Things have gotten hectic and crazy in the Sunshine State, where the state-level teachers’ union tried to force students at public schools to protest ICE, and was met by fierce resistance from the Governor Ron DeSantis Administration, which brought a legal sledgehammer down on the teachers’ union.
As background, schools around the nation have become chaotic as students who want to get out of class hold walk-out protests in which they storm out of their school buildings and wave around motley collections of anti-ICE posters and the like. Those protests have become a major fight across the country, as some administrators have responded by cracking down with suspensions and others have let it happen.
The Florida Teachers’ Union, to comment on the matter, held a ridiculous press conference in which it said, “Florida students are confronted with videos of ICE raids, of families being torn apart and of Americans being murdered for using their constitutional rights, they respond, they organize, they speak out, and they do what American students have always done in moments of injustice.”
Continuing, the union said that skipping class was “rational” and “reasonable”, saying, “They stand together and demand safety for their peers, their families and themselves, and that response, while framed by some politicians as radical, is rather reasonable. It’s rational.”
Then, infuriatingly, the union said that protesting is “required,” saying, “And in a moment like this, it is required. To any students being told that they do not have the right to speak out or walk out on their campus. I want to be clear, this is the United States of America, you do not shed your First Amendment rights when you step foot through the schoolhouse.”
Predictably, that sparked outrage on X, with one commentator saying, “The Florida teachers union says children protesting immigration enforcement “is REQUIRED.” They’re using your kids to advance their political agenda. These socialist unions must be destroyed.” Watch the press conference that sparked the outrage here:
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As could be expected, DeSantis cracked down in the aftermath. Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas warned, in a post about the matter on X, that such behavior from the union will not be tolerated, saying, “We will not tolerate educators encouraging school protests and pushing their political views onto students, especially ones that disparage law enforcement.”
He continued, “Under the leadership of @GovRonDeSantis, Florida’s education system is focused on student achievement, not ideology. Classroom instruction provides students with the academic foundation they need to succeed, and schools must protect that time.”
He then let fly with a letter in which he warned them of legal consequences, saying, “Administrators and instructional staff must not encourage, organize, promote, or facilitate student participation in protest activity during the school day. Any conduct by school or district personnel that diverts students from instruction, undermines classroom authority, or compromises student supervision violates professional responsibilities and warrants disciplinary action.”
He continued, “Moreover, Rule 6A-10.081, Florida Administrative Code, requires educators to take reasonable precautions to distinguish between personal views and those of any educational institution or organization with which the individual is affiliated. Administrators must take proactive steps to ensure students remain under appropriate supervision during school hours and that instructional environments remain safe and focused on learning.”