Education

Covering Florida’s education sector. The Floridian is a statewide and national political media platform that covers government affairs, elections, public policy, and campaigns on Florida politics.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced the state version of Elon Musk's Department of Governmental Efficiency, which he wants to audit universities and eliminate nearly one thousand positions at "obsolete" state boards and commissions. Florida's DOGE task force will be formed solely to "prune" excess spending around the state and hold powerful institutions accountable, DeSantis said […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis implored Floridians to stop and think before they listen to what Sen. Randy Fine has to say about his new appointee to the University of West Florida, an embattled professor Fine called a "bigot." DeSantis responded to the growing backlash facing Scott Yenor, a former Boise State University professor appointed by DeSantis […]
Florida college students could carry their concealed guns onto campuses and into dorms if a new bill filed Tuesday passes, prompted by a rise in antisemitism across American universities. Sponsored by Sen. Randy Fine, the sole Jewish Republican in the state Legislature, SB 814 would allow for the possession of firearms at every property owned […]
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Former House Speaker Paul Renner was appointed to the state university system's Board of Governors by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday. Paul Renner, 57, served as House Speaker for the 2022-2024 legislative term. During that time, Renner, a Republican, represented House District 19 which includes Flagler County and parts of St. Johns County. […]
TALLAHASSEE—A sweeping anti-illegal immigration bill barring undocumented students from receiving discounted tuition rates passed its first—and last—Florida committee Wednesday and will head to the Senate Floor for a final vote. The 51-page measure, sponsored by Republican Senators Randy Fine and Joe Gruters, repeals a 2014 bipartisan law that allowed certain undocumented high school graduates to […]
Representative Aaron Bean (R-FL) is reintroducing legislation to counter malicious foreign influence in America's education system through funding. Named the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act and introduced initially last June, Rep. Bean's bill would require schools to notify parents of how and where foreign funding affects their child's educational curriculum. […]
Former Broward County Commissioner and School Board Chair Torey Alston has been named the next President of Broward College. He was unanimously selected by the school's board of trustees. Alston also served on the Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) Board of Trustees and the Miami-Dade County Public Schools leadership team. President Alston thanked the […]
Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) released a statement announcing a Department of Defense grant to rebuild Tinker PreK-8 School on MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. The $86 million award will improve the quality of Tinker's campus and curricula and expand its capacity to accommodate the children of Air Force service members and ensure their education. […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis blasted the media's "cherry-picking" criticisms of right-wing politicians, prompted by backlash over his new university appointee previously advocating against women delaying motherhood for higher education. His comments fall in light of an AP News report, which found that new University of West Florida board appointee Scott Yenor had railed against the "evils" […]
Abolishing the Department of Education (DOE) has gained traction among Republicans, including Representative Aaron Bean (R-FL), who recently told The Floridian that he wants education to return to the states. This would effectively abolish critical race theory (CRT) at the federal level. We asked Rep. Bean why he believed Democrats are against abolishing the Department, which […]
MIAMI - Florida voters will decide if school board candidates are required to disclose their party affiliation under a constitutional amendment in November. The Partisan Election of Members of District School Boards, or Amendment 1, would require district school boards to be elected in a partisan election as opposed to a nonpartisan election. Amendment 1 […]
The Floridian spoke to the former Assistant Director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – Rich Marianos – concerning the rise of vape devices in American communities, especially vapes from China. These devices have infiltrated high schools and college campuses while appearing in the United States illegally from Asia. Marianos […]
The infiltration of the American education system by China has been a concern among Republicans, as many examples have demonstrated. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) recently spearheaded a letter with Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) demanding the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate colleges and universities with Chinese ties and provide a counterstrategy. "We write regarding reports that […]
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL—Prompted by one woman’s string of last-minute absences at the St. Lucie County School Board, officials and community members alike are demanding first-term member Jennifer Richardson resign or be removed. She refuses. “In my 18 years of being in public service in St. Lucie County I’ve never seen any other government official […]
The seemingly insidious nature of foreign influence in our educational system is a cause for concern. It can be challenging to detect, as children can be taught anti-American values unbeknownst to their parents. Recognizing this, Representative Aaron Bean (R-FL) has taken a stand, introducing a bill to combat this influence by enhancing transparency in foreign […]
HIALEAH, FL—As Florida languishes at the near worst-in-the-nation spot for teacher pay, Governor Ron DeSantis slams teacher unions while taking action—announcing Monday that he will approve $1.25 billion in the state budget toward teacher salary increases. "This is an increase of close to a quarter of a billion dollars in funding over the previous years...and […]
Early in May, Representative Aaron Bean (R-FL) savaged Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on the impact of illegal immigration on our nation's K-12 public school system. After a more recent hearing, the Florida Congressman made a series of comments to Fox News Digital, describing the effect the border crisis has had on schools, to the […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—A part-time college professor will not be allowed back at his university after he called for Jews to "return to exile" in parts of Europe. Danny Krikorian, a U.S. Government professor at Valencia College in Orlando, proposed the existence of an "Arab Federation" encompassing municipal Arab states, represented by "The flag of the Arab […]