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Opinion

Why do Republicans demonize teachers?

The following Letter to the Editor was published in The Daily Sun on Sept 1, 2023. As I watched the Republican Presidential Primary Debate last week, I was appalled that teachers and teachers’ unions were demonized. Teachers were charged with indoctrinating students, going against the concerns of parents, and ignoring the need for student achievement.

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Analysis

Using Frederick Douglass to rationalize slavery? In Florida, Yes!

By Charles M. Blow, Opinion Columnist, New York Times, Aug. 16, 2023. Gov. Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign may be floundering as he struggles to win over Republican voters with his deadpan robotic demeanor, and he may be shuffling campaign staff like he’s taking a mulligan, but the damage he did to Florida to get himself to

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Analysis

The Florida Board of Education’s new standards for African American history

By HEATHER COX RICHARDSON, Letters from an American, July 22, 2023. The Florida Board of Education approved new state social studies standards on Wednesday (Jul 20, 2023),  including standards for African American history, civics and government, American history, and economics. Critics immediately called out the middle school instruction in African American history that includes “how

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Opinion

Rocky Hanna: With 460,000 school library books, parents will determine kids’ access

Recently there have been new laws and regulations placed on schools by the governor and the Florida Legislature focused on determining whether books and educational material are deemed obscene or age appropriate. In the past, media specialists and librarians could use something called The Miller Test to determine whether a book was appropriate for school aged children.

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News

Moms For Liberty deemed hate group by SPLC

By Scott Lawson, Managing Editor, The Venice Gondolier, June 7, 2023. Protesters gathered outside a Moms for Liberty event in Tampa in July, 2022. NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA PHOTO BY RYAN DAILY Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks on July 2022 at a Moms for Liberty event in Tampa. News Service of Florida/Ryan Dailey SARASOTA —

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Essay

$1000 scholarship awarded to Lemon Bay High School graduate

On Monday, May 8th, the Englewood Democratic Club presented its first “Living Democracy Award” to graduating Lemon Bay High School senior, Addison Adcock at a ceremony held at the high school.  Ms. Adcock was the winner of the Club’s non-partisan essay contest based on the question: “What Can I do to Preserve and Improve Our

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Opinion

This Is what the right-wing takeover of New College looks like

By Michelle Goldberg, Opinion Columnist, The New York Times, Apr 29, 2023. SARASOTA, Fla. — When I first met Matthew Lepinski, the faculty chair of New College of Florida, he was willing to give the right-wingers sent to remake his embattled progressive public school a chance. This was in January, a few weeks after Gov. Ron

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Elections

No reason for partisan school board elections

The following editorial was published in The Daily Sun on Apr 28, 2023. OUR POSITION: Turning school board races in Florida into potential clashes over party politics does nothing to help students or the state’s goal to be a leader in education. It will be up to voters in 2024 to right a wrong. The wrong

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Events

Charlotte County school superintendent search down to five

The Daily Sun, Staff Report, Apr 25, 2023 PUNTA GORDA — Charlotte County Public Schools’ search for a new superintendent is down to five finalists, the district announced Tuesday. The finalists are: • Ernie Lozano – executive director of Behavioral Threat Assessments, Broward County Public Schools. • Robert Bedford – principal at Lemon Bay High School, Charlotte

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Opinion

We must embrace and improve public education

The following Letter to the Editor was published in The Daily Sun on March 31, 2023. Submit your own letter to the editor by clicking HERE.  Horace Mann (1796-1859), the architect of modern public education, believed deeply in the importance, value, and superiority of public education; it became his life’s work. “Public Education is the

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Florida Legislation

DeSantis chopping away at democracy in Florida

The following Letter to the Editor was published in The Daily Sun on March 28, 2023. Submit your own letter to the editor by clicking HERE.  Be alert to the fascist strategies Governor Ron DeSantis is exerting on the public education system — our children and grandchildren — in the state of Florida! The voucher

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Florida Legislation

So many questions about school voucher bill

The following editorial was published in The Daily Sun on March 21, 2023. Any day now, the Florida Senate will side with their colleagues in the House and approve a voucher bill that will give money for any student in the state to attend a private school. Republican legislators want to expand the state’s voucher

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Opinion

What is Ron DeSantis doing to Florida’s public liberal-arts college?

By Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, February 22, 2023 DeSantis is not simply inveighing against progressive control of institutions. He is using his powers as governor to remake them. In the context of other universities—the sort of assessment the Princeton Review’s guidebooks might do—New College of Florida, situated on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico,

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Florida Legislation

Scrutiny of charter schools out the door

The following editorial was published in The Daily Sun on Feb 24, 2023. OUR POSITION: The recent approval of a charter school for the Wellen Park community in North Port is an example of the lax oversight dictated by the Legislature. Let’s start a charter school. A for-profit one for sure. There’s money to be made.

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Republicans

What qualifies Richard Corcoran to make up to $1 million at New College?

By Carrie Seidman, The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Feb 17, 2023. I’m sure I am not alone in being stunned by the compensation package approved at a recent special meeting of the New College of Florida board for Richard Corcoran, appointed as the school’s interim president following the Jan. 31 ouster of Patricia Okker. Corcoran, who will take over

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Opinion

DeSantis blocks an African American course – and reveals his true colors

By David G. Wilkins, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Jan 25, 2023. I appreciate the clarity that Gov. Ron DeSantis has demonstrated in his recent decisions. For example, DeSantis’ appointment of conservatives to New College of Florida’s Board of Trustees clarified his intention to remake the public, liberal Honors College into a conservative, Christian school, in the

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Opinion

Why is DeSantis going after New College?

The following Letter to the Editor was published in The Daily Sun on Jan 24, 2023. Ron DeSantis and his fascist regime are running roughshod over our students’ education. First in K-12 grades with his CRT policy and banned books, etc. and now in our colleges and universities. Recently, for no reason except to promote

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News

New College president ousted, Corcoran named

By Ryan Dailey, News Service of Florida, Feb 1, 2023. SARASOTA — A revamped New College of Florida Board of Trustees on Tuesday quickly shook up leadership at the small liberal-arts school, removing President Patricia Okker and replacing her on an interim basis with former state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran. The moves came after Gov.

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Florida Legislation

Florida proposes expanding school vouchers

By Ryan Dailey, News Service of Florida, Jan 20, 2023. TALLAHASSEE — Calling it a move toward “universal choice,” Florida House Speaker Paul Renner on Thursday announced a proposal that would make every student in Florida eligible for school vouchers — a move that Democrats blasted as a Republican attack on public education. The legislation

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Florida Legislation

FL schools must teach ‘benefits of monogamous heterosexual marriage’

By NANCY J. SEMON, STAFF WRITER, The Daily Sun, Jan 20, 2023. PORT CHARLOTTE — Teaching students about the “benefits of monogamous heterosexual marriage” to prevent AIDS is one of the policy changes the Charlotte County School Board discussed this week. It is among other changes to district policies under review to abide by Florida’s

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