Parents Are FLIPPING School Board Elections Nationwide
(TargetLiberty.org) – Parents across the US are fighting back against the “progressive” infiltration of school boards. Last week it was Florida’s turn, with multiple boards flipping from Liberal to Conservative after a hard-fought election campaign. A school-focused PAC that helped organize the campaign said it plans to repeat the flip in other states.
Backlash Sweeps Away Liberal Boards
On August 23, Floridians voted in new school board members. The election followed a high-profile campaign in the state with Governor Ron DeSantis (R), a strong opponent of teaching woke politics in schools, playing a big role. GOP legislators have also campaigned, and their efforts have paid off. Several major school boards saw dramatic changes in alignment.
In Sarasota County, the old board had a 3-2 liberal majority; it’s now 4-1 Conservative. Clay County’s school board hit the headlines in January after school officials “transitioned” a 12-year-old girl without consulting her parents; she later made two suicide attempts. On Tuesday, Clay County elected Conservatives for all three available positions, flipping the board from liberal control. Boards in Duval, Martin, and Miami-Dade Counties and the City of Jacksonville also reversed, and eight more saw conservative gains. Miami-Dade is notable as the single largest district in the state.
Governor, PAC Made The Difference
Historically, school board elections have seen low turnouts and a lack of competition. That’s changing fast. Parents are worried that Liberals, allowed to run unchallenged, are using schools to indoctrinate their children in controversial far-left ideologies like Critical Race Theory (CRT) and transgender activism. Now, they want to regain control of what schools teach students, and politicians like Governor DeSantis are right behind them.
DeSantis endorsed many of the winning candidates and threw his campaigning power behind them, including a whirlwind tour of four counties two days before the election. He has a broader program to raise standards in Florida schools, and clearing out political activists from school boards is part of that. It looks like his enthusiasm is motivating parents to get out and vote.
A conservative education PAC, the 1776 Project, was also heavily involved. The PAC endorsed many of Tuesday’s victorious candidates. Now it aims to expand the campaign. It has already helped pass an anti-CRT bill in New Hampshire and backed conservative winner Glenn Youngkin in last year’s Virginia gubernatorial election. Many parents are currently apprehensive about what’s happening in public schools, and momentum is building behind groups like the 1776 Project and Moms for Liberty. Motivated by concern for kids, perhaps we’ll see a red wave sweeping school boards across the US.
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