Did COVID-19 affect Florida alone? Was DeSantis not highly praised by Republicans for his response to COVID-19?
Death by DeSantis
- Thread starter coalminer
- Start date
No.
Yes.
Shutting down schools at the beginning of Covid was the protocol of every state Governor. But closing schools wasn’t the only response that Governors did.
Since COVID-19 affected all states, it is inaccurate to single it out as a Florida-only factor responsible for the decline in Florida college admission scores. That decline is due to DeSantis-driven education policy changes, not COVID-19. It's not that the scores fell. It's that that Florida's scores fell in relation to other states. The unique variable is DeSantis policy changes, not COVID-19.
Also, factor in that there were teacher unions that didn’t want to go back when it was recommended.
But aside from that, what specifically did Desantis do to drive down scores?
First, here are the rankings in detail.
The chart below provides context. Florida is declining relative to the US average, and Florida has plunged in recent years compared to the past. Yes, COVID-19 was a factor that produced a decline, but not a factor unique to Florida. COVID-19 affected all states, not Florida alone. Currently, Florida ranks near the bottom of all states. Since we're seeing a decline relative to other states, the question naturally rises, why?
First, there is no legitimate way to blame the Democrats for this decline. Florida is a deep red state with Republicans in charge of education policy at all levels. DeSantis is the governor. The legislature is controlled by Republicans. Most school boards are Republican dominated.
Identifying individual factors attributable to policy is not precise because it takes time for policy changes to have their impact. That said, one change is "the curriculum isn’t as rigorous as it used to be, especially vocabulary." (Source)
Another factor is "Increased focus on standardized testing: Florida has implemented high-stakes standardized testing policies with significant consequences for students and schools. This pressure to perform well on tests might lead to a narrowing of the curriculum and an emphasis on test-taking strategies over deeper learning." (Google Bard)
I can personally attest that is a real thing here in Florida. I have attended several school board meetings and I can tell you, parents and educators alike decry this new mandated emphasis on standardized testing. Teachers hate having to teach to the test. They complain that doing so reduces their ability to help students actually learn how to think on their own and do well in life. And now, we see that teaching to the test does not work well, as the plunging test scores show.
Another factor is: "The Florida Education Association (FEA), representing about 150,000 educators, said they counted 6,920 teacher vacancies advertised on county school district websites. That’s a 15% increase from last year, when there were a record 6,006 teacher vacancies, according to an August 2022 count. For support staff, there are 5,072 vacancies, up 6% from last August. Those positions include aides and bus drivers." (Source)
While its hard to quantify the reasons teachers are leaving Florida classrooms, the DeSantis-amplified culture wars are a contributing factor.
I could go on, but the general story is Florida college admission test scores are plunging, and at a rate faster than the national average. The Republicans have the power in this state and their education policies are producing this decline.
Their response to the decline is interesting. When the test makes Florida students look less educated than those in most other states, they don't want to change their policies to improve student learning. They want to change the test. See this.
Statistics speak for themselves. It would appear that the FL educational system isn't going to h*ll on roller skates.
"For the 2023 Florida admission, a total of 40,696 enrolled students have submitted the SAT scores and 17,374 students submitted the ACT scores.
The average SAT score of Florida colleges is 1,154 and the ACT score is 24. The Florida's average SAT score increased by 23 points compared to previous year's socre of 1,131.
Among Florida colleges, University of Florida has the highest SAT score of 1,390...
For Florida college admission, the total number of applicants increased by 102,241 (18.92%) compared to last year... (Bold emphasis mine)
2022-2023 SAT Scores of Florida Colleges
Check out the 2023 average SAT and ACT Scores at Florida colleges where the average acceptance rate is 47.40%
www.collegetuitioncompare.com
Yes they do, if the statistics are from reliable sources. I'm quoting the numbers from the testing agencies themselves.
"College admission test scores are dropping lower than previously, especially ACT scores, according to the nonprofit that administers the test.
"ACT scores dropped from 19.8 for the class of 2022 to 19.5 for the class of 2023. According to Collegeboard.org, SAT scores dropped from 1050 in 2022 to 1028 in 2023.
When it comes to the ACT, this is the lowest score in 30 years, and Florida is one of the states with the lowest overall scores." (Source)
Georgia Defeats Florida State 63-3
This college football is getting more than its usual share of press because DeSantis cry babied to the world that Florida deserved to be in the playoffs.
Loser backing Losers
www.foxnews.com
This college football is getting more than its usual share of press because DeSantis cry babied to the world that Florida deserved to be in the playoffs.
Loser backing Losers
Georgia steamrolls Florida State in Orange Bowl after College Football Playoff controversy
The decision to leave Florida State out of the playoff was controversial, but the committee's final stance was justified in Saturday's Orange Bowl.
DeSantis and his staff probably thought it politically beneficial for him to stand up for his state university. However, it was obvious after FSU barely got by a very average Louisville team (16-6) in the ACC championship that they were not one of the four best teams in the country at the end of the season. FSU fans have a right to be pissed at a team that didn't bother to show up for this bowl game, but that's on the coaching staff who didn't get their guys ready. For DeSantis it doesn't matter; people will have forgotten about this meaningless game by Valentine's Day.Georgia Defeats Florida State 63-3
This college football is getting more than its usual share of press because DeSantis cry babied to the world that Florida deserved to be in the playoffs.
Loser backing Losers
Georgia steamrolls Florida State in Orange Bowl after College Football Playoff controversy
The decision to leave Florida State out of the playoff was controversial, but the committee's final stance was justified in Saturday's Orange Bowl.
Teams get beat badly sometimes even when they are good but a lot of players didn’t show up for this game as well:
Watching the Polls
I have said many times in this forum that polls about a presidential election a year away are meaningless. Opinion polls closer to an actual voting event MAY be something different. Close to the event, the polls may be accurate. The difference between a distant event and a close event is the number of variables that can occur. The longer the time between the present and an upcoming event, the greater the opportunity for variables to emerge and have their effects.
We'll have a chance to gauge poll accuracy a week from Tuesday when the Iowa caucuses are held. Pollsters are interested in this event so it is frequently polled. 538 summarizes the polls and publishes their work here:
projects.fivethirtyeight.com
At present, just nine days ahead of the Iowa caucuses, the 538 polling summary shows the following: Trump 50.0%, DeSantis 18.4%, Haley 15.7%, Ramaswamy 6.0%.
If the polls are accurate, the caucus results should come in around those numbers.
DeSantis has been endorsed by Iowa's popular governor Kim Reynolds. He has been campaigning nearly full-time in Iowa for several weeks. He has also been endorsed by one of Iowa's most influential evangelical pastors, Bob Vander Plaats, who insists the polls are wrong. Vander Plaats has repeatedly said he is talking to the people of Iowa and, from that, he knows the polls are wrong. DeSantis's support is much stronger than the polls show, Vander Plaats says.
I'm looking forward to comparing the poll predictions with the actual caucus results next week.
I have said many times in this forum that polls about a presidential election a year away are meaningless. Opinion polls closer to an actual voting event MAY be something different. Close to the event, the polls may be accurate. The difference between a distant event and a close event is the number of variables that can occur. The longer the time between the present and an upcoming event, the greater the opportunity for variables to emerge and have their effects.
We'll have a chance to gauge poll accuracy a week from Tuesday when the Iowa caucuses are held. Pollsters are interested in this event so it is frequently polled. 538 summarizes the polls and publishes their work here:
Latest Polls
The latest political polls and polling averages from FiveThirtyEight.
At present, just nine days ahead of the Iowa caucuses, the 538 polling summary shows the following: Trump 50.0%, DeSantis 18.4%, Haley 15.7%, Ramaswamy 6.0%.
If the polls are accurate, the caucus results should come in around those numbers.
DeSantis has been endorsed by Iowa's popular governor Kim Reynolds. He has been campaigning nearly full-time in Iowa for several weeks. He has also been endorsed by one of Iowa's most influential evangelical pastors, Bob Vander Plaats, who insists the polls are wrong. Vander Plaats has repeatedly said he is talking to the people of Iowa and, from that, he knows the polls are wrong. DeSantis's support is much stronger than the polls show, Vander Plaats says.
I'm looking forward to comparing the poll predictions with the actual caucus results next week.
Florida Races Toward the Dark Ages
"This controversial [DeSantis-signed] measure has led to an unprecedented sweep of books, resulting in the closure of many school libraries at the start of the school year while reviews were conducted. Notable among the removed texts are reference books such as The American Heritage Children’s Dictionary, Webster’s Dictionary for Students, and Merriam-Webster’s Elementary Dictionary. The broad language of HB 1069 has resulted in the exclusion of these educational staples, as dictionaries contain definitions of terms related to sexual conduct. For example, Merriam-Webster defines sex in explicit terms, which under the law could be deemed inappropriate for student access." (Source)
"This controversial [DeSantis-signed] measure has led to an unprecedented sweep of books, resulting in the closure of many school libraries at the start of the school year while reviews were conducted. Notable among the removed texts are reference books such as The American Heritage Children’s Dictionary, Webster’s Dictionary for Students, and Merriam-Webster’s Elementary Dictionary. The broad language of HB 1069 has resulted in the exclusion of these educational staples, as dictionaries contain definitions of terms related to sexual conduct. For example, Merriam-Webster defines sex in explicit terms, which under the law could be deemed inappropriate for student access." (Source)
Haley Bumps DeSantis Into 3rd Place in Iowa Polls
That's a bummer for DeSantis. He's been campaigning nearly full-time in Iowa for weeks. As I said a few weeks ago, the more DeSantis campaigns, the less people like him. New Hampshire polls have him in a distant 3rd place.
projects.fivethirtyeight.com
That's a bummer for DeSantis. He's been campaigning nearly full-time in Iowa for weeks. As I said a few weeks ago, the more DeSantis campaigns, the less people like him. New Hampshire polls have him in a distant 3rd place.
Iowa : President: Republican primary : 2024 Polls
The latest political polls and polling averages from FiveThirtyEight.
DeSantis Death Watch
Absentee-governor DeSantis has been campaigning very hard in Iowa for months. With caucus voters placing him 30 points behind Trump, a lot of the news commentary is like a death watch for DeSantis now. There is lots of talk about how long (or short) it will be until he drops out. And there is a lot of talk about why he is a failed candidate.
I don't think highly of DeSantis, but I do feel for him today. Having worked a few campaigns back in the day, I know how intense and consuming these efforts are for the candidate, their staff, and their most-active volunteers. Right about now, they are summoning their inner strength to keep their chin up and press on. But they are also processing deep disappointments and self-doubt after this crushing defeat.
I think this will be especially strong with DeSantis and his close supporters. While their Iowa efforts were intense for several months, they came in 30 points behind Trump; 30 points! And they affected Trump's standing not at all. DeSantis barely avoided a third-place finish as Haley finished just two points behind. DeSantis fell far. A few months ago, the press was hailing DeSantis as the near-certain Republican nominee. Now it's the DeSantis death watch.
www.msnbc.com
Absentee-governor DeSantis has been campaigning very hard in Iowa for months. With caucus voters placing him 30 points behind Trump, a lot of the news commentary is like a death watch for DeSantis now. There is lots of talk about how long (or short) it will be until he drops out. And there is a lot of talk about why he is a failed candidate.
I don't think highly of DeSantis, but I do feel for him today. Having worked a few campaigns back in the day, I know how intense and consuming these efforts are for the candidate, their staff, and their most-active volunteers. Right about now, they are summoning their inner strength to keep their chin up and press on. But they are also processing deep disappointments and self-doubt after this crushing defeat.
I think this will be especially strong with DeSantis and his close supporters. While their Iowa efforts were intense for several months, they came in 30 points behind Trump; 30 points! And they affected Trump's standing not at all. DeSantis barely avoided a third-place finish as Haley finished just two points behind. DeSantis fell far. A few months ago, the press was hailing DeSantis as the near-certain Republican nominee. Now it's the DeSantis death watch.
Florida pays the price for DeSantis' big losing bet on Iowa
Joy Reid lays out the ways the state of Florida has suffered as state Republicans tried to help Governor Ron DeSantis build a national political profile that could win in Iowa. As DeSantis is putting up pitiful numbers on caucus day, Florida is left with broken institutions.
www.msnbc.com
Last edited:
FL Senator Rubio Endorses Trump Over DeSantis
Florida's other US Senator, Rick Scott, endorsed Trump over DeSantis in Nov. 2023.
DeSantis's decision to run for president has turned him into a national loser and a greatly weakened lame-duck governor. It's not as bad as Joy Reid suggests in the clip shared above, but there is more truth than lie in what she says.
www.foxnews.com
Florida's other US Senator, Rick Scott, endorsed Trump over DeSantis in Nov. 2023.
DeSantis's decision to run for president has turned him into a national loser and a greatly weakened lame-duck governor. It's not as bad as Joy Reid suggests in the clip shared above, but there is more truth than lie in what she says.
Rubio becomes 2nd Florida senator to endorse Trump over DeSantis
Sen. Marco Rubio, who former President Trump used to call "Little Marco" in the 2016 race, endorsed the former president ahead of the Iowa caucuses.
Last edited:
Watching the Polls
I have said many times in this forum that polls about a presidential election a year away are meaningless. Opinion polls closer to an actual voting event MAY be something different. Close to the event, the polls may be accurate. The difference between a distant event and a close event is the number of variables that can occur. The longer the time between the present and an upcoming event, the greater the opportunity for variables to emerge and have their effects.
We'll have a chance to gauge poll accuracy a week from Tuesday when the Iowa caucuses are held. Pollsters are interested in this event so it is frequently polled. 538 summarizes the polls and publishes their work here:
Latest Polls
The latest political polls and polling averages from FiveThirtyEight.
At present, just nine days ahead of the Iowa caucuses, the 538 polling summary shows the following: Trump 50.0%, DeSantis 18.4%, Haley 15.7%, Ramaswamy 6.0%.
If the polls are accurate, the caucus results should come in around those numbers.
DeSantis has been endorsed by Iowa's popular governor Kim Reynolds. He has been campaigning nearly full-time in Iowa for several weeks. He has also been endorsed by one of Iowa's most influential evangelical pastors, Bob Vander Plaats, who insists the polls are wrong. Vander Plaats has repeatedly said he is talking to the people of Iowa and, from that, he knows the polls are wrong. DeSantis's support is much stronger than the polls show, Vander Plaats says.
I'm looking forward to comparing the poll predictions with the actual caucus results next week.
That's impressive.
MSNBC had a meltdown last night after the Trump victory in Iowa. Of course their ratings are always at rock bottom and it's easy to see why, but spewing this kind of racist, radical hatred reaches the far end of the political spectrum and establishes zero credibility. They must have a target market of extreme Marxist liberals who thrive on this kind of pathological vituperation. As Trump continues to win primaries this insane rhetoric from the liberal media will only get worse.
"MSNBC host Joy Reid led this effort by declaring that “White Christians” are racists who want minorities to “bow down” to them...
“All the things that we think about, about electability, about what are people gaming out, but none of that matters when you believe that God has given you this country, that it is yours, and that everyone who is not a White, conservative Christian is a fraudulent American, is a less real American. Then you don’t care about electability. You care about what God has given you.”
“It is religion And I think what we have to actually confront – and this is what the Democrats are going to face – is this is now what White evangelicalism is. It is Christian nationalism. That’s the name of it, right?” It is all part of “White evangelical Christians of a certain mindset … that they own this country, that immigrants, that Brown people, that Hindus like Vivek Ramaswamy and his wife are illegitimate Americans. They are less legitimate Americans than they are…They’re not trying to convince people and win people over through politics. What they’re saying is, ‘We own this country, and everyone will bow down to us.’”...
Reid’s colleague MSNBC Host Rachel Maddow censored Trump’s victory speech and said that the network would not allow viewers to hear him because he said “untrue things.”"
jonathanturley.org
"MSNBC host Joy Reid led this effort by declaring that “White Christians” are racists who want minorities to “bow down” to them...
“All the things that we think about, about electability, about what are people gaming out, but none of that matters when you believe that God has given you this country, that it is yours, and that everyone who is not a White, conservative Christian is a fraudulent American, is a less real American. Then you don’t care about electability. You care about what God has given you.”
“It is religion And I think what we have to actually confront – and this is what the Democrats are going to face – is this is now what White evangelicalism is. It is Christian nationalism. That’s the name of it, right?” It is all part of “White evangelical Christians of a certain mindset … that they own this country, that immigrants, that Brown people, that Hindus like Vivek Ramaswamy and his wife are illegitimate Americans. They are less legitimate Americans than they are…They’re not trying to convince people and win people over through politics. What they’re saying is, ‘We own this country, and everyone will bow down to us.’”...
Reid’s colleague MSNBC Host Rachel Maddow censored Trump’s victory speech and said that the network would not allow viewers to hear him because he said “untrue things.”"
MSNBC Hosts Denounce White Christians as Racist and Pledge to Censor Trump After Iowa Win
In an early glimpse of what to expect from coverage of this election, MSNBC and CNN hosts went into full rage mode with the Iowa caucus results. MSNBC host Joy Reid led this effort by declaring th…
jonathanturley.org
Who watches this crap?MSNBC had a meltdown last night after the Trump victory in Iowa. Of course their ratings are always at rock bottom and it's easy to see why, but spewing this kind of racist, radical hatred reaches the far end of the political spectrum and establishes zero credibility. They must have a target market of extreme Marxist liberals who thrive on this kind of pathological vituperation. As Trump continues to win primaries this insane rhetoric from the liberal media will only get worse.
"MSNBC host Joy Reid led this effort by declaring that “White Christians” are racists who want minorities to “bow down” to them...
“All the things that we think about, about electability, about what are people gaming out, but none of that matters when you believe that God has given you this country, that it is yours, and that everyone who is not a White, conservative Christian is a fraudulent American, is a less real American. Then you don’t care about electability. You care about what God has given you.”
“It is religion And I think what we have to actually confront – and this is what the Democrats are going to face – is this is now what White evangelicalism is. It is Christian nationalism. That’s the name of it, right?” It is all part of “White evangelical Christians of a certain mindset … that they own this country, that immigrants, that Brown people, that Hindus like Vivek Ramaswamy and his wife are illegitimate Americans. They are less legitimate Americans than they are…They’re not trying to convince people and win people over through politics. What they’re saying is, ‘We own this country, and everyone will bow down to us.’”...
Reid’s colleague MSNBC Host Rachel Maddow censored Trump’s victory speech and said that the network would not allow viewers to hear him because he said “untrue things.”"
MSNBC Hosts Denounce White Christians as Racist and Pledge to Censor Trump After Iowa Win
In an early glimpse of what to expect from coverage of this election, MSNBC and CNN hosts went into full rage mode with the Iowa caucus results. MSNBC host Joy Reid led this effort by declaring th…