Tally Topics:
Updates From the Florida Legislature
This past legislative session (Regular Session 2022) was a direct attack on public education and personal liberties in the state of Florida.
The Good News
UF-GAU and our higher eduction union allies successfully fended off ANOTHER attempt at union decertification in the state.
The Bad News
Three bills were passed and signed into law that will directly affect public education in the state.
1.) SB 7044: Postsecondary Education
This bill makes several changes to Higher Education. HB 7051 allows the Board of Governors to establish a uniform post-tenure review (PTR). PTR must address and review a tenured professor's accomplishments, duties, and performance. Additionally, these reviews must provide tenured professors with improvement plans and consequences for underperformance when necessary.
The legislation creates additional transparency measures to those already in place for textbooks and instructional materials listed on the course registration page. Colleges and universities will now be required to post required and recommended instructional materials for general education courses at least 45 days before the start of the semester. Additionally, curriculum, syllabi, course goals and objectives, and grading rubrics for general education courses must be posted.
Additionally, it requires public colleges, universities, or nonpublic postsecondary education institutions that receive state funds to change accrediting agencies at the end of each accreditation cycle; programmatic accreditation is exempt from this requirement. The bill requires quarterly reports to the Board of Governors on finding a new accreditor. These reports would share the status of the institution's search for a new accreditor. Should a college or university be unable to find a new accreditor, they would be able to remain with their current accreditor. These provisions of the bill are set to sunset in 2032. Takes effect July 1, 2022.
2.) HB 7: Individual Freedom ("Stop WOKE Act")
Known as “Stop WOKE” or “Erase History,” HB 7 seeks to censor classroom instruction and discussions on topics related to race and racism. The bill creates a new provision in the law that specifies that certain behavior constitutes unlawful discrimination based on race, color, sex, or national origin. Further, it prohibits subjecting individuals to certain concepts and statements in workplace trainings and K-20 curriculum that could be deemed discriminatory.
The bill also creates a cause of action allowing a parent or anyone who feels violated by such behavior to sue the school district or employer. Educators and parents have expressed concerns the bill could have a chilling effect on teaching and learning that might silence educators from answering difficult questions and engaging students in deeper discussions about the ramifications behind certain historical facts, figures, and events.
Finally, the measure defines unlawful discrimination as subjecting an individual, as a condition of membership, to training, instruction or any other required activity that espouses the bill’s enumerated beliefs on race, color, national origin and sex. If signed into law by the governor, it takes effect July 1, 2022.
3.) HB 1557: Florida’s Parental Rights in Education ("Don't Say Gay")
This high-profile bill was promoted under the guise of parental rights and freedom and is a good example of legislation that promotes Florida's culture wars. At least 37 failed amendments were filed in both chambers by Democrats and Republicans to improve or soften the bill’s language. If signed into law by the governor, this measure may have a serious impact on the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ students, their parents, and educators.
It prohibits discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity, specifically in K-3 classroom instruction and limits discussions above grade 3 to "age or developmentally appropriate” in accordance with state standards.
It also requires districts to provide parents access to their child's education and health records and prohibits all school employees from withholding any information from parents about their child. Parents must be notified of all changes in their child’s mental and physical health and any other services the student receives at school. This could be as simple as a change in what a student chooses to order for school lunch.
Once a parent files a complaint, the district has 30 days to resolve the concern. If signed into law by the governor, this measure would allow a parent to bring legal action against the school district. A court may award damages but must award attorney fees and court costs to a parent who receives declaratory or injunctive relief. No reciprocal action is included for the district. This provision could have a significant financial impact on a district. Takes effect on July 1, 2022.
Now, more than ever, we need YOU, our members, to help make institutional changes that benefit higher education in Florida.
The Good News
UF-GAU and our higher eduction union allies successfully fended off ANOTHER attempt at union decertification in the state.
The Bad News
Three bills were passed and signed into law that will directly affect public education in the state.
1.) SB 7044: Postsecondary Education
This bill makes several changes to Higher Education. HB 7051 allows the Board of Governors to establish a uniform post-tenure review (PTR). PTR must address and review a tenured professor's accomplishments, duties, and performance. Additionally, these reviews must provide tenured professors with improvement plans and consequences for underperformance when necessary.
The legislation creates additional transparency measures to those already in place for textbooks and instructional materials listed on the course registration page. Colleges and universities will now be required to post required and recommended instructional materials for general education courses at least 45 days before the start of the semester. Additionally, curriculum, syllabi, course goals and objectives, and grading rubrics for general education courses must be posted.
Additionally, it requires public colleges, universities, or nonpublic postsecondary education institutions that receive state funds to change accrediting agencies at the end of each accreditation cycle; programmatic accreditation is exempt from this requirement. The bill requires quarterly reports to the Board of Governors on finding a new accreditor. These reports would share the status of the institution's search for a new accreditor. Should a college or university be unable to find a new accreditor, they would be able to remain with their current accreditor. These provisions of the bill are set to sunset in 2032. Takes effect July 1, 2022.
2.) HB 7: Individual Freedom ("Stop WOKE Act")
Known as “Stop WOKE” or “Erase History,” HB 7 seeks to censor classroom instruction and discussions on topics related to race and racism. The bill creates a new provision in the law that specifies that certain behavior constitutes unlawful discrimination based on race, color, sex, or national origin. Further, it prohibits subjecting individuals to certain concepts and statements in workplace trainings and K-20 curriculum that could be deemed discriminatory.
The bill also creates a cause of action allowing a parent or anyone who feels violated by such behavior to sue the school district or employer. Educators and parents have expressed concerns the bill could have a chilling effect on teaching and learning that might silence educators from answering difficult questions and engaging students in deeper discussions about the ramifications behind certain historical facts, figures, and events.
Finally, the measure defines unlawful discrimination as subjecting an individual, as a condition of membership, to training, instruction or any other required activity that espouses the bill’s enumerated beliefs on race, color, national origin and sex. If signed into law by the governor, it takes effect July 1, 2022.
3.) HB 1557: Florida’s Parental Rights in Education ("Don't Say Gay")
This high-profile bill was promoted under the guise of parental rights and freedom and is a good example of legislation that promotes Florida's culture wars. At least 37 failed amendments were filed in both chambers by Democrats and Republicans to improve or soften the bill’s language. If signed into law by the governor, this measure may have a serious impact on the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ students, their parents, and educators.
It prohibits discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity, specifically in K-3 classroom instruction and limits discussions above grade 3 to "age or developmentally appropriate” in accordance with state standards.
It also requires districts to provide parents access to their child's education and health records and prohibits all school employees from withholding any information from parents about their child. Parents must be notified of all changes in their child’s mental and physical health and any other services the student receives at school. This could be as simple as a change in what a student chooses to order for school lunch.
Once a parent files a complaint, the district has 30 days to resolve the concern. If signed into law by the governor, this measure would allow a parent to bring legal action against the school district. A court may award damages but must award attorney fees and court costs to a parent who receives declaratory or injunctive relief. No reciprocal action is included for the district. This provision could have a significant financial impact on a district. Takes effect on July 1, 2022.
Now, more than ever, we need YOU, our members, to help make institutional changes that benefit higher education in Florida.
Official UFF & GAU Guidance: Do not take the Viewpoint Discrimination Survey
As you may have heard, our institution will be distributing an ideological viewpoint survey on Monday, April 4, 2022, which requests that all faculty, staff, and students respond and share not only their own political and religious viewpoints but what they perceive to be the viewpoints of their friends, colleagues, and classmates.
Graduate Assistants United encourages all higher education faculty, staff, and students to ignore the voluntary “Viewpoint Discrimination” survey for the following reasons:
For these reasons and more, GAU discourages participation in the survey, and we encourage you and all members of the Florida higher education system to join our fight to protect the freedoms of the faculty, staff, and students who make our campuses such wonderful places to live, learn, and grow.
GAU and our parent unions have been fighting this law since it was first proposed. Now our fight is in federal court, and one of our main concerns has been that by its very nature this survey is an infringement upon the basic rights of all Floridians to freedom of speech, freedom of association, and the basic right to privacy, regardless of a person’s background or political persuasion and without intimidation from the political party currently in power. Join us! We are stronger together.
Graduate Assistants United encourages all higher education faculty, staff, and students to ignore the voluntary “Viewpoint Discrimination” survey for the following reasons:
- Florida’s government has no right to know the thoughts, feelings, or political or religious beliefs of anyone, including the higher education community. Privacy is the bedrock of democracy and a safeguard against autocratic control.
- Ignoring this survey is an act that protects individuals of all political persuasions, now and into the future. This survey would not pass ‘validity tests’ in any institutional review process, as there is no way to ensure that responses will reflect the demographics of the institution. It is not worthy of time away from our teaching and research.
- The specificity of the survey’s demographic questions allows for targeting of instructors, particularly instructors from marginalized identities.
- Many of the survey’s questions are leading in nature and imply that there is a problem of viewpoint fairness on our campuses already–this is a conclusion searching for evidence, rather than the other way around.
- Many of the survey’s questions ask respondents to report on what they believe their colleagues and students think and how they are behaving on campus. Surveillance has no place in Florida’s higher education system.
- The survey will cause a chilling effect on freedom of speech and freedom of association on campus because faculty, staff, and students will be wondering whether their words and deeds will be reported to those in power.
- Governor DeSantis and other legislators have threatened to defund or otherwise punish campuses whose responses do not match the appropriate ideology. This is not a standard of leadership or behavior that any member of Florida’s higher education community should support.
For these reasons and more, GAU discourages participation in the survey, and we encourage you and all members of the Florida higher education system to join our fight to protect the freedoms of the faculty, staff, and students who make our campuses such wonderful places to live, learn, and grow.
GAU and our parent unions have been fighting this law since it was first proposed. Now our fight is in federal court, and one of our main concerns has been that by its very nature this survey is an infringement upon the basic rights of all Floridians to freedom of speech, freedom of association, and the basic right to privacy, regardless of a person’s background or political persuasion and without intimidation from the political party currently in power. Join us! We are stronger together.
What's Happening in Florida Politics
