Post # 347, Bob McKnight's Florida Commentary
The Reputation of Florida Education has Diminished under the Heavy Hand of DeSantis.
During the Golden Age of Florida Politics, the '70s and '80s, Governor Bob Graham always argued for keeping higher education in the state as independent from direct politics as possible. Florida had a strong Board of Governors, which was appointed by the Governor, but confirmed by a majority of the Senate. The appointment to the Board of Governors was among the most sought in the state, and few Governors ever disappointed.
So it is with a degree of disappointment that we saw that the current Governor did not respect the proven process of those before him. The first indication of DeSantis' heavy hand in politics came when the governor announced that he was going to police education, including the books used. He continued by attempting to usurp local school boards on management, including the teaching materials.
DeSantis moved next to higher ed and attacked the management of the state's smallest higher education institution, The New School in Sarasota. DeSantis fired the President and appointed a former Speaker of the House to the position, who had no education experience. The appointment was ridiculed by the education community, but was approved by the Senate. The New School Faculty protested the appointment of their President, to no avail.
The Governor next took on the flagship university in the state, the University of Florida in Gainesville. DeSantis was running for President at the time, and to almost no one's surprise, the Governor appointed a political supporter to the most important education appointment in Florida. Former Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse was named the new President of the University of Florida. It was the same story as with The New School of Sasse having no real education experience. But the appointment was greased for approval of the appointment by the Governor's buddies in the Senate. President Sasse' Administration was criticized because most of his major higher education appointments were of his Senate staff, who never even moved to Florida. President Sasse has now quit the University of Florida but is taking a departure gift for walking away from the University from DeSantis' friends of a $1 Million per year.
Governor Bob Graham was so right. Governor DeSantis would be wise to study the governance of Florida public education during the Golden Age. Keep public education free of direct politics governor.
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