Now they’re planning to destroy higher ed in the state by putting everything in the hands of the governor and his appointed cronies.
A bill filed this week in the Florida House would turn many of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ wide-ranging ideas on higher education into law by limiting diversity efforts, vastly expanding the powers of university boards and altering course offerings.
House Bill 999, filed by Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, proposes leaving all faculty hiring to boards of trustees, allowing a faculty member’s tenure to be reviewed “at any time,” and removing majors or minors in subjects like critical race theory and gender studies. It would also prohibit spending on activities that promote diversity, equity and inclusion and create new general education requirements.
You want to read the whole bill? Here it is.
My sympathies to my colleagues in Florida. This is a terrible time to be looking for a new job — colleges everywhere are struggling — but do you really want Chris Rufo deciding whether to fire you or not?
Regarding the image, yes, they should bring back the original school salute to Florida. It was removed after Pearl Harbor, for some strange reason.
I forgot to say, it was called the Bellamy salute. Wikipedia has a photo.
Well, all state colleges are to be prohibited from teaching theories. mRNA vaccines are to be prohibited in humans and mammals as well.
So, they’re antisocial, antiscience, antiprogress, anticonstitutional and should be treated as antimatter.
Give them to Cuba. Call it a trade for their lung cancer vaccine.
Of particular note: … core classes will be prohibited from presenting American history “contrary to the creation of a new nation based on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence,” …
By which we can assume they mean the aspirational “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” – the struggles over which comprise nearly all of US history. Omit that, and “social studies” would consist of a few ’50s sitcoms – without analysis of who got left out or confined to specific roles.
If passed, the bill would force state colleges to remove “from its programs any major or minor in Critical Race Theory, Gender Studies, or Intersectionality, or any derivative major or minor of these belief systems.”
Would you want to even walk around in a state where Driver’s Ed classes did not and could not even mention intersections?
core classes will be prohibited from presenting American history “contrary to the creation of a new nation based on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence,”
Official propaganda version.
This is nothing new. The official version is what has been taught for a very long time. Otherwise, where do MAGA come from? Because anyone who knows anything about US history knows it has never been great.
Just more Tea Tard bullshit, as the Declaration of Independence has zero legal standing. It was a declaration of war, not a founding document. That’s what the Constitution is, a founding document.
In other insanity, MTG, but I repeat myself, suggested the red states and blue states have a “national divorce, it’d shrink the federal government”. Somehow, she’s not been arrested for sedition.
Guess we’ll get civil war II. Maybe this time we can use nukes too and rename the place Pandem.
As long as it doesn’t hurt the state’s college football teams……
Floriduh? “Because we can!” a phrase of power drunk arrogance from a couple years ago that sums it up:
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/editorials/os-op-florida-legislature-arrogance-laws-20210503-lc4y2t4dwjccpaqkfnwhi4322i-story.html
“Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican who was defending the bill, tersely replied, “Because we can.”
Those three words — because we can — perfectly encapsulated the Republicans’ breathtaking arrogance in shaping new laws to govern Floridians in 2021.
Republicans broke legislative rules, rejected legitimate objections, ignored basic constitutional principles and steamrolled opposition so they could pass what may be the most radical political agenda in modern state legislative history.
More than once the majority party was described as “drunk with power,” a sometimes overused phrase that, in this instance, works fairly well in describing the 2021 Florida Legislature.”
https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2021/05/04/because-we-can-is-the-wrong-way-for-republicans-to-govern-florida-column/?outputType=amp
Every year they outdo themselves. I wonder if next year they mandate every citizen to open carry a firearm when in public.
BTW the capitol building is a phallic symbol. One need not be Freud to get the latent meaning. Florida itself is a naturally made phallus, though flaccid. Lake Okeechobee is an oozing venereal wart.
All for the primary goal of destroying public education at all levels.
It couldn’t be more obvious that the “Free Speech Alliance” at my local university is a right wing front. Instead of talking about book banning and course banning in places like Florida, they want to hold a debate on climate change.
Free Speech Alliance
Right, because actual book bans and ‘don’t say gay’ laws and takeover of colleges just don’t measure up to that as “threats to free speech.”
I had to look to see who is behind that. Brent Bozell? Ick. But also…Gary Bauer? I had no idea he was still alive.
Surely they aren’t engaging in cancel culture, are they?
Should we say…Herr Bauer?
wzrd @6
Marj Greene is a House member from Georgia, which has two Democratic Senators, a Democratic governor (IIRC), and whose majority voted for Biden. She argued for her own unemployment.
Evacuate the non-loons, let the various pathogens and other problems* do their work. Then, as the many and varied outbreaks burn themselves out people can move back in. Darwin award en masse.
*other problems include buying homes that will be flooded during a hurricane, living in houses that collapse by themselves because regulations are communism, et cetera.
And I haven’t even started on dangerous invasive species getting dumped in nature and breeding like crazy. I half-expect some Florida guy to GM a land shark just for the hell of it.
@16 birgerjohansson: As our Hopi member, Angela says, ‘we think most of you pale skins are dangerous invasive species.’
birgerjohansson @ # 16 – Alas, Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, remains a
proudshameless Republican.shermanj, the Hopi are from Arizona, no?
The subject is Florida.
John Morales, I thought the subject wandered to the ubiquity of assholes in political leadership in the US.
I’ll just get my coat…
@16 birgerjohansson
I do have some obnoxious Brazilian peppers establishing a foothold in my yard if you could send a task force, though apparently the state tree (cabbage palm) takes over a yard if you’re not paying enough attention and is not fun to remove, or even cut back. I hate the effort in aborting the babies of these things. It’s Alive! Cabbage palm is thus a metaphor for a looming Desantis presidency.
Other species include neighborhood cats who love killing stuff, though if they murder enough rats I’m fine with that. Geckos are invasive and quite welcome in my house. No pythons here yet, but they might control the cat issue, which control the rats. Balance.
I managed two hurricanes last year. Not much fun. I’m not religious but hoping (praying?) for a strong El Nino for some respite. After the vicious monster that was Hurricane Andrew decades ago building codes got stricter. These days the legislature is giving quite productive hummers to the insurance industry while pretending to worry about homeowners.
With authoritarian one party rule in my midst I might take you up on the evacuation thing.
And we have constitutional sheriffs:
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2023/02/24/wheel-of-fugitive-brevard-sheriff-doesnt-have-to-tell-truth-lawyers-say/69939458007/
A veteran died on his watch:
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2020/11/13/us-army-veteran-died-in-custody-after-his-arrest-brevard-jail-video-shows-what-happened/
Floriduh. Disgusting place.
@18 John Morales – The Hopi are a nation unto themselves. They mostly reside in the locale that is known to many as 4 states in the u.s. However, just as it is valid for me to discuss society wide issues, including outside the state where I currently live, I see Hopi discussions of issues that impact this entire continent as being just as valid. I value the input of all honest, responsible commenters here and based on the nationalities expressed here, I deem it inappropriate to limit anyone here to discussing only what is going on in their politically defined area. Wash-teh, John.
@ 19 John Morales
What you are responding to was in reference to
(# 16)
The point was this could applied to white Americans – it’s irrelevant who said it (other than them being indigenous).
Srsly, try reading for comprehension before shooting your mouth off.
shermanj:
Post title: “Florida, again”.
Opening sentence: “Now they’re planning to destroy higher ed in the state by putting everything in the hands of the governor and his appointed cronies.”
This is obscure to me; what do you intend to express by that?
(I’m thinking it’s not “thanks for pointing out my off-topic digression”)
Which has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand.
Yes, and it could be applied to non-Aboriginal Australians, too, or any one of numerous other indigenous poples.
But it’s not at all relevant to the topic at hand, is it?
Higher education in Florida is not about invasive species as allegedly seen by a Hopi.
You do amuse me, YippyBob.
So… what is it you imagine I failed to comprehend?
@25 John Morales — as clarification, while the title refers to Florida, the topic as I interpret it, is using Florida as a current example of the nationwide efforts to hobble and degrade education by putting under the control of ‘the bigoted governor and his cronies’ Said governor being one of us ‘pale skins’ of particularly egregious character, I drew a comparison to him as also being a ‘dangerous invasive species’ using the words of our member Angela which I consider pertinent since said governor’s forbears are most likely recent invaders.
Wash-teh is Athabascan for ‘I understand what you say, but I don’t agree with it’. Simple, and not antagonistic nor inflammatory.
shermanj:
An Alaskan expression, right.
(Note I didn’t claim it was either antagonistic or inflammatory, only that I found it obscure — and that I was correct as to what it didn’t mean)
Wow. Thus it’s relevant, in your opinion. OK.
You didn’t need to intimate that you’re a member of a ‘dangerous invasive species’ yourself, but it prompts the question: do you plan to emigrate?
@28 John Morales said,
‘An Alaskan expression, right.’ — to which ShermanJ responds: No, not Alaskan —
‘You didn’t need to intimate that you’re a member of a ‘dangerous invasive species’ yourself, but it prompts the question: do you plan to emigrate?’ — to which ShermanJ responds: I have shown by the standards set by our organization and as accepted by our members, including those of our guidance council who are Hopi and Cherokee, that while I am of a different lineage, I have, by my thoughtful, intentional actions, avoided and, as much as possible, limited any negative impacts I might have on our physical world and society. Do I plan to Emigrate? No, while I always seek to live in an environment that is suited to my ethics and values, I plan to make positive, constructive, honest contributions wherever I am. —
It is now time to end quibbling and return to my work tasks of the day.
shermanj, your employment of the third person is rather amusing, if inconsistent.
Anyway.
Still: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athabaskan_languages
Well, I reckon “Said governor being one of us ‘pale skins’” also doesn’t plan to emigrate. So you both have that in common.
(I know, I know. ‘dangerous invasive species’ are hard to eradicate)
It was you who introduced the topic of what a Hopi said about people like you, so it’s only fair it is you who calls it a day.
(May your work be more productive)
In other extremist and hence, related news, the global far right, US included, is now up in arms about mythical crackdowns on cars, blather, blather, blather, commieism, etc over “15-minute cities”.
Where everything one typically wants or needs is a 15 minute walk away. Apparently, the need really is to drive for two hours to get groceries, as that’s healthier and more gooder or something.
Given I did live in a food desert, where driving was necessary to get unprocessed foods and any kind of produce, suffice it to say that my view is that the objectors that do understand the subject are simply idiots looking to infest new villages.
Currently, I’m 15 minutes from a dollar store, which isn’t quite the goal and around a mile and three quarters walking distance from a Save-a-Lot market, which does have produce and a rather well stocked Hispanic foods section. If I want a bag of pearl barley, well, then I need a ride much farther afield.
So, bring on the 15-minute cities! That was the original William Penn design for Philadelphia and he certainly did not originate the idea.
Of course, the foamier mouthed objectors also complain that Jesus was a communist…
As I said, idiots seeking new villages to infest.
BTW, how many of those geckos in Florida are geckos and how many are actually native anoles? In Louisiana, I thought I saw geckos, until I looked closer and found that they were native to the area anoles.
Anoles change color, which I’ve watched them do and otherwise have very similar habits to geckos. Both are friends to me, as they keep insects under control.
John Morales #28
Where did you get the notion that Athabascan = Alaskan?
That’s fucking rediculous.
From the link I posted @30, chigau.
Point being, it’s not from Florida, is it? Nor Hopi.
That link does not equate Athabascan and Alaskan.
Fine, chigau. Not Alaskan.
Not sure you’re getting the point, though; native American people are not an interchangeable blob.
Many nations, many languages, even in North America alone.
ffs
I am beginning to think it is an alien invasion,, but they are more subtle than expected. The parasitic hive organism infest the brains of selected people -rather like in Dark City- but they let the hosts retain enough of their identity and brain function so they do not notice anything.
Meanwhile, the hive mind gently pushes the brains to make increasingly bad decisions, draining society of its resilience step by step.
.
Or it may be a Doctor Mabuse scenario, playing out over four decades and now approaching the endgame.
shermanj @27:
Athabascan is a large language family, not a language. Might as well say “merci is Indo-European for ‘thank you'”.
Maybe there is such an expression in one of the Athabascan languages, but the closest I’ve seen is a Lakota (not an Athabascan language) word (pronounced wash tay) meaning good, or beautiful.
@38 Rob Grigjanis Athabascan is a large language family, not a language. Might as well say “merci is Indo-European for ‘thank you’”.
I reply: you are quite correct. You have a broad knowledge of language. It is a large family of languages. I first learned about it from Professor Emory Sekaquaptewa, a Hopi. And, the term Wash-teh was defined and explained by Iron-Eyes Cody in an interview where he said it to defuse Col. Tim McCoy’s (cowboy star) bigotry.
More on topic, I see a lot of instances where unqualified people demand to be in control of educational processes and institutions. I, personally, know of at least one arrogant unqualified person who is homeschooling their children in white, rtwing bigotry but is too ignorant to teach any of the sciences or classic arts. Steven Singer points out that all too often teachers are rated based on their students’ ability to learn, not their abilty to teach. And, that the politically mandated ‘teach the test’ so the district looks good attitude is preventing a well rounded education.
shermanj @39: Iron Eyes Cody was an Italian-American actor who falsely claimed to be Native American.
I’m still trying to figure out when content and topic cops were implemented here.
And we wonder why progressives always lose…
@40 Rob Grigjanis,
I feel a little embarassed. He was pals with so many native american actors in the 50’s, I assumed he was authentic. Back before the internet I never bothered to check. You are correct. Wikipedia says he’s ‘an American actor of Italian descent who portrayed Native Americans in Hollywood films’. But, I did hear Black-Bear Bosin (artist in Wichita that I knew) say that Col. Tim McCoy and many ‘cowboy’ stars were bigoted toward native americans.
@41 wzrd1, I’m still trying to figure out when content and topic cops were implemented here.
I reply: Thanks for the hint. I did try to return to the topic at hand and I promise not to create any more diversions. Education (in the Floriduh swamp) is too important a topic to ignore.
shermanj@39
You got exactly right! When teaching to the test and having a 100% graduation rate became the all-important goals of the school district, many veteran teachers (including myself) decided that it was time to leave.
@44 magistramarla, Your sense of responsibility to educate the students is admirable. It’s too bad so many ‘administrator’ run school systems don’t value that above their ‘PR’ goals of graduation rates and test scores. That’s another example of why our education system in this country is turning out poorly educated students.
But, then, Gov. DeathSantis will make sure the students only have the proper rtwing closed-minded education. /S
@45 shermanj
I’m curious what positions you mean by administrator. In Canada that would be primarily principals though could refer to superintendents as well.
Principals can be some of the people stuck most in the system – if you don’t toe the line the people above you set then the funding to your school could be cut or you could be fired. If you toe the line do then you get blamed for policies that came from above. If your funding gets cut your programs suffer and your students get poorer education, and those that can will move on to greener pastures. If you do get fired then they’ll be happy to find someone more compliant to replace you, so you’re not helping your school by pushing too hard either.
The real problem is a bunch of right wing hacks that think that the only way you can measure learning is with a standardized test, and the only way you can measure teaching is by comparing your classes’ test results with your neighbours’ results.
I’ve got an elderly aunt living in Florida . I hope she decides to “get the hell out of Dodge” before it gets worse as she’s reaching that age where she’s too old to live by herself
@canadiansteve, spot on. The school board sets policies and what standards to follow, not the local school management personnel.
School boards aren’t selected or hired, but elected.
But then, blaming the victim is a long established habit on this continent.
@46 canadiansteve said: I’m curious what positions you mean by administrator.
I respond: Yes, titles are different in different countries. To clarify, what I was referring to is people who in positions of management and administration without any real experience or expertise in education, teaching or what is needed for a successful curriculum. I have always felt that anyone making the policies and evaluating teachers should have a good working knowledge of and experience in the real workings of the tasks at hand: teaching and curriculum development. Hope that helps explain what I was referring to.
What I was trying to indicate in @45 is, I fully agree with you about the right wing hacks focusing on judging ‘success’ by the results of standardized testing and test results only. Students learn at different rates. Teachers for the most part work hard to make sure that students get the tools they need and they try to ascertain which students need a little more help in learning.
@41
I too wonder about that the “subject” often seems to drift some a bit sometimes here. I have come to expect it from time to time.
always good never the less even “better” sometimes.
Hemidactylus @ 21.
I recall the news of hurricane Andrew.
It happened in a more innocent time, before Scott or DeSantis had become governors. Today, someone like Jeb Bush would practically be a messiah figure.