Florida’s school results were higher than expected, and teachers deserve credit.
The weirdest story of the week — which is saying something in this state — involved an anti-racist statement from the University of Central Florida’s English department.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the department said on its website that it had suspended the statement because it violated state law. Soon after, however, the suspension notice disappeared. A UCF spokesperson told the Sentinel that university management did not order the removal.
Clearly, the first move was a reaction to the so-called “Stop WOKE Act” championed by Governor Ron DeSantis. Its official name – the ironically named Individual Freedom – actually refers to the restriction of freedom. It entered into force on July 1.
It prohibits K-12 schools, colleges and universities in Florida from teaching anything that might resemble critical race theory without actually defining what it is.
UCF’s English department apparently believed that its statement, adopted in 2021, may have strayed into forbidden territory.
It reads in part: “Our discipline of English has been disfigured by a horrific history of complicity in perpetuating colonial and racist practices and power structures. For too long, our field has supported a canon of literature that is exclusive, elitist, and blindingly white.”
I understand UCF’s dilemma on this one.
DeSantis is on a crusade to say that teaching about Florida’s racist past — and sometimes its present — is a crime. He calls it “indoctrination”, while others might call it “education”.
First Amendment advocates have a role to play in this, too, and we’ll let the courts sort it out.
But the problem now is that the cursory language in the WOKE Act defies any clear legal interpretation of what someone can or cannot say.
Here is the legal summary of HB 7. See if you can figure it out.
“Stipulates that subjecting individuals to certain concepts in certain circumstances constitutes discrimination based on race, color, sex, or national origin; revising requirements for required instruction on African American history; require the department to develop and offer certain standards and curriculum; authorizing the department to request information from a specific organization for specific purposes; prohibits learning materials reviewers from recommending learning materials that contain any matter that conflicts with certain principles; requires DOE to review school district professional development systems for compliance with certain provisions of the Act.”
This is legal nonsense, which is probably what the governor intended. Acts as if the law is what it says it is. Who knows what it might be on any given day?
Now it’s time for our weekly game of winners and losers.
Honorable Mention: Mark Lombardo. His campaign to unseat U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz in Florida’s 1st Congressional District got a boost. A candidate in a four-way race in the Republican primary backed out and immediately endorsed Lombardo.
Bryan Jones, a US Air Force special operations pilot, left active duty to run for the seat.
“The Aug. 23 Republican primary is a winner-take-all system, and a crowded ballot is not in the best interest of the voters of this district,” he said in a statement.
“While this is one of the most difficult decisions my family has ever made, my withdrawal from this race is a result of a higher calling to stay true to my faith, the core values that guide me, and my life’s mission to put the good of others above my own.”
Lombardo and Greg Merk are thus still in the race against Gaetz.
Lombardo is a retired Marine and former FedEx executive. He promised to spend up to $1 million of his own money to oust Gaetz.
Almost (but not quite) the biggest winner: DeSantis. His unannounced 2024 presidential bid has received a humorous boost from an unlikely source.
The Lincoln Project posted a scathing video of DeSantis mocking Mar-a-Lago’s name.
The 30-second segment opens with an image of DeSantis and Donald Trump saying, “It’s hard to watch, isn’t it, Donald? Ron DeSantis betrayed you to become a star.”
He later adds, “He’s laughing at you.”
DeSantis is too smart to take a victory lap too soon because Trump clearly remains a Republican force. But there’s no denying that DeSantis appears to be closing in on a presidential bid, and he won’t hold back just to spare Trump’s feelings.
Biggest winner: Florida teachers. The Florida Department of Education (DOE) celebrated that overall school grades for the 2021-2022 school year exceeded expectations.
The Department of Energy boasted that this happened because of “policies that kept schools open and students in class.”
The open classrooms definitely made for a better learning atmosphere. But the gold star for better-than-expected results goes to Florida teachers.
Over the years, they have been bullied, slandered, belittled and forced to twist in the wind due to the ever-changing demands of Florida lawmakers. Then there’s the pandemic, which has turned education on its head, and the overall performance of teachers is exceptional.
We can’t thank them enough for what they are doing to prepare the next generations of Floridians.
Honorable Mention: City of Orlando. City officials were red-faced and apologetic after the Fourth of July fireworks announcement went overboard.
“When there’s so much division, hatred and unrest, why the hell would you want to throw a party celebrating any of that?” the statement read.
“At that moment, something takes hold of us and we all become united in an inexplicable bond. Yes, America is in conflict right now, but you know what… we already bought the fireworks.”
Almost (but not quite) the biggest loser: James Judge. A Republican candidate hoping to defeat Democratic candidate Kathy Castor in Florida’s 15th congressional district has taken his commitment to the Second Amendment to disgusting levels. They say timing is everything, and Judge showed a staggering amount of bad timing.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that Judge announced he was raffling off four AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles. He did so two days after a gunman used a similar weapon to kill seven people at a Fourth of July parade near Chicago.
“The radical far left wants to do away with our Second Amendment entirely. Not on my watch! My campaign defies them by giving away four AR-15s,” Judge posted on his campaign website.
In fact, most people would love to attend a Fourth of July celebration without the fear of being gunned down by a madman on a rooftop.
Before Judge can face Castor, he must win a three-way contest in the Aug. 23 Republican primary.
The Biggest Loser: California Governor Gavin Newsom. If Newsom believed trolling DeSantis in a Fox News 4th of July ad would have any effect, he was grotesquely wrong.
The ad praises California’s accepting approach to gay rights and smartly takes a dig at DeSantis’ “free state of Florida.”
“It’s Independence Day, so let’s talk about what’s going on in America,” Newsom said in the ad.
“Freedom is under attack in your country. Republican leaders are banning books, making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, even criminalizing women and doctors. I urge all of you who live in Florida to join the fight or join us in California.”
Well, okay, the ad might have had more impact if Newsom hadn’t been vacationing in Montana with his family when the spot aired. Because of LGBTQ+ restrictions, Montana is on a list of 22 states where California has banned state-funded travel.
Yes, Newsom paid for the vacation, but it’s still a bad look and deserves a dishonorable mention.
In addition, all of this has made DeSantis even more popular with his base than is possible.
We must also consider that the governor’s wife, Casey DeSantis, is a huge asset as she moves forward with her agenda and ambitions. She appears with him at many gatherings, and the couple exudes youthful energy and drive. She is the best candidate any candidate could wish for.
And we’ll leave this segment with another jab at Democrat Val Demings and her campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. As we recently noted, her “law enforcement officer” ad touting her law enforcement experience misses the mark.
She needs to focus more on what she will do for the people of Florida if elected, but FiveThirtyEight doesn’t think that will be a problem. It currently gives her a 6% chance of beating Rubio.
