TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis isn’t on the ballot Tuesday — but his education agenda is.
DeSantis is once again throwing his weight behind county school board candidates across the state. Though the seats are officially nonpartisan, the Republican governor has endorsed 23 school board candidates on the ballot Tuesday in 14 Florida counties — and he’s targeted 14 incumbent board members he wants to see voted out.
One board that conservatives are hoping to win a majority on is in Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Historically known as one of the state’s largest swing counties, Pinellas has been moving to the right in recent years. In a pattern playing out across the state, conservative activists there have equated certain teaching materials with pornography and labeled educators as “groomers.”
Much of the political debate in the races has focused on “parental rights” at a time when both parties are fighting to win over the contested voting bloc of suburban women. The modern parental rights movement grew out of opposition to pandemic precautions in schools and is now animated by complaints about classroom instruction on gender identity and systemic racism.
Florida’s new school board members will take office as traditional public schools are facing dramatic declines in student enrollment, with districts large and small wrestling with whether to close schools and what to do with their real estate holdings once the campuses are shuttered. School districts are often among the largest employers and landowners in their communities.
Three challengers in Pinellas have won the endorsement of DeSantis and the local chapter of the conservative group Moms for Liberty.
If elected, candidates Stacy Geier, Danielle Marolf and Erika Picard would join two current members who are endorsed by Moms for Liberty, constituting a majority on the nine-seat board.
“He knows who the true conservative is in my race,” Marolf said after winning DeSantis’ endorsement. “My values are actually to protect children.”
But some in Pinellas say parents’ rights activists have gone too far, like school board candidate Katie Blaxberg, a registered Republican who’s found herself on the opposing side of Moms for Liberty. Blaxberg is running against Geier for an open seat on the board.
Activists aligned with Moms for Liberty have disparaged Blaxberg online and posted information about her children and her home. The chapter president did not respond to phone and email messages from The Associated Press.
“The misinformation that has been spread by this group of people and the intent to … place mistrust in our teachers,” Blaxberg said, “people are tired of it.”
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Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
In a recent development in Florida politics, candidates supported by Governor Ron DeSantis are set to compete in the upcoming school board election. This move comes as part of the governor’s efforts to influence education policy at the local level and ensure that his agenda is implemented in schools across the state.
Governor DeSantis has been a vocal advocate for school choice, increased funding for charter schools, and a more rigorous curriculum in Florida’s public schools. He has also been critical of the state’s teachers’ unions and their influence on education policy.
In an effort to advance his education agenda, Governor DeSantis has thrown his support behind a number of candidates running for school board positions in various districts across the state. These candidates are seen as allies of the governor and are expected to push for policies that align with his vision for education in Florida.
The school board election is shaping up to be a contentious one, with candidates supported by Governor DeSantis facing off against those who are more aligned with the teachers’ unions and traditional public school advocates. The outcome of the election could have far-reaching implications for education policy in Florida and could determine the direction of the state’s schools for years to come.
Critics of Governor DeSantis’ involvement in the school board election argue that it is inappropriate for a sitting governor to meddle in local politics and that education policy should be determined by local communities, not by state officials. They also raise concerns about the influence of outside money and special interests in the election, as candidates supported by Governor DeSantis are likely to receive significant financial backing from pro-charter school organizations and other groups.
Supporters of Governor DeSantis, on the other hand, see his involvement in the school board election as a positive step towards improving education in Florida. They believe that his policies will lead to better outcomes for students and provide more options for families seeking high-quality education for their children.
As the school board election approaches, all eyes will be on Florida to see how the candidates supported by Governor DeSantis fare in their races. The outcome of the election could have a significant impact on education policy in the state and could set the stage for further battles over the future of Florida’s schools.
