Misleading Claims About Florida Politics
Joy Pohlman, executive editor of The Federalist and self-described “grateful graduate of Hillsdale College,” recently attacked Florida House Speaker Danny Perez and “Statehouse Republicans” for not supporting Gov. Ron DeSantis’s efforts to “protect education waste and indoctrination.” Read “Statehouse Republicans Work With Democrats To Make Florida Purple Again.”
Pohlman’s criticism relies heavily on DeSantis’s 19-point victory in the 2022 gubernatorial election, but conveniently omits that he faced former Republican Charlie Crist, widely considered the weakest Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Florida’s history. This context matters when evaluating claims about electoral mandates.
- On Sept. 12, 2024, South Alabama’s football team beat Northwestern State 87-10. Yet the Jags weren’t declared national champions.
She also suggests that Speaker Perez’s rumored candidacy for Miami mayor in a “Democrat-friendly locale” is part of a conspiracy to make Florida a “purple state.”
- However, this claim ignores recent political history – the current Miami mayor, Francis Suarez, is a Republican, as was his predecessor, Tomás Regalado. The last Democratic mayor of Miami left office in 2009.
The UWF Trustee Controversy
Pohlman blames University of West Florida Trustee Scott Yenor’s resignation on “Students for Socialism and Party for Socialism and Liberation activists at UWF” who allegedly “created and amplified false claims of ‘controversy’ and ‘bigotry.’” She further attacks Senator Don Gaetz for applying “Communist smears” against other appointees.
According to Pohlman, Gaetz represents “an increasingly purple locale that strenuously opposes making college work better for students and taxpayers.”
- This characterization ignores the massive community response through SAVE UWF and its well-attended town hall at the SCI building.
UWF’s Impressive Performance Metrics
While Pohlman highlighted Adam Kissel’s claim that UWF’s graduation rate is “a humanitarian disaster,” she conveniently ignored UWF’s strong performance metrics established by the Florida Board of Governors.
In the 2023-24 performance-based funding model, UWF earned 84 points out of 100, an improvement of two points from the previous year. This places UWF tied for 6th among Florida’s state universities:
- Florida International: 96
- University of Florida: 92
- Tie-Florida State, South Florida: 89
- Central Florida: 85
- Tie-University of West Florida, Florida Atlantic: 84
- North Florida: 76
- Florida Poly: 74
- FAMU: 72
- New College: 71
- Florida Gulf Coast: 63
UWF received perfect scores (10 points) in six critical metrics:
- Percent of Bachelor’s Graduates Employed/Continuing Education 1 Year after Graduation
- Median Average Wages of Undergraduates Employed 1 Year after Graduation
- Net Tuition & Fees per 120 Credit Hours
- Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded in Areas of Strategic Emphasis (including STEM)
- Graduate Degrees Awarded in Areas of Strategic Emphasis (including STEM)
- Board of Trustees’ Choice
The university ranked in the top three among all Florida State University System institutions in three metrics.
UWF’s Areas of Excellence
UWF has demonstrated excellence in several important areas:
- High-Impact Practices: UWF scored high in Metric 10, measuring the percentage of baccalaureate graduates completing two or more types of high-impact practices. The university increased to 60.6%, well above the 51% benchmark for excellence.
- Graduate Employment and Wages: More than 79% of bachelor’s graduates are employed or furthering their education one year after graduation, ranking UWF 2nd in the Florida State University System. UWF graduates earned a median wage of $53,000 in 2021-22, setting a new record for the university and increasing by $4,200 from the previous year.
- Academic Progress: UWF achieved its highest academic progress rate in university history, with an 83.5% second-year retention rate for students with a GPA above 2.0.
Strange Claims and Legislative Battles
Pohlman made some peculiar assertions in her piece, including: “Women significantly outnumber men in U.S. college enrollment, a well-documented marriage-killer. If the ratios were reversed, Marxists would claim these large gaps prove systemic bias against women.”
She also opposed Representative Michelle Salzman’s bill requiring university trustees to live in Florida or be alumni of the university they serve. Her reasoning? It would “end the governor’s recruitment of nationally recognized conservative policy experts in education.”
Pohlman further complained about the Florida Senate’s refusal to consider DeSantis’ nomination of Moms for Liberty cofounder Tina Descovich for a state ethics commission, claiming it was “likely retaliation” for the group’s activism.
The Bottom Line
While Pohlman attempts to paint a picture of progressive opposition undermining conservative education reforms, the facts tell a different story.
- UWF’s performance metrics show a university delivering strong results for students and taxpayers.
The political dynamics in Florida are more complex than simple partisan narratives suggest, and local communities are actively engaged in shaping the future of their educational institutions.
- What’s clear is that policy debates should be grounded in complete information, not selective facts that support predetermined conclusions.