MIAMI – U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited schools on Thursday in Miami-Dade County and spoke out against Florida legislation that affects public education.
With the help of a Republican-controlled legislature, Gov. Ron DeSantis’s education policy includes book removals and curriculum restrictions on race and sexuality.
It aims at so-called “woke indoctrination,” “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programs, an Advanced Placement African-American history course, “queer theory,” and LGBTQ topics.
“I have had teachers from Florida tell me that they don’t feel comfortable putting up their family picture in their classroom,” Cardona said. “You want to talk about fixing the teacher shortage: Let’s make sure that our educators and our students and our parents feel welcomed here.”
While Cardona visited Miami-Dade classrooms, the Florida legislature gave final approval to a bill that restricts gender references to male and female affecting classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity from Pre-K to 8th grade.
Cardona was at Miami-Dade’s West Little River neighborhood to visit the William H. Turner Technical Arts High School, better known as Turner Tech.
Cardona was also in Miami Gardens to visit Dr. Frederica S. Wilson/Skyway Elementary School where he learned about The 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project from Rep. Frederica S. Wilson.
Florida lawmakers are also pushing forward a bill to ban diversity programs at public colleges. Miami-Dade School Board Member Lucia Baez-Geller said the restrictions on students need to stop.
“It is important that they feel that they can fully express themselves and that they feel safe,” Baez-Geller said.
Thomas Breslin is a professor at Florida International University, a public research institution in Miami-Dade County that takes pride on the diversity of the student population.
“What is going on in Tallahassee has been a grievous disappointment,” Breslin said. “It’s just horrific. It’s just very disappointing. It’s very disgusting.”