Last week at his Hope Florida roundtable, Gov. Ron DeSantis touted how well Florida has done in national rankings since he has been governor.
“We’re ranked number one in the economy of all 50 states the last two years by both CNBC and US News and World Report,” DeSantis said. “We’re ranked number one in higher education.”
The governor didn’t mention that US News and World Report ranked Florida’s Pre-K-12 education 22nd in the nation, which dropped Florida out of the top spot in Best State Rankings. Overall, the rankings grade states based on their performance in 71 metrics spanning the eight categories of health care, education, economy, opportunity, natural environment, crime and corrections, infrastructure and fiscal stability.
- While Florida has an impressive No. 6 ranking for college readiness, the state doesn’t break into the top 10 in any other pre-K-through-12th-grade metric. Its math and reading scores on standardized tests place among the bottom 10 of all states, according to data from 2024.
US News and World Report ranked New Jersey # 1 overall and in the Pre-K-12 ranking.
| New Jersey | Florida | |
| College Readiness | 1st | 6th |
| High School Graduation Rate | 3rd | 17th |
| NAEP Math Scores | 5th | 41st |
| NAEP Reading Scores | 2nd | 43rd |
| Preschool Enrollment | 1st | 12th |
| Pre-K-12 Subranking | 1st | 22nd |
Why is Florida’s public education falling behind?
US News and World Report interviewed Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association. He cited Florida’s teacher shortage, which he said is driven by the lowest average teacher salaries in the nation and increasing retirements.
- Schools statewide frequently must use substitute teachers who often lack subject-specific certification or expertise. Spar said, “They’re not getting educated by content experts.”
Florida teachers earned an average salary of approximately $55,000, ranking lowest nationwide based on NEA data. The state’s per-pupil spending was $13,584 for the 2023-2024 academic year, substantially lower than states like New Jersey, which invested $24,831 per student.
Irony
Gov. DeSantis brags about Florida’s higher education being the best in the nation. Why has he become so obsessed with DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)? Clearly, DEI has not hurt the performance of our universities and colleges.
- Yet, the governor still wanted to target the University of West Florida and force out its accomplished president, Dr. Martha Saunders.
UWF Trustee Zach Smith was upset over a drag show held on campus six years ago. No one is asking if it hurt the UWF’s performance metrics. Why? Because it didn’t
- Since his re-election in 2022, the governor has focused on pulling books from school libraries and classrooms and placing more restrictions on how teachers conduct their lessons. What has it gotten us? A 22nd ranking and low reading and math scores.
It ain’t broke. Why is DeSantis trying to fix it? He’s in the process of systematically replacing all the university presidents. What a waste of energy when everyone knows FL K-12 needs serious attention and investment. Pay teachers like professionals, for example.