The Florida Department of Education has expressed support for a directive from the U.S. Department of Education aimed at ending racial preferences in education. Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. commended the Trump Administration for its stance against racial discrimination and stereotyping.
Under Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida has implemented measures to eliminate race-based policies and practices in education. The Stop WOKE Act, signed into law in 2022, prohibited teaching concepts that promote discriminatory ideas such as Critical Race Theory while expanding African American History instruction to address prejudice and racism.
In 2023, Governor DeSantis furthered these efforts by signing Senate Bill 266, which restricts educational institutions from using federal or state funds on initiatives related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). This bill also bans academic programs and courses that conflict with Florida’s anti-discrimination laws or are based on theories about systemic issues like racism and privilege.
The Florida State Board of Education has enforced this policy by banning DEI programs within the Florida College System. A review of general education courses led to a significant reduction in the number labeled as general education.
The department emphasized Florida’s leadership role in ending racial preferences in education and offered assistance to other states seeking to align with the USDOE directive.
