Congressman Ron DeSantis (R-FL) defeated Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum in Florida’s Gubernatorial Race last night by a slim margin: 49.7 percent to 49.1 percent.
He has criticized Common Core while campaigning for Governor. He tweeted this out in August:
Prior to the Florida primary, Karen Effrem made the following observations about DeSantis here at Truth in American Education:
- Opposes Federal Intrusion in Education: Yes, he voted against the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in Congress, which cemented CCSS in place and harms the opt-out movement.
- Opposes Common Core: Yes, he cosponsored 2014 resolution against CCSS and has strongly opposed in speeches, interviews and via vote against ESSA. He is listening to his supporters, who oppose CCSS 72%-16%.
- Opposes Expansion of Government Pre-K: Yes, he voted against ESSA that includes expansion of federal pre-K programs that research continues to show is ineffective and is tied to Common Core.
- Pro-Common Core Endorsement or Rating: No
- Anti-Common Core Endorsement or Rating: American Conservative Union, Mark Levin, and Sean Hannity.
This is a welcome change from Governor Rick Scott provided he follows through.