Ron DeSantis’ extreme track record of undermining public education speaks for itself: He signed laws allowing books to be banned from schools, attacked LGBTQ+ youth, argued in favor of new Florida education standards that will require schools to teach children that some enslaved people benefited from slavery, and has cozied up to right-wing groups pushing toxic culture wars in classrooms. 

DeSantis more than tripled the percentage of taxpayer dollars being routed away from Florida public schools toward private institutions, and he recently signed legislation that could accelerate that trend further.

USA Today: “Over the past three years, the percentage of state-formula funding redirected from public to private education has risen from 3% to 10%, said Norín Dollard, senior policy analyst and KIDS COUNT director at the Florida Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research and policy organization. Next year, that could reach 30%, or $4 billion, according to calculations by Dollard and Mary McKillip of the Education Law Center.”

Insider: “Ron DeSantis will spend up to $4 billion on school vouchers for Florida families to challenge ‘woke’ public schools”

DeSantis vowed to eliminate the Department of Education, which could endanger billions in federal support for local school districts.

DeSantis: “Yeah, I would eliminate the federal Department of Education if we can. I don’t think that the federal government was never envisioned to have really any role in K through 12.”

DeSantis launched a culture war in Florida schools by attempting to rewrite Black history, opening the door to book bans, and targeting LGBTQ+ students. 

Politico: “New Florida teaching standards say African Americans received some ‘personal benefit’ from slavery”

NBC News: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed four bills Wednesday restricting LGBTQ rights, including a measure that expands what critics have called the state’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law and another that will ban transition-related care for minors.”

Associated Press: “As he vies for the Republican presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is touting a series of measures he has pushed that have led to an upswing in banned or restricted books — not just in Florida schools but in an increasing number of other conservative states.”