What Erika Donalds in the governor's mansion could mean for education
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Erika Donalds. Photo: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Erika Donalds knows there are few people who have as much expertise or experience as she does when it comes to education and related policy in Florida.
- A former school board member, Donalds has worked on state and federal policy, founded charter and private schools in Florida and helped further school choice laws across the country.
Why it matters: Her husband Byron Donalds' gubernatorial bid, if successful, could boost her already substantial influence when it comes to education in the state.
- Few spouses have entered the governor's mansion with a more defined track record of shaping policy.
The big picture: Florida's education system has undergone a multi-decade overhaul — starting with former Gov. Jeb Bush, who introduced school choice initiatives.
- In recent years, lawmakers have restricted what teachers can and can't talk about in the classroom, revamped curricula and given parents a more prominent role.
- But perhaps the most consequential change has been the state's universal voucher program — a policy Erika Donalds pushed for.
- Signed into law in 2023, it expanded school choice to all Florida students by eliminating financial eligibility restrictions.
State of play: When it comes to the future of the state's education landscape, Erika Donalds told Axios in a recent interview that she doesn't see the direction changing.
- "We're going [toward] more parental empowerment, more choice, more diverse options; that's going to continue to expand as we move forward," she said.
Yes, but: Academic content, like the science of reading and ensuring there's "accountability for how [teachers] are implementing [it] in our schools," hasn't gotten enough attention, she said.
- The concept says reading should be taught with an emphasis on phonics and word recognition instead of context clues or pictures.
Zoom in: Erika is a self-described AI enthusiast and says the Legislature needs to be cautious with "overstepping parental rights boundaries."
- Regulations should be implemented to ensure student safety, she said, but rulemaking shouldn't infringe on a parent's rights to make a decision about how their kids use AI "and/or, the right of private schools that parents choose to utilize tools in the way they see fit."
Meanwhile, during a roundtable event in Washington, D.C., she said teachers, including those with positive results, are the "biggest challenge" to adopting new technologies, per the Miami Herald.
Friction point: Her stance on school choice has long clashed with education advocates who argue policies she's backed (like universal choice) have harmed public schools by diverting money to private institutions.
What they're saying: "How much bigger can [her influence] get? She's responsible for the moving forward of not just the DeSantis education plan but the Trump education plan. She's a messenger for the privatization of schools," Sue Woltanski, Monroe County School Board member, told Axios.
- "But should she have to give up her work? I don't think she has to."
The bottom line: "I anticipate that I will continue to do a lot of the work that I've been doing for the past 10-15 years in education, and certainly [will be] involved in major policy discussions around education."
- "I would be doing that whether I'm first lady or not."