The GOP, of course, has made considerable political hay over the issue of wokeness in primary schools. The rationale for this is the need for the system to be accountable to parents. I have previously made the point that, as a state and local government taxpayer, I have as much right to a say on wokeness issues as anyone, but the Republicans ignored me. To them, it was only about the parents; taxpayers without children didn’t count.
Since college students are adults and informed consumers, the GOP can’t take the same position with regard to higher education. So what is their argument with regard to wokeness in state colleges? That the system has to be accountable to the taxpayers–the same argument they reject with primary schools!
As a practical matter, the Florida Republican effort to turn universities into incubators for conservatives will fail. There simply aren’t enough conservative professors or students to make it work. The best members of the system–both students and teachers–will flee to other states, thereby leaving Florida dumber and poorer. In short, DeSantis and his friends can’t convert the system; they can only destroy it.