Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been increasingly criticized for his authoritarian takeover of the state’s educational system, with recent laws making Florida sound more and more dystopian. The latest round of laws includes the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for all grades in Florida, and new rules for who can use which bathroom, what pronouns can be used in schools, which books can be taught, and when women can get an abortion (almost never). The state’s six-week abortion ban, which goes into effect if the state’s current 15-week law weathers an ongoing legal challenge in the state Supreme Court, is especially cruel and punitive because many women don’t know they are pregnant within that point.[0]
Moreover, DeSantis’ takeover of Florida’s educational system is designed to prevent students from learning about the systems of oppression and exploitation that shaped our world. The roles of women and ethnic minorities are less likely to be included in lessons, and there’s little mention of marginalized communities.[1] Students are rarely exposed to the perspective of someone “other” through ethnicity or sexuality.[1] Without taking a specialized class, students may miss out on learning about narratives beyond those centered on white, male perspectives.[2] Women are rarely mentioned in history textbooks, and the stories of the Black experience as it really happened are under constant threat.[2]
The latest round of laws makes Florida sound more and more dystopian, something voters in the rest of the nation should note if they are considering what a DeSantis presidency could look like.[0] Florida’s six-week abortion ban, which could amount to forced pregnancy, is a hellish concept.[0] There are measures to strip union protections from public employees, prevent universities from discussing diversity or inclusion, and ban talk of gender identity or sexuality in schools all the way through 12th grade.[0]
Overall, we should all be concerned about Florida’s future graduates and DeSantis’ authoritarian takeover of Florida’s educational system. In the long run, this will only lead to a generation of students who are poorly equipped to understand and tackle the issues that face Florida and the rest of the world.
0. “Do you really want to ‘make America Florida’? Under DeSantis, it’s a mean place | Opinion” Miami Herald, 12 May. 2023, https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article275215386.html
1. “DeSantis embraces ‘classical education,’ but what is it? | Editorial” South Florida Sun Sentinel, 20 May. 2023, https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2023/05/20/desantis-wants-a-focus-on-classical-education-what-does-that-mean-editorial-2
2. “Florida’s STOP WOKE Act attacks education” The Roundup News, 13 May. 2023, https://theroundupnews.com/2023/05/13/floridas-stop-woke-act-attacks-education
