The Florida governor told Florida Homeschool Convention attendees that 'the number of students in home education increased by nearly 60 percent' during his five years in office due to his support for parental rights.
(LifeSiteNews) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at a homeschooling event in Kissimmee on Friday to promote his vision for education reform aimed at empowering parents.
Florida Parent Educators Association welcomed DeSantis for its annual meeting earlier today. He gave a stirring speech on his support for school choice, charter schools, and more.
“We have an obligation that this education, whatever form it takes, from homeschooling to traditional public school, that we're doing what we need to do to prepare our students to be citizens of this republic, that they understand the core, foundational principles that the United States of America was founded upon,” he said.
DeSantis has been a strong supporter of parental rights during his time in office. He has not only gutted DEI initiatives and Critical Race Theory initiatives in educational institutions but has signed a curriculum transparency law requiring public schools to make classroom materials available for parental review.
Further, in 2023, DeSantis approved a voucher program worth up to $8,000 per family and in 2022 signed a parental rights law that bans schools from teaching children in kindergarten through third grade about transgenderism and other sexuality-related issues.
During his speech on Friday, DeSantis touted his past accomplishments while also calling for term limits on Congressmen, a policy that President Donald Trump floated late in his bid for the Oval Office last year, suggesting that DeSantis may make it a core campaign issue in 2028 should he run for president.
He heralded his past accomplishment by stating on X, “In my first five years as governor, the number of students in home education increased by nearly 60 percent. Homeschooling in Florida continues to grow, as we have empowered families to choose the path that best meets their children’s needs.”
According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, the most restrictive states in the U.S. for homeschooling include New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Those with “moderate” restrictions include Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Minnesota, North Dakota, Washington State, and Oregon.
