Florida schools top the “education freedom” list, while NYC and DC schools finish in last.


Florida has come top and New York and Washington, D.C., at the bottom of a new scorecard for ‘educational freedom’, which penalizes states with ‘woke‘ teachers’ unions and that tolerate lessons on critical race theory.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, on Friday released its first-ever Education Freedom Report Card, which says it evaluates states on value for money, parental input and transparency in their school systems.

The study’s authors called for getting critical race theory (CRT), an austere anti-racism philosophy, out of classrooms, and of parents across the U.S. being able to ‘stand up to woke teachers’ unions’.

The release comes amid debates over teaching racism and gender identity that have exploded into angry face-offs involving parents and teachers at school board meetings across the nation.

The report lauds Florida’s Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, a potential White House candidate for 2024 who has made national headlines with his efforts to restrict race-based conversation and analysis in schools and businesses.

Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has led the charge in turning culture war rows over racism, sexuality and school Covid-19 mask mandates into national issues.

Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has led the charge in turning culture war rows over racism, sexuality and school Covid-19 mask mandates into national issues.

Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has led the charge in turning culture war rows over racism, sexuality and school Covid-19 mask mandates into national issues.

The foundation’s president Kevin Roberts praised Florida as ‘one of the freest states for teachers and children to pursue an education that is largely devoid of red tape’ while also ‘holding schools accountable to parents’.

Florida topped the ranking for offering quality schools without over-spending, for letting parents decide between private, charter, and district schools and for rejecting ‘pernicious ideas’ like CRT, researchers said.

Arizona came second, scoring well for recently expanding its school-choice program, while Idaho took third place for offering taxpayers’ value for money and ‘high levels of transparency to parents’.

At the other end of the spectrum, New Jersey, New York, and Washington D.C., took the lowest-scoring spots, for ‘doing little to provide transparency, accountability, and choice to families’.

New York made it too hard for parents to opt for charter schools, researchers said, and state lawmakers had declined to ‘reject the prejudice’ of CRT, which is seldom taught in the state’s schools.

Washington D.C., schools were too expensive, lavishing $26,981 on each pupil annually, said the study, while anti-CRT rules had stalled there and parents lacked control over school curriculums.

Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action for America, a grassroots conservative movement, called the study a clarion call for letting parents choose where their children learn.

Opponents of critical race theory rallying outside a school board headquarters, in Ashburn, Virginia, last year.

Opponents of critical race theory rallying outside a school board headquarters, in Ashburn, Virginia, last year.

Opponents of critical race theory rallying outside a school board headquarters, in Ashburn, Virginia, last year.

‘As record numbers of parents flip school boards and stand up to woke teachers’ unions, it is clear the parental rights and school choice movement is not slowing down,’ Anderson said in a statement.

DeSantis was expected to speak later on Friday about the think tank’s study in Florida. He has led the charge in turning culture war tussles over racism, sexuality and school Covid-19 mask mandates into national issues.

More recently, he has inserted himself into school board races as he seeks to expand his sphere of influence and enliven conservatives while running for reelection and considering a 2024 presidential bid.

School board races are nonpartisan, but the governor’s involvement helped flip at least three Florida school boards from a liberal to a conservative majority. Of the 30 candidates DeSantis endorsed in votes last month, 19 won, five lost and six led to runoffs.

Earlier this year, DeSantis championed a law banning classes on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, which was dubbed by critics the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.

The ‘Stop WOKE Act’, which prohibits teaching or business practices that contend members of one ethnic group are inherently racist and restricts notions of racial privilege and oppression, was rejected by the courts as an unconstitutional violation of free speech.

DeSantis last month unveiled plans to relax rules to encourage retired law enforcement and first responders to fill vacant teacher positions as the state grappled with a shortage of educators.

Healthcare activist Ebonni Chrispin protests in Tallahassee, Florida, against the so-called Don't Say Gay bill championed by the state's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis

Healthcare activist Ebonni Chrispin protests in Tallahassee, Florida, against the so-called Don't Say Gay bill championed by the state's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis

Healthcare activist Ebonni Chrispin protests in Tallahassee, Florida, against the so-called Don’t Say Gay bill championed by the state’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis

Rows over teaching race theory in schools has spilled over into violence, leading to this man being detained at a school board meeting last year in Ashburn, Virginia

Rows over teaching race theory in schools has spilled over into violence, leading to this man being detained at a school board meeting last year in Ashburn, Virginia

This guy was arrested during a school board meeting in Ashburn, Virginia, last year as a result of disputes over the teaching of race theory in schools that became violent.


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