Antifa Fascists on the loose and encouraged by academics.
Cancel culture is real.
I never thought I would be in the middle of a violent physical battle on the streets of Pittsburgh, a practical war zone breaking out in my hometown. But it happened on Tuesday night.
Michael Knowles and Brad Polumbo were in Pennsylvania to debate transgender rights and the role of government in those rights. The protest itself, though, was an illustration that free speech and intellectual inquiry in America are being replaced with acts of intimidation and violence.
Florida school board members clashed over the “definition of a woman” during a tense debate about their district’s sex education curriculum. Broward County School Board member Brenda Fam demanded to know the district’s curricular definition, arguing that parents want clarity on the matter. However, colleague Sarah Leonardi pushed back on the request by claiming Fam was pursuing a “political” agenda.
Well, yes. The agenda of determining a definition for the noun ‘Woman’ is unfortunately political these days. That’s how messed up the Western world is right now.
Speaking about Parents needing clarity, Fam said.
“This is going to weigh heavy on them and whether or not they choose to leave the public school system, or whether they stay based on some of these responses,” she continued. “They are very serious. They want answers to these questions.”
Fam noted that she requested the definitions previously but had not received them.
Interim Superintendent Earleen Smiley responded that she didn’t know if the curriculum contained gender definitions.
“That question is more than a question,” she said. “It’s a thought process and it’s an examination of a lot of laws based on a lot of things. I’m procrastinating and hesitating because there is no clear cut answer I could give you at this point.”
Fam responded that the terms “man” and “woman” had been used in official proceedings last year.
“At that time it wasn’t very difficult to decide,” she said. “So what has now changed where we don’t recognize what’s a man and what’s a woman?”
Another district staffer said that she would research whether or not the curriculum included gender definitions and report back to the board.
Fam asserted that parents had a right to know the district’s position on the polarizing topic.
“I think these are crucial terms,” she contended. “I think they’re actually very basic terms. This shouldn’t be a difficult response.”
Parents deserve answers to these questions!School Choice has never been more needed than right now.
While the news article itself does not explicitly discuss the connection between the debate in Broward County and school choice in Florida, it is possible to draw some potential connections.
Parental preferences: The debate over the definition of a woman in educational policies could influence parents’ decisions on where to send their children to school. Parents who prioritize traditional values and definitions of gender may prefer schools that adhere to these views, while those who prioritize inclusivity and respect for diverse gender identities may seek out schools with more progressive stances on these issues.
School reputation and funding: Depending on the outcome of this debate, schools in Florida may be categorized based on their approach to gender and sex education, which could impact their reputation and funding. Schools that adopt a more inclusive definition may be more likely to receive funding from organizations that support LGBTQ+ rights, while schools adhering to traditional definitions might attract support from conservative groups.
Magnet and charter schools: In the context of school choice, this debate could potentially impact magnet and charter schools, which often have specialized curricula or specific educational philosophies. Some schools may choose to focus on inclusivity and LGBTQ+ rights, leading to a more diverse range of options for families. This could also result in further competition between schools to attract students based on their approach to gender and sex education.
Policy influence on school choice legislation: The debate in Broward County could also influence broader state-level policies related to school choice. If the issue of gender definition and sex education becomes a prominent factor in determining school policies, it may lead to changes in legislation that either expand or limit school choice options based on a school’s approach to these topics.
While the article does not directly discuss the relationship between the debate in Broward County and school choice in Florida, it is possible to infer potential connections that could impact parental preferences, school reputation, funding, and the development of specialized curricula in magnet and charter schools.
Rural School Room, 1900, by Perkins Harnly Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington
According to this opinion piece, after a few upstarts vied for the title, Florida still retains the school choice crown.
I’ve blogged about Parental Rights and School Choice initiatives previously. In particular, Christian parents are fed up with what they’ve learned about their local schools. The Pandemic, school closings, remote learning, and the Gender Ideology taught and deceptively defended there, have brought School Choice initiatives back to the forefront of parental concerns.
The opinion piece is about how Florida has passed a new law that expands school choice options for all students in the state. The law allows families to use education savings accounts (ESA) to pay for various educational expenses, such as tuition at a private school, tutoring, or curriculum. The law also removes income restrictions and enrollment caps for the ESA program. The article praises Florida for being a leader in school choice and says that the law will give more freedom and opportunities to families and students.
Florida is the sixth state to pass universal school choice legislation, following West Virginia, Arizona, Iowa, Utah, and Arkansas.
This could be the biggest year for school choice in American history.
