JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — No DEI or critical race theory in Florida schools has long been the position of Gov. Ron DeSantis and his office.
Action News Jax told you about the governor pushing for bans on those topics in state colleges back in January of 2023. Now, with President Donald Trump promising to cut funding for schools that teach the topics, the debate has once again been pushed to the forefront.
University of North Florida educators and Florida Education Association leaders spoke out about those policies Thursday morning ahead of the Board of Governors’ meeting at UNF.
“Now we’re saying to grown adults: we’re going to control what classes you can take, the curriculum, what degrees may be available to you, because we, a certain sector of the community, we don’t feel it is appropriate,” said Florida Education Association vice president, Carole Gauronskas. “There is no freedom in that.”
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“It makes us less capable of navigating the incredibly complex world we live in,” argued UNF professor Matthew Leon.
Those leaders Thursday morning asked for an end to what they call, quote, “the attack on public education” and “censorship” in Florida schools.
Read: Duval charter schools fall behind traditional public schools in new graduation rate report
“No censorship is appropriate when it comes to an adult,” said Gauronskas. “We need to leave the academics to the experts.”
“We have to give people the tools they need to navigate a world that isn’t the same as theirs,” added Leon.
The governor’s office responded to the protests Thursday in the following statement to Action News Jax:
“Once again, the United Faculty of Florida Union is stomping their feet because professors will no longer be able to infuse ideology under the guise of “General Education.”
“The newly adopted General Education course lists for public Universities and Colleges ensure that students at our public institutions are taking high-quality courses that provide foundational knowledge and, as the statute says, “promote and preserve the Constitutional Republic” to meet the requirements for General Education.”
Read: Duval County Public Schools need feedback on school start times law
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