Education and parental rights has become the forefront of concern for many Florida Republicans. Now, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has released a new batch of school board endorsements for, "Pro-parent," candidates.
The following candidates have pledged to run on the recently announced, "DeSantis Education Agenda: Putting Students First, Protecting Parents’ Rights," a statewide blueprint for school board candidates and members who are committed to advancing Governor DeSantis’s agenda priorities at the local school board level.
- Al Hernandez – Pasco 1
- Armor Persons – Lee 5
- Chad Choate – Manatee 4
- Christy Chong – Flagler 4
- Cindy Spray – Manatee 2
- Colonel Richard Tatem – Manatee 5
- Darren Horan – Monroe 1
- Erin Skipper – Clay 1
- Jacqueline Rosario – Indian River 2
- Jamie Haynes – Volusia 1
- Jennifer Russell – Martin 3
- Jill Woolbright– Flagler 1
- Robyn Marinelli – Sarasota 4
- Sam Fisher – Lee 1
- Stephanie Busin – Hendry 4
- Phil Leary – Putnam 5
The GOP has prioritized school board elections, with State Rep. Spencer Roach (R-76) previously telling The Floridian that these elections are the most important in the nation.
The governor stated, "School board members are on the frontlines of protecting parents’ rights and setting our students up for success. It’s crucial we have strong candidates who are committed to advancing our pro-parent, student-first agenda in Florida."
DeSantis added, "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. I am pleased to endorse these additional pro-parent candidates for their school board races across the state of Florida."
The Florida Legislature's last legislative session was practically defined by lawmaking on public education. The Parental Rights in Education Bill was pitched to dramatically shift power to parents over their children's curriculum in school. However, Democrats rebranded this legislation the, "Don't Say Gay Bill," which drove the legislation to infamy.
This Summer, DeSantis made big moves to revolutionize Florida public schools. The "Education State," has officially slashed statewide FSA testing and continues to support the Bright Futures Scholarship program which helps students attend in-state public universities by merit.
