Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. says the state's top ranking in the latest education freedom index report is a testament to its aggressive policies that prioritize student learning and parental involvement.
Florida's unwavering commitment to education freedom has earned it the top spot in the latest education freedom index report, prompting Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. to declare that other states are emulating its success.
"I think you need to pursue aggressive policies to get our institutions back under mission," Diaz Jr. told Fox News Digital. "Students need to be in school learning and all of these other things, whether it be gender or ideology, need to be removed from the schoolhouse."
He emphasized that parental involvement is paramount in shaping the educational landscape. "One of the essential things that I think has driven the parental rights movement in Florida is actually COVID," Diaz Jr. said. "Because, while there were the underpinnings of this movement … you didn't have enough parents paying attention. The minute the school temporarily came to their dining room, they realized what was going on in the classroom."
Florida has enacted several education reform laws between 2021 and April 2024 to enshrine parental rights and involvement. These laws have fueled a surge in families leaving public schools for alternative education options.
The Center For Education Reform's "Parent Power! Index" report highlights the significant efforts made by states like Florida to empower parents in education. Arizona, North Carolina, and Florida ranked among the top five states in the index, with their policies leading to over one million students transitioning to alternative education opportunities.
Florida emerged as the top state for education freedom due to its adoption of stringent accountability measures for education officials. The state's commitment to academic excellence was further reinforced by its consecutive number one ranking in U.S. News & World Report's Best States rankings for education.
Governor Ron DeSantis's administration has prioritized removing "woke" elements from state schools. Since taking office, he has enacted a Parents Bill of Rights to prohibit instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation and moved to enforce laws banning pornographic material from school children.
Critics of these measures argue that they amount to censorship and aim to erase LGBTQ and other minority identities from schools. However, proponents contend that such policies are necessary to prevent the spread of inappropriate content and ensure that schools focus on core academic subjects.
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked an increased parental scrutiny of what children are being taught in schools, leading to a surge in parent activism. Parents have voiced concerns over certain books and curricula being taught, arguing that they are age-inappropriate or promote divisive ideologies.
