New Report Shows Florida #1 in US for Education

Florida has now been ranked first in the United States in education by US News & World Report.

Florida has traditionally caught heat for underpaying teachers and neglecting educational outcomes.  A study conducted on the 2021-22 school year found that Florida pays the lowest average teacher salary when adjusted for cost of living for a K-12 teacher.

Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has also waged a culture war at a national level, often involving issues adjacent to, or within the public school system.  Transgender athletes in women's sports, censorship of sensitive literature in public schools, and censorship of dialogue regarding sexuality between teachers and students have been big issues Florida Republicans have faced.

Conservative rhetoric on these issues has more often than not welcomed mass protests from everyday Americans, to the corporate media.  But, if Florida and the governor's approach to education have been so unpopular and teachers are making less in Florida than anywhere else in the United States, how is it the best state in the union for education?

According to US News & World Report, Florida has the second-best rate of timely graduations among students at public institutions pursuing two- and four-year degrees, respectively.  College students in Florida also face the lowest in-state tuition and fees from Florida universities.

Florida's higher education standards could be credited to the emphasis Florida schools put on college readiness.  Florida sits at the top spot in the United States for college readiness metrics measured by 12th grade SAT and ACT scores.

Over the years, DeSantis has offered bonuses and incentives to Florida's teachers.  Florida teachers on the other hand, still petition for higher pay and complain about a lack of resources.  Numbers, however, do not lie and for now, Florida looks to be the best state in the country for education.