Fogbow

Florida's Republican governor condemned the College Board in recent weeks over a new AP African American Studies course, calling it indoctrination and lacking in educational value.

This week, Ron DeSantis went even further, suggesting the state could find an alternative to the College Board, the nonprofit entity that administers the AP program as well as other critical components in the college admissions process, including the SAT and PSAT exams.

“Nobody elected (College Board) to anything,” DeSantis said during an appearance to talk about "woke" banking practices. “They’re just … providing services, and so you can either utilize those services or not. They have provided these AP courses for a long time, but … there are probably some other vendors who may be able to do that job as good or maybe even a lot better.”

The skepticism of College Board products is something of an about-face for DeSantis, who is widely expected to run for president in 2024 and has launched himself into several feuds with corporate behemoths. In his 2021 State of the State address, he touted Florida's status as second in the country for the percentage of graduating seniors who have passed Advanced Placement exams.

In fact, Florida has one of the highest AP participation rates in the U.S
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neonzx wrote: ↑Tue Feb 14, 2023 4:52 pm It's sick. AP courses are not for all students but for those who can handle the work, it does allow them to reach their full potential.

DeSantis is set on turning this state into some backwards shit. Got a family and young kids in FL? -- GTFO while you can!

Ron has some serious mental issues that need to be diagnosed.

Resume18 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 14, 2023 10:39 pm Just wait until he's president.

A plan by Gov. Ron DeSantis to transform New College, which is known as progressive and describes itself as “a community of free thinkers,” into a beacon of conservatism has left students, parents and faculty members at the tight-knit school reeling over what they see as a political assault on their academic freedom. Mr. DeSantis’s education commissioner has expressed a desire to remake the school in the image of Hillsdale College, a small Christian school in Michigan that has been active in conservative politics.

Over 25 tumultuous days last month, the Republican governor removed six of the college’s 13 trustees, replacing them with allies holding strongly conservative views. The new board then forced out the college’s president, a career educator, and named Mr. DeSantis’s former education commissioner, a career politician, as her replacement. On Monday, the board signed off on paying its pick a salary of $699,000 a year, more than double what his predecessor earned.

[...]

On Jan. 31, when the college president was ousted, Mr. DeSantis unveiled higher education policies — to further weaken faculty tenure protections, eliminate diversity and equity programs and mandate Western civilization courses — that for many deepened a chill that had already taken hold across Florida’s public colleges and universities. The state has made it harder for faculty members to retain tenure, asked students and faculty to fill out a survey about their political leanings and requested information about resources for transgender students

That New College faces challenges is indisputable. Its enrollment had been dipping until last year. Its dorms are moldy, its labs dated. There are few activities outside the classroom. In reviews posted on niche.com, a college ranking site, current and former students have criticized decrepit facilities, lack of structure and, in some cases, what they described as an obsession among students with identity politics.

The college performs poorly in state metrics — such as the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in high-demand fields and the percentage of graduates making at least $30,000 a year after graduation — designed for huge universities with economies of scale that the school just does not have.

Still, unsupported claims by Mr. DeSantis and his allies that New College’s students are being indoctrinated by far-left professors have offended students, faculty, parents and alumni, who feel misrepresented. Many said that the school welcomed young people who might not fit elsewhere — intensely bookish kids, bullied kids, kids with disabilities, queer kids — and required them to be driven.

Pat Dennis @patdennis wrote: Ron DeSantis consistently wears high-heeled boots in order to appear taller.

raison de arizona wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 3:05 pm DeSantis stands five foot nine inches, and I've never seen cowboy boots referred to as "high-heeled boots" before but OK.

Pat Dennis @patdennis wrote: Ron DeSantis consistently wears high-heeled boots in order to appear taller.

sugar magnolia wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 6:17 pm They just look like regular Roper heels to me. If he was wearing the "high heel style" he'd be wearing riding style.

DeSantis during a news conference afternoon defended his inhumane migrant flights, saying "it's highlighted this issue in a way that would not have been highlighted any other way."

Ron DeSantis requested the medical records of trans students who sought care at Florida's public universities. Now students are planning a statewide walkout.

Annalise Mabe
Thu, February 16, 2023 at 3:54 PM GMT+1

• Ron DeSantis told all public universities in Florida to hand over the medical records of trans students who sought care.
  Insider has confirmed six of the 12 universities have complied with the request.
  Now, college students across the state are planning a walkout to protest the governor's request.

Students across Florida are planning a statewide walkout after Gov. Ron DeSantis requested all public universities comply in delivering data from student health services on transgender students who sought gender-affirming care at the institutions.

DeSantis asked to see the records of any student who has experienced gender dysphoria in the past five years. In addition, he wants their ages and the dates they received gender-affirming care. The deadline to submit those records was February 10.

Insider has confirmed that University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Central Florida, Florida A&M University, Florida International University, and the University of North Florida have complied with the request, but has yet to hear back from the rest.

Students at these universities are now planning rallies for next week along with the statewide walkout on February 23. Ben Braver, a junior at the University of South Florida and the outreach officer for the school's College Democrats chapter, is leading the initiative, known as the Stand for Freedom Florida Walkout.

"Hate is spread when it's innocuous, when it seems silly, and when it seems like taking a stand is an overreaction," Braver told Insider. "We, just like any generation, need to stand for the civil rights that have already been fought for, the ones that have been won, and those which are at stake right now."

Andy Pham, a senior and long-standing member of the University of South Florida's Trans+ Student Union, said he sees the state's move as a direct attack on trans rights.

"They want to legislate us out of existence," Pham said. "That starts with attacking our healthcare, attacking our right to exist in public spaces, attempting surveillance — all of that."

In January, 20 students at the University of South Florida held a rally protesting DeSantis' request. They then started an online petition asking the school's administration not to submit the medical records. The petition received over 2,600 signatures, but officials at the school said they plan to send over the records anyway. Insider hasn't been able to confirm whether the University of South Florida sent over the data.

"As a state university, USF has an obligation to be responsive to requests from our elected officials," the university said in a statement, according to WUSF. "However, the university will not provide information that identifies an individual patient or violates patient privacy laws."

Among those signing on to support the walkout are the Dream Defenders, Florida College Democrats, state lawmaker Anna Eskamani, and 26-year-old Congressman Maxwell Frost.

"The governor's abusing his power," Frost told Insider. "He's targeting folks that disagree with him — people who might not see eye to eye with him, marginalized communities."




https://www.yahoo.com/news/ron-desantis ... 17991.html

Nothing says white-male privilege like the outrageous salary of New College president | Opinion

Fabiola Santiago
Wed, February 15, 2023 at 10:00 AM GMT+1

If there were any fears of political repercussions, the con game a clique of Florida GOP leaders are pulling with their agenda to “transform” education wouldn’t be so obvious.

They would, at least, do a better job of hiding it.

They would raid the public coffers to funnel public-education dollars to political allies and private education enterprises with more care about appearances.

But Florida voters wrote Republicans a blank check to remake the state’s education system in their conservative image — and at least one grifter is getting a big payday out of it: Richard Corcoran.

Despite dropping out of the state’s top-ranked school, the University of Florida, Corcoran has held all of these high-profile political jobs: Pasco County legislator. Florida House Speaker. Education commissioner during Gov. Ron DeSantis’ first term.

READ MORE: Florida parents who push for government intrusion in education are failing their kids | Opinion

Outrageous paycheck

As a result of the culture-war circus Corcoran helped DeSantis stage — most recently, giving the once-reputable liberal-arts New College of Florida in Sarasota a conservative makeover — the influential politician has been appointed its interim president.

His salary: $699,000 to lead a small school that has fewer than 700 students.

And if he accomplishes the goals established for the troubled Honors College school, he’ll get a bonus of up to 15% of his annual salary.

Nothing screams “white-male privilege” more blatantly than Corcoran’s outrageous paycheck. It’s more than twice that of his better-qualified predecessor, Patricia Okker, fired in the GOP’s hunt for liberals.

Plus, he’ll earn another $104,850 a year in retirement compensation. He’ll get $84,000 a year for housing and a $12,000 car allowance. Again, the perks are more than double what Okker’s were.

And he’ll make more than $1 million if he still holds the job by the time his contract ends on Sept. 1, 2024.

Not bad for a Canadian brought to Florida at age 11 and who, according to his biography, went to religious schools you never heard of: Catholic liberal-arts Saint Leo College in Florida and Christian Regent University in Virginia, founded by Pat Robertson in 1977.



https://www.yahoo.com/news/nothing-says ... 00424.html

AndyinPA wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 3:05 pm Does DeSantis ever do any actual governing? Is Florida so problem free that he has so much luxury time to concentrate all his time on culture issues? No water issues? No insurance difficulties? No road or bridges to take care of?

RTH10260 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 2:52 pm

Ron DeSantis requested the medical records of trans students who sought care at Florida's public universities. Now students are planning a statewide walkout.

Annalise Mabe
Thu, February 16, 2023 at 3:54 PM GMT+1

• Ron DeSantis told all public universities in Florida to hand over the medical records of trans students who sought care.
  Insider has confirmed six of the 12 universities have complied with the request.
  Now, college students across the state are planning a walkout to protest the governor's request.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ron-desantis ... 17991.html

(original: INSIDER)

RTH10260 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 2:52 pm

Ron DeSantis requested the medical records of trans students who sought care at Florida's public universities. Now students are planning a statewide walkout.

Annalise Mabe
Thu, February 16, 2023 at 3:54 PM GMT+1

• Ron DeSantis told all public universities in Florida to hand over the medical records of trans students who sought care.
  Insider has confirmed six of the 12 universities have complied with the request.
  Now, college students across the state are planning a walkout to protest the governor's request.

This really sounds like a HIPAA violation, something we mere mortals do not want to screw with.

raison de arizona wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 3:16 pm

RTH10260 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 2:52 pm

Ron DeSantis requested the medical records of trans students who sought care at Florida's public universities. Now students are planning a statewide walkout.

Annalise Mabe
Thu, February 16, 2023 at 3:54 PM GMT+1

• Ron DeSantis told all public universities in Florida to hand over the medical records of trans students who sought care.
  Insider has confirmed six of the 12 universities have complied with the request.
  Now, college students across the state are planning a walkout to protest the governor's request.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ron-desantis ... 17991.html

(original: INSIDER)

WTF even is this? I thought medical records were private and protected by law from nonsense like this? What's next, seeking the records of those who have sought help with alcohol abuse to pull their driver licenses? Gathering the records of those that sought help for drug abuse to charge them with drug crimes? I don't get it.

DeSantis Now Says Teachers Are Shelving Books to Make Him Look Bad

Alec Karam
Wed, February 15, 2023 at 11:59 PM GMT+1

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is attempting to shift the blame after backlash stemming from a school district’s removal of baseball star Roberto Clemente’s children’s book.

Clemente’s book references racism he dealt with as a Black Puerto Rican baseball player, and has been removed from the district’s libraries for months pending review, in compliance with the state’s newly passed “Stop WOKE Act,” according to Duval County Public Schools.

The governor, who’s made removing “critical race theory” from education a key component of his platform, is now accusing the school district of trying to get publicity from their “outlandish” stunt in removing the book, claiming it has nothing to do with new laws.

“They're manufacturing that to try to create a narrative,” he said during a press conference Tuesday. DeSantis was backed by Florida’s Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, who called the controversial rules that have forced costly reviews and book removals “fake news.”

“Florida does not ban books, and this particular book on baseball legend Roberto Clemente is currently on school bookshelves across the state!” Diaz tweeted.

However, a spokesperson for the school district pointed out that Clemente’s book is one of 1.6 million titles under review following the state’s restrictive new laws, which have impacted teachers’ ability to teach about topics including race, gender and sexuality in Florida.



https://www.yahoo.com/news/desantis-now ... 29036.html