Associated Press
In her 24 years as a school board member in Florida, Marta Perez proposed a Bible study class for students, opposed a measure to boost anti-racism curricula after the killing of George Floyd and spoke out against adopting a textbook that included pictures of contraceptive methods that she considered inappropriate for her 13-year-old granddaughter.
Her long record of supporting conservative causes, however, wasn’t enough to save her job after she wound up as a target of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Perez lost her school board seat in Miami-Dade last week to a former teacher who was among a slate of candidates endorsed by DeSantis.
Perez believes she drew DeSantis’ ire by voting for a school mask mandate a year into the pandemic, when Florida was in the grip of its deadliest wave of COVID-19. DeSantis opposes such policies.
“What it showed is that I was not in lockstep with the governor. I did not obey the governor, and that is unforgivable,” said Perez, who is 71.
More than almost any other national figure, DeSantis has led the charge in turning culture war fights over anti-racism policies, sexuality and COVID-19 restrictions in schools into national issues. More recently, he has inserted himself into school board races as he seeks to expand his sphere of influence and animate conservatives while running for reelection and considering a 2024 presidential bid.
Of the 30 candidates endorsed by DeSantis in the Aug. 23 elections, 19 won, five lost and six are headed to runoffs.
“We got involved to help candidates who were fighting the machine, fighting the lock-downers, fighting the forced-maskers, fighting the people that want to indoctrinate our kids,” DeSantis said in a victory speech on election night as the crowd cheered and clapped. “Parents are sick of the nonsense when it comes to education. We want the schools to educate kids.”
School board races are nonpartisan, but the Governor’s involvement helped flip at least three Florida school boards from a liberal majority to a conservative majority. Five of his picks defeated incumbents affiliated with the Democratic Party, while others ran for open seats and at least two beat Republicans, including Perez, according to results posted by counties.
As calls for mandates and mask-wearing waned, the school debate shifted to how children are learning about race, gender and sexual orientation.
DeSantis took it a step forward. He appeared at a summit held by the conservative group Moms for Liberty in July and built a roster of school board candidates starting with a questionnaire in which he asked them to sign a certificate to pledge their support to him.
DeSantis also traveled around the state in support of his picks. His Democratic opponent, Charlie Crist, followed suit, endorsing a much smaller slate of his own. Of the seven Crist endorsed, two incumbents won, two challengers lost and three candidates are heading to runoffs, including one against a DeSantis pick.
But it’s DeSantis’ wider efforts that have propelled him to the forefront of the culture wars.
Earlier this year, he championed a law that critics dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that bans lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, and he promoted a law called the “Stop WOKE Act” that prohibits teaching or business practices that contend members of one ethnic group are inherently racist and bars the notion that a person’s status as privileged or oppressed is necessarily determined by their race or gender. A judge later ruled that the “WOKE” law was an unconstitutional violation of free speech.
If the primary results are any indication, DeSantis’ education measures seem to be resonating with Florida voters.
The race for the school board seat in Miami-Dade between Perez and DeSantis’ candidate, Monica Colucci, was one of the most contested, totaling about $400,000 in campaign contributions and more tied to political committees. Similar two-candidate school board races in Miami had drawn about half the money in recent elections.
DeSantis’ sway in conservative circles is so pronounced that both Perez and Colucci used photos of him in their campaign materials. But it was Colucci, who worked in the DeSantis administration from 2019 to 2020 as a special assistant to Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, who won his coveted endorsement.
This summer, DeSantis’ political committee donated $150,000 to Nunez’s political committee, which in turn made several payments totaling more than $350,000 to a consulting firm working for Colucci’s campaign.
Nunez appeared alongside Colucci for events, ads and Spanish-language interviews. During a local TV interview with Colucci, Nunez said she has known her for years and answered most of the questions, with Colucci speaking less than a minute during the 10-minute segment.
Colucci’s political consultant said she was not available for an interview because she went away with her family after the election, and later said she would not be available until later in the year.
Jennifer Jenkins, a progressive Democrat and school board member in Brevard County who defeated a conservative incumbent in 2020, said she thinks DeSantis’ push to add school board members who are friendly to his administration is an effort to further his agenda and keep his critics at bay.
“If he gets more seats, that’s more loyal Republicans,” Jenkins said.
Perez has been critical of DeSantis before. When he had been in office less than two months, she told a newspaper that the governor’s plans to expand scholarship programs that divert public school money to private institutions concerned her because she saw the public education system as “the equalizer” and “what has made the American system work.”
“In some things, you must serve the public in the best way you know how, and it does not mean you need to agree with every single decision,” she told The Associated Press.
Perez, a registered Republican who voted for DeSantis in 2018, said her run-in with the governor doesn’t change her opinion of the GOP overall, although it has soured her on DeSantis.
However, Perez said she did not think she could go as far as to support Crist in November. She isn’t sure who she will vote for.
Perez likes to joke that President Joe Biden’s economic policies are going to force her to move in with her grown children, who are Democrats. She still feels her general philosophy and view of the world aligns her more with the Republican Party.
“I have to think that there are conservatives who believe in a democracy and believe in exchange of opinions,” Perez said.
____
Published with permission of the Associated Press.
29 comments
Avy115
September 5, 2022 at 3:04 pm
Are you tired with your job good opportunity vsc02 Online Working Home Base Jobs for you here.
Copy This Site———->>> googlechoice.netlify.app
Charlie Crist
September 5, 2022 at 3:11 pm
DeSantis leaves Christian fascist skid mark on school boards? Neo nazi stain? Phoney portrayal of American history? Elect me to undo this God forsaken mess.
Impeach Biden
September 5, 2022 at 3:17 pm
Poor Charlie. Sounds like you are still backed up from the Decadence Festival. The Red Storm is coming and I will be LMFAO at you and your entourage of aliases come November.
JD
September 5, 2022 at 4:04 pm
I don’t think the Red Storm is going to be the hurricane people think it is anymore. It stirred the shit pot too much and some of the red menace is going to have to lick the spoon.
Tom
September 5, 2022 at 4:32 pm
JD, 60 plus days lots of time.
House of Reps will flip, 2o to 30 seats likely. Senate tight. GA, Walker wins, mcmasters wins Arizona. Colorado and Washington state in play. New Hampshire and Nevada likely flip.
Oz closing gap in PA. It’s close.
JD
September 5, 2022 at 5:40 pm
Fair enough, I currently agree with that assessment.
Just saying they had it locked down. Now some are close and a few may end up scrambling.
I think they tipped their hand a hair and had they not, they could have road inflation, gas prices, and Afghanistan to owning the Senate and the House with a large majority on the latter.
Agreed, 60 days is lots of time too.
Charlie Crist
September 5, 2022 at 5:00 pm
@Impeach: Aliases? Your real name is Impeach Biden? You ain’t got the sense that God gave an ape 😂
Tom
September 5, 2022 at 3:35 pm
Charlie the Chameleon. Chameleon is clueless.
So 90’s. Clueless, piece of garbage fake moniker Joey corsin, idiot Elliot just a joke.
No substance, just B.S.
Still waiting you pussy! Tough guy, bring it on.
Where we meeting? Coward.
JD
September 5, 2022 at 4:06 pm
If you all are going to meet, perhaps you should make some money on it with a paid streaming Live YouTube or Twitch event. I’d say pay per view, but I’d be showing my age.
Tom
September 5, 2022 at 4:19 pm
JD LMAO, that pussy won’t.
He’s backed down multiple times.
Complete fraud, multiple fake monikers. Total dush.
Good to hear from you.
I one up u, ever heard of closed circuit in movie theater? My dad use to take me.
JD
September 5, 2022 at 5:42 pm
You mean like for boxing matches or events? Had no idea the technology was used in that way, but makes sense it could be. That’s cool to learn.
Tom
September 5, 2022 at 5:47 pm
Yes, hockey, boxing and sports in movie theater. Way back in day.
Ali did a lot closed circuit.
Charlie Crist
September 5, 2022 at 5:01 pm
Let’s have your real name and address then. I’ll come over there and burn your house down with you in it.
Tom
September 5, 2022 at 5:43 pm
More acts of violence!
Documented.
Charlie Crist
September 5, 2022 at 5:49 pm
Ashli Babbitt sends her best wishes via Ouija board…
Ocean Joe
September 5, 2022 at 4:24 pm
Desantis candidate still lost 54-46 in my county, a majority Republican. Pro-mask, common sense incumbent easily whipped somebody screeching about nonexistent CRT and evil teachers. Red Nonsense.
Poor Dr. Perez, lifelong Republican but not enough of a suck up. Giant Miami Dade with covid spreading like wildfire, highest numbers in the state unlike tiny red counties, to have not required masks would have been willful negligence. She did the right thing and got the boot anyway.
Tom
September 5, 2022 at 4:39 pm
Ocean, it’s unanimous that gov had major victories. Only you would suggest other.
Btw, I replied to both your cheap shots yesterday. You need to classy up some.
Joe Corsin
September 5, 2022 at 5:04 pm
You’re about as classy as Fat Cammack’s bare ass. You gonna get your ass whipped eventually…but you probably have better sense than to act like an animal in public. Yeah someone would hand you your ass.
Tom
September 5, 2022 at 5:38 pm
Yes you are the ass wipe corsin.
I’ve destroyed you and idiot Elliot,
Threats of violence documented by all
Your Sybil personalities.
You are a joke Joey!
Bruce Davis
September 5, 2022 at 5:07 pm
DeSantis, unfortunately, should be Governor for all the people the people. of Florida, not just the ones who believe in his autocratic policies. He should stop meddling in areas that he has no expertise.
Tom
September 5, 2022 at 5:41 pm
Liar!
PeterH
September 5, 2022 at 5:07 pm
Why is Florida responding to the teacher shortage by lowering professional standards in the classroom? Why is Florida hiring college dropouts with two years of college to fill vacancies? Florida has about 9,000 vacant teaching positions in schools across the state, according to the most recent data from the Florida Department of Education.
While Florida has paid lip service to increase starting salaries, the state ranks 48th in the nation when it comes to average teacher salaries, according to an April report by the National Education Association. The teaching environment here is also worsening, as DeSantis and other Republicans have made grade schools and universities the latest battle grounds in partisan culture wars. Qualified teachers are professionals and certainly don’t want to be looking over their shoulder for the next unhappy legislator or parent ready to sue for financial gain.
Tom
September 5, 2022 at 5:41 pm
Total lies, misinformation, deceit and gross exaggerations.
Everything is not true.
Just a scum liar!
Pete h u loser u self to the dirt.
Charlie Crist
September 5, 2022 at 5:51 pm
U loser u self to the dirt? What the hell does that mean? You’re over there smoking meth buddy seek help immediately!!!
Tom
September 5, 2022 at 6:32 pm
Typo, glad U study my every word.
I meant to say, lower self.
Which you do incessantly. Big word for you.
Charlie Crist
September 5, 2022 at 6:45 pm
Study your every word? You wrote 24 words!!! 😆 And 8 of them didn’t make any goddamn sense!!! What the hell do you expect???😂
Hope
September 5, 2022 at 7:05 pm
On top of inflation, the economy, out of control crime, and National Security debacles Biden’s goes all in for the student loan forgiveness which backfires, his speech from Satan’s home backfires, no candidates want to be seen with him because he drags them down. Total failure. Desperate. Herschel’s numbers are up; Oz’s numbers are up. Notice Biden isn’t saying anything about the Mar-A-Lago raid…
Charlie Crist
September 5, 2022 at 8:19 pm
Give it up dude. The Trumpist lying and hokey bullshit troll is way old. Try something different.. healthier for you and everyone else.
Jerry
September 12, 2022 at 3:38 am
I live in a county in which the Moms for Liberty person lost and we are very upset bc the winner, who claims to love and support children has turned a blind eye to pornography and highly sexual literature within our school system; many candidates avoid or are silent on such travesties and our Governor is just trying to correct the left-wing, (whacko) agenda of letting inappropriate information into our schools, on the basis of free speech. This battle is not over and we are marshalling our forces for the upcoming election.
Comments are closed.