Rick Scott expects critical race theory backlash to change school boards
Florida Politics | By A.G. Gancarski | July 29, 2021
Scott, like DeSantis, sees a political payoff for Republicans on CRT backlash.
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott believes that one consequence of critical race theory backlash will be the transformation of school boards.
“We’ve got to talk about it. But I’ll tell you one thing: It’s going to change. It’s going to change school boards all across this country,” Scott said.
The Senator then hearkened back to a recent speaking gig to young conservatives to illustrate where he believes these transformational candidates may come from.
“I gave a speech to Turning Point USA, 4,000 national college kids. They are revved up to make sure they get better school board members. That’s where that’s going to get fixed,” Scott said.
Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, made the comments Thursday on the Hugh Hewitt Show.
The Senator’s concern about critical race theory, an academic approach that suggests that long-standing institutional racial inequities continue to be perpetuated in today’s systems, is well-documented. Earlier this year, Scott filed a Senate resolution condemning it.
“The far-left wants Americans to believe that our nation is inherently racist and bad. They want to discredit the values America was founded on. They’re wrong. We can’t stand by and allow ’woke’ liberals to divide our nation. Students in Florida and every state across this nation deserve better and I’m proud to lead my colleagues today in a resolution to stand up against this dangerous policy,” Scott said in a press release.
Scott was joined by Republican Sens. Mike Braun and Marsha Blackburn in that effort.
In Florida, the approach is officially banned from classrooms after a decision of the Board of Education earlier this year.
Yet the issue will clearly be live in 2022. Gov. Ron DeSantis has vowed to use critical race theory and “mandatory masking” as litmus tests in traditionally non-partisan School Board races.
On a June episode of “Unfiltered with Dan Bongino,” DeSantis vowed to turn his “political apparatus” against Republican school board candidates who oppose his educational reforms.
School board races in Florida are nonpartisan, at least nominally.
“Local elections matter. We are going to get the Florida political apparatus involved so we can make sure there’s not a single school board member who supports critical race theory,” DeSantis added.
