Florida Governor outlines pro-parent 'DeSantis Education Agenda'

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is doubling down on his efforts to provide parents with more rights in determining what their kids are taught in schools and to provide school children with added protections against woke indoctrination. 

Late last week, DeSantis launched a new education blueprint aimed to protect children from woke ideology as part of the “DeSantis Education Agenda.” 

The document, which was published on DeSantis’ official website, claims to promote “a student-first, parent-centered initiative focused on setting Florida’s children up for success, ensuring parental rights in education, and combatting the woke agenda from infiltrating public schools.”

“This statewide agenda is for school board candidates and school board members who are committed to advancing these priorities at the local school board level,” DeSantis explained in the document.

The blueprint is made up of a 10-point plan that reads as follows:

1. Keep Schools Open and Reject Lockdowns
2. Educate, Don’t Indoctrinate
3. Ensure Parental Rights in Education and Keep Woke Gender Ideology Out of Schools
4. Support Robust Civics Education
5. Expand Workforce Development and Technical Education
6. Reject the use of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the Curriculum
7. Increase Teacher Pay
8. Continue Support for School Security and Mental Health Initiatives
9. Protect the Right of Parents to Petition School Boards and Districts for Redress of Grievances
10. Guarantee the Right of Parents to Curriculum Transparency

In a statement to conservative publication The Federalist, DeSantis stated, “our school board members are on the front lines of what happens in our education system. In Florida, we value student success, parental rights, and curriculum transparency, and we need school board members who do the same,” adding, “we need strong school boards who will fight for these values and put students first.”

As detailed by the publication, the agenda encompasses school board candidates and members committed to advancing the governor’s priorities at a local level. Additionally, the agenda empowers parents in having more control over their children's education and is designed to prevent progressive ideology from infiltrating the state’s public schools. 

Earlier this year, DeSantis signed anti-grooming legislation to prevent teachers from instructing students from kindergarten through to third grade on sexual orientation and gender identity. The legislation also bans instruction that is not age appropriate for students.