Florida approves new higher education accreditor

• Plus, the approval could help push the administration's conservative approach to education and dictate what classes can or can't be offered.

The big picture: If the federal government approves the new accreditor, the Commission for Public Higher Education, it could pave the way for other states to create their own accreditation system and allow for more politics in education.

• Five other university systems, in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Tennessee, have also signed on, according to plans.

Zoom in: The state is allocating $4 million for the program, CPHE's plan shows.

Between the lines: The new accreditor would be an alternative to the one overseeing the state's public institutions: the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which has clashed with the DeSantis administration.

Flashback: DeSantis has for years lamented the current accreditor, saying it had a bias toward progressive politics. In his announcement, he referred to existing models as the "woke accreditation cartels."

• In 2022, he signed a law mandating the state university system to pursue "alternatives to the monopolized accrediting system" and switch accreditors after five years.