A full-time substitute teacher was abruptly fired last week after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis complained about a video of empty bookshelves that the teacher posted to social media. The teacher, Brian Covey, posted the video on Twitter three weeks earlier, on January 27. In an interview with Popular Information, Covey said administrators at Mandarin Middle School in Duval County were aware he posted the video, which attracted millions of views, but never indicated it was a problem. Covey had worked as a full-time substitute teacher since early October 2022. According to Covey, he had recently been praised in a staff meeting by the school principal for bringing order and stability to a previously unruly class of math students.
Republicans have been campaigning on the “Democrats are socialists and communists” platform. Isn’t the island nation of Cuba where books and free speech are banned; homosexuality is a crime; the school curriculum is tightly controlled to conform to party propaganda; and the only print and broadcast media allowed to operate are state-run?
Wake up America: DeSantis wants to be the next president of the United States. The only difference between DeSantis and the Cuban government is the White Christian Nationalist theology DeSantis subscribes to, supported by the plutocracy. The modis operandi is the same.
49 other states are looking for people brave enough to stand up in front of a room full of children with the intent to educate. Florida may train teachers, but they should really look outside of Desantistan for places they’d be welcome.
I wish I was a bit younger and licensed as a lawyer in FL--I would take this case on pro bono, including suing the state and employer for wrongful termination, and suing DeSantis for defamation (for saying it was a false narrative). I hope Covey will find a talented attorney who will take this high profile case on for free.
As a retired public school teacher, the detail that there are only 54 media specialists for 200 schools tells you all you need to know about Florida’s support of its schools. Maybe if the governor wasn’t so busy with his culture wars and presidential run, he could marshall more funding for his schools. What a pathetic leader he is. History will not treat him kindly, I predict.
If it's true that "Power is the ability to determine what is the issue," then this investigation is easily more powerful than the fascist governor of Florida.
Does DeSatan (er, Santis) really think that a monolithic education curated by like-minded people afraid for their own jobs is superior to a diverse one? There is always more than a single point of view, and we're better off with seeing all sides of an argument than confident in our own ignorance.
Salute to Brian Covey, who sounds like a teacher's teacher, who inspires best behavior in his classroom through true leadership. By all accounts, Covey cares for and respects his students by widening their horizons and showing by example the importance of speaking up against wrongs in a democracy. By contrast, Gov. Ron DeSantis demeans citizens through intimidation, threats and retaliation for his own interests. DeSantis is no leader. He shows contempt for democracy. Brian Covey is a hero. Thank you, Judd, for always investigating abuses of power under the radar and beyond the headlines, exemplifying the best of journalism.
I hope this report gets picked up nationally. DeSantis can't even run his state and he has presidential aspirations? Everything he's ever done is politically motivated. Florida is determined to be the dumbest state in the country. Keep removing books and only allowing these kids to read approved far-right texts. That doesn't sound authoritarian at all. I'm disgusted by these far right religious yahoo's.
I remember the big fuss about RD's patriotism and such for establishing an initiative for the "hiring of military veterans to teach AND keep safe the children!" Hahaha! I wondered what happened with that frippery and lo and behold, they got 10 teachers out of it in the whole of the state. TEN!? Sigh.
Is it just me or does it look like a systemic systems crash of everything (2008 on steroids) caused by the irrational and the greedy is pretty much the only way things will reset and maybe mankind can continue? The RW and their ilk all around the world are the ones killing the golden goose, to get more eggs.
Thank you Judd for exposing this travesty! This matter hits home with our household as my wife is a 25+ social studies/world cultures/U.S. history junior high teacher. (She's very cognizant of the fine line she needs to walk on some topics!) We are absolutely appalled with what's happening in FL. Please keep shining the light on this and hopefully the nation will deny DeSantis a larger stage come election day.
Republicans have been campaigning on the “Democrats are socialists and communists” platform. Isn’t the island nation of Cuba where books and free speech are banned; homosexuality is a crime; the school curriculum is tightly controlled to conform to party propaganda; and the only print and broadcast media allowed to operate are state-run?
Wake up America: DeSantis wants to be the next president of the United States. The only difference between DeSantis and the Cuban government is the White Christian Nationalist theology DeSantis subscribes to, supported by the plutocracy. The modis operandi is the same.
49 other states are looking for people brave enough to stand up in front of a room full of children with the intent to educate. Florida may train teachers, but they should really look outside of Desantistan for places they’d be welcome.
I wish I was a bit younger and licensed as a lawyer in FL--I would take this case on pro bono, including suing the state and employer for wrongful termination, and suing DeSantis for defamation (for saying it was a false narrative). I hope Covey will find a talented attorney who will take this high profile case on for free.
As a retired public school teacher, the detail that there are only 54 media specialists for 200 schools tells you all you need to know about Florida’s support of its schools. Maybe if the governor wasn’t so busy with his culture wars and presidential run, he could marshall more funding for his schools. What a pathetic leader he is. History will not treat him kindly, I predict.
Excellent piece, Judd. Thank you for lifting up Brian Covey, a Democracy hero. His quote at the end of your article says it all.
If it's true that "Power is the ability to determine what is the issue," then this investigation is easily more powerful than the fascist governor of Florida.
Grateful for the teacher, and for this report.
They came first for the teachers, I didn't speak up because I wasn't a teacher...
Does DeSatan (er, Santis) really think that a monolithic education curated by like-minded people afraid for their own jobs is superior to a diverse one? There is always more than a single point of view, and we're better off with seeing all sides of an argument than confident in our own ignorance.
I don't know if Brian Covey drinks, but I would buy him a drink for sticking to his principles.
Salute to Brian Covey, who sounds like a teacher's teacher, who inspires best behavior in his classroom through true leadership. By all accounts, Covey cares for and respects his students by widening their horizons and showing by example the importance of speaking up against wrongs in a democracy. By contrast, Gov. Ron DeSantis demeans citizens through intimidation, threats and retaliation for his own interests. DeSantis is no leader. He shows contempt for democracy. Brian Covey is a hero. Thank you, Judd, for always investigating abuses of power under the radar and beyond the headlines, exemplifying the best of journalism.
I hope this report gets picked up nationally. DeSantis can't even run his state and he has presidential aspirations? Everything he's ever done is politically motivated. Florida is determined to be the dumbest state in the country. Keep removing books and only allowing these kids to read approved far-right texts. That doesn't sound authoritarian at all. I'm disgusted by these far right religious yahoo's.
I remember the big fuss about RD's patriotism and such for establishing an initiative for the "hiring of military veterans to teach AND keep safe the children!" Hahaha! I wondered what happened with that frippery and lo and behold, they got 10 teachers out of it in the whole of the state. TEN!? Sigh.
Is it just me or does it look like a systemic systems crash of everything (2008 on steroids) caused by the irrational and the greedy is pretty much the only way things will reset and maybe mankind can continue? The RW and their ilk all around the world are the ones killing the golden goose, to get more eggs.
What’s next, jamming MSNBC & NPR?
Cancel Culture a is finest.
Thank you Judd for exposing this travesty! This matter hits home with our household as my wife is a 25+ social studies/world cultures/U.S. history junior high teacher. (She's very cognizant of the fine line she needs to walk on some topics!) We are absolutely appalled with what's happening in FL. Please keep shining the light on this and hopefully the nation will deny DeSantis a larger stage come election day.
This is what is going on in Florida.
Can any of you imagine what a "President" DeSantis would do???????