Education

JACKSONVILLE, FL—Governor Ron DeSantis signed Thursday morning a controversial bill that he says will ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from being taught in educator prep courses. "We don't want these teacher prep programs to become captive to someone's ideological agenda," DeSantis said at a Jacksonville press conference. "We can say no diversity, equity, […]

The media has been buzzing about the pot and abortion amendments that are currently on the ballot in Florida's election this year.  While many activists have been battling over the abortion amendment or marijuana legalization, partisan school board elections under Amendment 1 have slipped under the radar of many Floridians. President Joe Biden (D) has […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Prompted by Florida's dwindling medical workforce, a healthcare organization providing specialized training and care announced Tuesday the groundbreaking creation of 721 new graduate physician training slots. “Florida is one of the fastest growing states in the US and we have an urgent need for more doctors to care for our residents," said Safety Net […]

PENSACOLA, FL—At a Pensacola press conference, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Monday a sweeping education package that limits book ban objections from non-parents and addresses poor-performing "turnaround" schools. "You should not be having books in these schools that are sexually explicit [or] that are promoting ideology like gender ideology," DeSantis said, turning to the high proliferation […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—An education priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo has gone mostly unnoticed in the state's budget, providing funding to afterschool programs allowing children to earn money for learned skills, and then donate the money to a charity of their choice. "It's special for the Senate President," Katie Betta, Passidomo's Communications Director, told The Floridian. "It's […]

SARASOTA, FL—Following a now-shuttered sex scandal, the recently deposed GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler and his wife, Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, have filed a lawsuit to keep text messages they exchanged during the Republican leader's rape investigation out of the public's hands. On March 15, the formerly powerful Zieglers sued the City of Sarasota […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Gov. Ron DeSantis has just received 15 new bills to be signed into law, including a controversial workers' union measure and new requirements for prospective Florida State Guardsmen. Propelled through and out of the legislature by Republican Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, SB 1746 alters a union dues law passed last year—also sponsored by Ingoglia. Both […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Florida public schools will soon have their doors open wide for religious officials of all denominations to provide counseling, even—Democrats worry—Satanists and Santeria sacrifices. If signed into law, school chaplains would be available beginning this Fall. The measure provides for volunteer clergymen in schools, charging these religious officials with providing mental health and spiritual counseling […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Florida schools are one step closer to implementing instruction on the history of, and the "increasing threat" of, communism, due to a bill barreling through the Florida Legislature. "27-30 percent of our children right now believe that communism is something that they'd like to try in this nation. If that doesn't bother you, I'm […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Tuesday kicked off Children's Day at the Capitol, with the Progidy Cultural Arts Program for at-risk youth visiting Tallahassee in hopes of earning $3.5 million to continue diversion programs for low-income and struggling families. Partnered with Aetna Health, the Progidy Cultural Arts Program has been around for 23 years and serves eight counties. It's […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—A bill allowing volunteer religious officials in public schools passed its final Senate Committee Monday afternoon, drawing criticisms over untrained professionals providing counseling to children. "This bill authorizes each school district to adopt a policy to authorize volunteer school chaplains to provide support services and programs to students with parental consent," said Republican Sen. […]

Social Media Ban Puts Parental Rights in Crosshairs The past week at the Capitol has been a flurry of activity, with Lawmakers rushing to turn their bills into Florida law. With only a week and a half left in the 2024 Legislative Session, big bills related to Jeffrey Epstein and—in the most controversial news of […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—The Florida House moved Thursday afternoon to allow school districts to employ volunteer religious officials as counselors in public schools, dividing Democrats over allowing these clergymen to provide mental health advice to students. Co-sponsored by Democratic Rep. Kimberly Daniels and Republican Rep. Stan McClain, HB 931 provides for volunteer chaplains in schools, defined as […]

Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has been criticized by Democrats nation-wide for being authoritarian when it comes to education.  Now the governor is attempting to debunk book banning accusations, calling it a "hoax." Governor DeSantis has now called on the legislature to amend current laws that allow people to abuse standards which are said to be […]

The controversial legislative measure that passed in the Florida House of Representatives that calls for an all-out Social Media ban for children under the age of 16, and is now being taken up in the Florida Senate, could be dead on arrival as a new poll shows that the overwhelming majority of parents in Florida […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—A new bill would add an anti-communism curriculum to Florida schools, creating a communist task force of Governor-appointed officials. The bill faced Democratic resistance, with liberal lawmakers calling it divisive and "hurtful". HB 1349, co-sponsored by Republican House Reps. Chuck Brannan and James Buchanan, require an "age-appropriate" curriculum on the history of, and growing […]

The 2024 Legislative Session is now almost halfway completed, closing out the fifth week of the 9-week period. Tempers are wearing thin as we draw closer to the end, with a Republican expressing his "disgust" over Democrats storming out of a bill hearing. Other controversial issues this week included abortion rights, "identity politics" in the […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—A Republican-led education bill prohibits teacher prep courses from including a curriculum on "identity politics" or that "systemic racism, sexism, or oppression" is inherent in U.S. institutions. Proposed by Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, SB 1372 blocks theories of social, political, and economic inequity from being taught in educator prep courses. The sponsor said the bill […]