Democrat David Jolly laid out his plans to revive public education if he is elected governor of Florida during a visit on Saturday to Sarasota, where voters just chose a new direction for the school board.
School board member Tom Edwards opened the event attended by hundreds of people, many wearing T-shirts that proclaimed support for public schools.
"Over the past six years, Sarasota County has lived through some of the most divisive culture war battles. Yet, through it all, people organized, people showed up, and people spoke out," Edward’s said.
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Sarasota voters elected two new members of the school board in August, Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry, who defeated conservative challengers, flipping the school board.
A third candidate, Jimmy Glover, is in a run-off for the last open seat on the five-member board.
"We got a renaissance in public education that's happening right here, right now, and we need people at the top who prioritize public education. And guess what? There's a guy I know," said Glover, as he introduced Jolly.
A longtime Republican who became an independent and more recently, a Democrat, Jolly is a 53-year-old father of two children, age 5 and 7.
"I don't think the problem in politics are people who change. I think the problem are people who won't change," Jolly said. "Because it's the old tired ideologies that have led us into a moment of crisis."
He spoke of his hopes for a Florida that this generation of children will inherit.
ALSO READ: How Sarasota youth helped flip a conservative school board
"We're going to elect leaders to start a renaissance in public education, so that every one of Florida's families want to rush into our public schools again, recognizing that still today, despite all of the challenges and the defunding, the greatest access to excellence in academics, the trades, the arts are in our public schools, not in our choice schools," Jolly said.
"Let teachers teach. Bring back the books. Bring back all of history, not just the favorite parts of Ron DeSantis," said Jolly, in reference to restrictions on teaching Black history and increased vetting of library and classroom books that have dominated headlines during DeSantis's two terms as governor.
Jolly laid out some of the key aspects of his education platform, including a 30% pay increase for teachers. Florida's teachers currently rank at the bottom of the nation for pay.
He says he'd pay for that — and a major re-investment in public schools over the next decade — using some of the $1 billion collected by the state's tourist development tax each year.
"We currently require ourselves to use tourism dollars for more tourism, to build convention centers, to invest or or sponsor the great exhibits or advertise in Chicago in January," Jolly told reporters after the rally.
"I just don't think we have a crisis in convention centers. I think we have a crisis in public education, and so I do think we should have a statewide conversation about how we use tourist development tax dollars."
"I believe it would require a constitutional amendment in '28. I would love to have the legislature fully come along with it. I'm not sure that's where the politics are," he added.
As to higher education, Jolly said he wants subject matter experts leading the way, not political appointees, and a renewed focus on diversity.
"Done are the days of politicians failing up into the presidencies of our state colleges and universities," said Jolly. "The policy outcomes in our state are better when we include diverse leadership and diverse voices and diverse lived experiences."
Afterward, Glover said he found Jolly's talk inspirational.
"It's really great to see that we have a potential governor who really values public education," said Glover, who if elected would be the first Black member of the Sarasota school board.
WUSF reached out to Byron Donalds to see if any campaign visits are planned to Sarasota but did not hear back. His running mate, state senator Bryan Avila, talked to a group of Republicans last month in Sarasota, and Donalds' wife Erika is scheduled to visit Lakewood Ranch on Monday.
