TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s largest teachers union is forcefully pushing back after state education leaders accused it of encouraging student walkouts tied to protests over immigration enforcement.
Students across Florida have recently been stepping outside classrooms to protest the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies. Districts from Palm Beach to Tampa to Tallahasseeincluded. One student saying, “At this point, it’s not about politics — it’s about humanity.”
But state leaders say the Florida Education Association crossed a line. Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas criticized the union after a February press conference where a student activist described the protests as justified.
“The teachers union, had a press conference where there was a speaker,” said the Commissioner this week. “The speaker gets up and talks about the protests that are taking place across the nation, and says that they are rational, that they are reasonable, and that they are required— [it] jarred parents across the country. Immediate backlash.”
The union’s president, Andrew Spar, is now forcefully rejecting those claims.
“We have never encouraged or organized students to walk out of class in protest,” said Spar, Wednesday. I don’t know of any educators that have and there’s no evidence to show otherwise.”
The controversy stems from a Feb. 5 Florida Education Association press conference, where student activist Zander Moricz defended the demonstrations.
“That response, while framed by some politicians as radical, is rather reasonable,” he said. “It’s rational, and in a moment like this, it is required.”
“This is the United States of America,” Moricz continued. “You do not shed your First Amendment rights when you step foot through the schoolhouse gates. And, as long as you do not cause material disruption or harm on campus, the law protects your right to speak out, to dissent, and to stand in solidarity.”
That remarks drew swift backlash from conservatives, who argue the union is inserting itself into political disputes instead of focusing on education. Spar, however, says the criticism is misleading and part of a broader political effort aimed at weakening unions.
“They’re trying to use that as a way to pass legislation that— you heard from everyone here— we’re worried will harm working people in the state of Florida, not just educators,” said Spar in the virtual press conference.
Despite the controversy, student protests in Tallahassee and elsewhere have remained peaceful. Some happening during lunch and with parental permission.
Still, state leaders are escalating their response. The education commissioner is now urging parents to report any evidence of schools or educators encouraging student demonstrations.
Meanwhile, legislation that would impose new transparency requirements and make it harder for unions to remain certified continues advancing in the Florida Legislature. It’s likely setting up a broader clash between education officials and organized labor in session’s remaining weeks.
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