Political bias in Florida’s schools – Part 2
Bottom Line: In Palm Beach County, not only has the “Idiot Trump” teacher been “reassigned”, so has the Holocaust denying principal William Latson. Even when busted for egregious violations of code and ethics policies in our schools these “educators” still get paid. And that takes me back to the broader issues with the education establishment. The National Education Association – largest teacher’s union pledged 92% of their donations in last year’s elections to Democrats. They actively promote Democrat politics in their messaging. From Washington D.C. to the classrooms in South Florida. And that takes us back to local accountability which is lacking. If local school districts were aggressive in doling out accountability – IE. Immediate job loss, loss of education certification, loss of accrued pension, all of which could be pursued – rather than paid vacations until the storm passes, maybe teachers inclined towards bias would exercise restraint. But in the current environment, at least as we’ve witnessed with the Broward and Palm Beach County School Districts, accountability for violations of ethics and code are often tolerated to the extent that taxpayers still pay for “educators” who are reassigned. It’s my belief that the state needs to become far more involved in oversight of ethics violations, as local school districts seem unwilling to hold violators accountable in a meaningful way.
In early 2020, Florida Education Commissioner Ricard Corcoran will be making recommendations to overhaul aspects of Florida’s education establishment and curriculum. It’s my hope that we’ll see an agenda which includes additional school choice and oversight/accountability (in addition to the elimination of Common Core – which Governor DeSantis ordered). After all these are Florida codes and ethics being violated – not just failures at the local level. Governor DeSantis’s suspension of Okaloosa’s Superintendent this year showed a willingness by this administration to mind the store when it comes to local education establishments. There’s nothing more crucial to future generations of Floridians than getting this one right. And to get this right, when educators violate the code and ethics they’ve agreed to as a condition of their employment – there needs to be swift and significant accountability. That’s the only way we’ll see meaningful change and there’s no indication it’s forthcoming from Broward or Palm Beach County’s school districts.