It seems like every other word out of his mouth about public schools is either “woke” or “indoctrination.” Would-be candidates pick up on those terms and repeat them as holy truth.
Mission accomplished.
The Governor first creates the strawman, slays it with some odd executive order, and takes another victory lap.
He’s a smart man though; he should know it won’t end there.
By wading into local elections, DeSantis may have created something that one day he won’t be able to control. These races will attract more people who want to use meetings to howl at the moon.
Democrat Charlie Crist followed DeSantis’ lead and endorsed School Board candidates, and that’s not right either. Keep politics out of this because we don’t need either a Left or Right agenda in the classroom.
Schools don’t indoctrinate students. There isn’t time to indoctrinate when they’re teaching five or six classes a day with about 30 students in each one. Teachers have their hands full just navigating a daily workday.
There are lesson plans to prepare, tests to grade and threats to their livelihood if students struggle.
That’s against the backdrop of bluster from Tallahassee about their profession. What is woke? Woke is whatever Republicans decide it is, and teachers are the target.
And if the GOP has its way, that concept will come to a School Board near you.
13 comments
Joe Corsin
July 20, 2022 at 7:57 pm
Vote RED for a culture of greed, racism, incivility, and politicized religion.
Vote RED to perpetuate low wage exploitation and capitalist scams for the rest of human history.
Vote RED for get out of jail free for the rich and prison for the poor.
Vote RED for domestic terrorism to eliminate government so that hogs can grift Americans into slavery
Tom
July 20, 2022 at 8:33 pm
Lots of hand wringing Joe.
Really coming across whiny.
Chameleon loses, he’s a hypocrite.
Enjoy!
Joe Corsin
July 20, 2022 at 9:42 pm
Vote RED for homophobia, racism, sedition, bioterrorism, far right propaganda, forced birth of meth babies and crack babies (AkA Republican voters), shoveling money to the rich, lunatic theocracy, and far right police state.
ScienceBLVR
July 20, 2022 at 8:40 pm
Thanks again Joe for always seeming to understand what’s happening in Florida classrooms and how under assault most of my colleagues feel. Just this month, in my district, 107 teachers resigned, not retired, but just left the profession. DeSantis has declared war on teachers, curriculum, and non existent issues wrapped in the parental rights flag. I would love to see more parents exercise those rights, especially when their children need support. Sadly, it doesn’t happen nearly enough.
Elliott Offen
July 20, 2022 at 9:47 pm
Sadly “parental rights and freedoms” are arguments made by parents who poison their kids with right wing propaganda, lies, and mind bending religion. Many of these children’s only hope is science and more realistic viewpoints taught in school. The abusers want cookery taught in school instead. Crime against humanity!
Tom
July 20, 2022 at 9:52 pm
Two raises, two bonuses for educators. See when Gov wins 2 to 1 down ballot, is a Repub avalanche too.
Wah, Wah, Wah.
Thanks Joe.
Wah, chameleon getting his ass kicked!
DeSantis, Wah. Wah.
Joe Corsin
July 20, 2022 at 11:35 pm
Yeah paying educators to teach watered down history and right wing propaganda…good point dude. The rest of your post was something out of a middle school text conversation. Seek help for intellectual disability.
Tom
July 21, 2022 at 2:54 am
Joe Corset, go lick soros boots.
Manchurian like you, just a baby, Wah.
Two raises, two bonuses for educators.
ScienceBLVR
July 21, 2022 at 6:35 am
Once again, Tom demonstrates how utterly clueless and misinformed he is, particularly when it comes to educators. And If you think teachers are in it for the money, man, are you delirious. The supposed bonus you keep yapping about was from the feds covid relief money- thanks Joe. Raises went to beginning teachers, those in the first few years of their careers in the hopes, a bit more money would entice more people to take on a difficult job. Veteran teachers like myself got the same step raise we always get- and that is dependent on your annual evaluation. Teachers get much more concerned about the curriculum standards being “dumbed down” and sanitized, and parents feeling they can ban books for everyone if they don’t like a particular passage or idea. Public education has always been the great equalizer in society and for some children, their best hope for the future. Just my perception after 30 years in the job, but hey, Tom knows more about it than I do, I guess.
Tom
July 21, 2022 at 8:04 am
As usual misbeliever, no clue.
DeSantis saved Florida, made it the economic model it is.
Covid seniors, protected.
Kids schools educated and no suicides per Covid shutdown.
Moms and Dads, worked and happy with schools opened. Jobs, employment.
America’s Gov saved Florida, raised educators twice $$, with bonus.
Law enforcement and first responders twice with bonus.
Rising tide for all. Cleaning up corrupt unions abuse of children now.
DeSantis is America’s Gov!
Do for America what he’s done for Florida.
Chameleon and Fraud no chance.
Biden at 29% approval in Florida, insurmountable.
Manchurian nation crumbling
Lastly, federal monies are taxpayer monies. DeSantis and legislature decided, appropriated.
You have to be the worst educator in America. Apple with a worm for u!
Not the money, ok give it all back.
LMAO.
YYep
July 20, 2022 at 9:22 pm
Really tired of MFA in politics those monkeys should get pocked COVID sucked
Rena
July 22, 2022 at 3:36 pm
Destroying public schools will lead to a greater divide in our country. To deny poor students the same education as private and to allow private schools to use tax money to segregate is going backward.
YYep
July 23, 2022 at 10:16 pm
Woke sounds about 15 to 29 century’s behind. They just found out that their is ancient as Egypt.
Woke was woke a long time ago
Comments are closed.