Is Liberty University Coming to A Florida School District Near you?

Tomorrow, November 19, 2024, school boards across Florida will be swearing in their new members and electing new chairs. Expect recently “flipped” school boards (gratefully there are not many of those this year) to hit the ground running.

Martin County school board was not flipped. They have been solidly conservative for quite some time. The founder of Moms for Liberty Martin now serves on the school board, as do a few of her friends who all attend the same church, Revive Church in Stuart, FL. I understand Revive Chuch has been reported to the IRS for holding partisan political events at the church and promoting candidates during campaign season. For the record, no one seems to be shocked about this in Florida and, as far as I can tell, the IRS never investigated.

Tomorrow night, the Martin County school board will be voting to approve a school affiliation agreement with Liberty University, to allow placement of Liberty students as student teachers/interns in Martin County Public Schools.

Liberty University is the private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, founded by Rev. Jerry Falwell. Liberty University’s Mission is to Train Champions for Christ with the values, knowledge, and skills essential for impacting tomorrow’s world. Liberty University DOES NOT appear on the Florida Department of Education’s current list of State-Approved Educator Preparation Programs.

Will any of this stop the Martin County School Boards from approving a student teacher program for Liberty students? Probably not, but local parents should be aware and asking why their public schools are pursuing this effort.

Other districts, watch for similar affiliation agreements in your board agendas.