Florida has become a haven for classical education, as the schooling model increases in popularity among conservatives trying to gain a foothold nationally.
While several states are embracing the education approach — which emphasizes liberal arts and western teachings on math, science, civics and classical texts that have increasingly been embraced by conservatives and some Christians — Florida under Gov. Ron DeSantis is going further by turning the state into an incubator for classical schools, both public and private alike.
The efforts are one key way Florida’s GOP governor and policymakers are reshaping education in the state. With a second Trump administration coming, there are expected to be more opportunities for classical education to grow nationally, such as through the 161 schools operated by the Department of Defense.
“Florida is such a frontrunner on these education reforms, like they’ve been on so many other ones,” said Keri Ingraham, who directs the American Center for Transforming Education at the Discovery Institute, a conservative think tank that advocates for teaching “intelligent design,” among other things. “It’s going to be not that far off for other states that are conservative-minded to adopt policies like this,” Ingraham added.
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