this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2023
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Professors from across the country have long been lured to Florida's public colleges and universities, with the educators attracted to the research opportunities, student bodies, and the warm weather.

But for a swath of liberal-leaning professors, many of them holding highly coveted tenured positions, they've felt increasingly out of place in the Sunshine State. And some of them are pointing to the conservative administration of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as the reason for their departures, according to The New York Times.

DeSantis, who was elected to the governorship in 2018 and was easily reelected last fall, has over the course of his tenure worked to put a conservative imprint on a state where moderation was once a driving force in state politics. In recent years, DeSantis has railed against the current process by which tenure is awarded, and with a largely compliant GOP-controlled legislature, he's imposed conservative education reforms across the state.

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[–] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 103 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I’m sure republicans love that since it is their goal to replace them.

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 75 points 1 year ago (3 children)

They won't. They don't want universities, because that implies more education.

What I suspect will probably happen is the universities will shrink or close, and/or lose their accreditation, further increasing their brain drain.

[–] Zron@lemmy.world 31 points 1 year ago (10 children)

What I don’t understand is why no politician who’s against this has proposed an education act under the guise of national security.

What republicans are doing with education is very dangerous. Stupid voters are easy to manipulate, which seems to be the goal, but they have to do more than vote for the other 364 days a year. Having a poorly educated population means you have less engineers designing infrastructure, less trades people building that infrastructure, less doctors to treat injured and ill people, and less skilled professionals overall. The US is largely in the economic and geopolitical position that is in due to the manufacturing and research capacity we had after WW2. For decades, the US was where people went if they wanted to be at the bleeding edge of design/research, because we had very good higher education and the skilled manufacturing to bring those designs to life. Attacking education only hastens the decline of that legacy. A few decades like this means the US will no longer be able to make the advanced military equipment used to project power across the world, or US companies not being able to find people who can maintain, improve, and innovate on products without hiring foreign contractors. If Desantis’ attacks become a national thing, they’ll be putting the US on a fast track to rapid decline and economic collapse.

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[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

It's ok, Florida's going under the water anyway. Let reasonable people while they can.

[–] Supervisor194@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (5 children)

So any way you slice it, this is not a loss for Republicans, they're getting precisely what they want here. Unintended consequences? Probably, but they're too blinded by their belief in their own superiority to be able to imagine any.

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[–] OldWoodFrame@lemm.ee 8 points 1 year ago

I have the striking feeling that 'Jews will not replace them.'

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 68 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There has never been a project in my life that I walked away from that I regretted later doing that.

Here is the delusion: you stick it out, you triumph when you should have failed, you made a difference, and people love you for it.

Here is what really happens: you stick it out until you are broken/fired, you got some wins and took some Ls, you didn't make a difference because the disaster is bigger than you are, and everyone blames you for not being good enough.

Don't mix your success with their failure. Don't be a hero to people who don't want to be rescued. If Florida is making your job hard to do the best thing you can do is head north.

[–] Clipboards@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Needed to hear these words, very applicable to my current environment. Cheers :)

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I grew up in a town of under 500 people deep in the Northern Appalachian mountains. If you work at it, it gets better. I never visit home and am upper middle class yuppy liberal atheist.

Take control of your life, move away from that crap. When you get to NYC send me a message, buy you a fancy latte or an IPA.

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[–] ares35@kbin.social 67 points 1 year ago (7 children)

the brain drain is real. the 'red' states are getting dumber and dumber, and as a result, 'redder' and 'redder'.

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[–] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 56 points 1 year ago (38 children)

Good for them. Everyone should bail on that piece of shit. Show future pieces of shit that pieces of shit won’t be tolerated.

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 53 points 1 year ago

My brother went to New College. It was a great alternative school where people like my brother, who did not do well in conventional public school, were able to thrive. DeSantis destroyed that. It's criminal.

[–] TechyDad@lemmy.world 48 points 1 year ago (10 children)

The Red State Brain Drain continues. Professors leaving Florida. OB/GYN doctors leaving Texas.

Why would you want to work in a place that criminalizes your job?

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[–] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 41 points 1 year ago (2 children)

with the educators attracted to the research opportunities, student bodies, and the warm weather.

Possibly could have phrased that better, but OK.

[–] Sparlock@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

with the educators attracted to the research opportunities, students bodies, and the warm weather.

That better?

[–] ExfilBravo@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

Yes, I think that is factual now. Thanks.

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[–] crsu@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Maybe I'm wrong but this isn't good for anyone. Brain drain on the south only bolsters the southern strategy and will hand over the electoral college to the uninformed

[–] SkybreakerEngineer@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] dhork@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The only University staff that most people care about is whoever is coaching the Gators or the Seminoles.

[–] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 38 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Florida > Highest paid public employee: Dan Mullen; University of Florida football coach > Annual salary: $6,070,000 > 2nd highest paid public employee: Willie Taggart; Florida Atlantic University football coach > Annual salary: $5,000,000 > 3rd highest paid public employee: Josh Heupel; University of Central Florida football coach

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago (8 children)

Holy fuck. Almost every state. Red state or blue state, doesn't matter. Almost always the football coaches. Meanwhile, the person running the booth at the DMV takes home what, $20 an hour maybe?

[–] root_beer@midwest.social 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Haha, about twenty years ago, I was working at a Honda dealership as a lot rat, bringing a used car in for an emissions check; there was a sign at the facility saying they were hiring, for competitive wages. I asked what they were paying, and the tech took a long drag on her cigarette and mumbled, “Minimum.”

So the DMV clerk is probably not even making $20.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

I don't know what DMV clerks make, but in general, low-end government jobs pay somewhat better than low-end jobs in other fields. They also usually come with at least decent, if not good, health insurance.

So in that sense, even the worst job at the DMV is better than a lot of other jobs. But they still should be better paid, as should we all, and that certainly makes paying a football coach millions of dollars a year hard to justify. The "football makes lots of money" argument doesn't wash for me. Not even for sports. I'm in Indiana. Basketball coaches should be the top paid sports coach positions if this is solely about making money. But it's still football coaches. I can tell you as a former IU student who also grew up in Bloomington that IU basketball is much bigger than IU football. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure back in the 80s, Bob Knight wasn't the highest-paid public employee despite being one of the most recognized coaches in the country.

But I don't think any sports coach should be the highest paid public employee, so that's sort of moot.

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[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I get why they're doing it,
But what exactly do they think is going to happen when those highly coveted positions get filled by people complacent or supportive of DeSantis' agenda?

[–] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 57 points 1 year ago

The university system in Florida will get worse? Why should professors feel obligated to try to save Florida's higher ed system?

[–] HWK_290@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I mean, to the professors themselves? Nothing. To the university system? Arguably, what the people of Florida want and deserve

It's nice to say one would stay on principle and try and change things /fight back, but in reality, it's a huge emotional and professional drain, especially on families. I've personally drawn a line at applying for positions in Florida

That said, I've got a number of friends who work as professors in Florida and they haven't given any indication this affects them, or they're even remotely interested in leaving. Professors have high mobility and move often, especially if they have a competing (better) offer. The turnover rate only increased by 2% in the last year, according to the article...

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Arguably, what the people of Florida want and deserve

Try considering the polling places per capita of blue versus red counties and several other kinds of voter suppression before you go victim blaming millions of people.

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[–] Mossmouse@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

Do you think they should stay in a hostile work environment dealing with reform policies they disagree with but have no power to change? If you get why they are leaving, what else is there for them to do? It's not a protest, it's people choosing to leave jobs they are no longer happy doing under the circumstances forced upon them.

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[–] randon31415@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago

The silver-lining in Florida becoming solid red is that maybe - just maybe - we see an end to the Cuba embargo. But democrats will loose a critical Florida voting block! And? Like having the anti-Cubans on our side will help us take Florida anymore.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 12 points 1 year ago

Good old Florida. Who needs fancy-pants professors when you've got a gater on a leash?

[–] chakan2@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

It's not a bug, it's a feature according to Republicans.

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