Education Commissioner Henry Mack spent part of Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting trying to set the record straight on the department’s initiative to re-write science standards for public schools.

The standards, which have not been updated since 2008, are undergoing public review. A stop on a “listening tour” for the standards is scheduled for the end of the month in Orange County.

“Our goal has always been straightforward. Develop standards that are clear, that are rigorous, that are grounded in the scientific method, that value evidence and rationality above ideology,” Mack said.

“We don’t want, again, to allow in our standards any kind of ideology. We want to equip students with the ability to think deliberately, dispassionately, objectively about the natural order and how in the natural order we can ferret out or unearth truth,” Mack said.

The department held a virtual public discussion Sept. 30. The day before, it hosted another event in Hillsborough County. The effort is labeled by the department as “a comprehensive rewrite.” Earlier this month, the department hosted a discussion in Walton County. 

Mack, who holds a master’s degree in philosophy, said he does not want “scientism.”

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Florida’s education officials approved new artificial intelligence regulations for public schools Wednesday, giving the state one of the more parent-centered policies in the country amid Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to restrict the technology.

Starting in July, Florida school districts and charter schools must notify parents about any AI learning tools deployed in the classroom and give them the opportunity to opt their children into using them — a distinct difference compared to policies in other states. Unanimously approved by the state Board of Education, the new rule is a breakthrough for DeSantis, who is one of the loudest GOP voices calling for AI guardrails yet has been frustrated by inaction from Florida’s Republican-led Legislature.

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Florida, for the fifth consecutive year, ranks No. 1 in overall academic freedom, according to The Heritage Foundation’s 2026 Education Freedom Report Card.

The report ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on five criteria: school choice programs, teacher freedom, academic transparency, return on investment of the state’s education spending, and civics education.

Florida was followed by Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, and Iowa. The last, notably, jumped from 44th to eighth in civics education this past year.

The worst-performing states were Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine, with this being Maine’s second year at the bottom.

In individual categories, Florida ranked No. 1 in both school choice and transparency, Arizona ranked No. 1 in teacher freedom, Idaho ranked No. 1 in return on state investment, and Louisiana ranked No. 1 in civics education.

Civics education has become a national concern as a 2026 report claims only 22% of eighth grade students have a proficient understanding of U.S. history.

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David Jolly wants private schools that take Florida scholarships to operate under public school rules: the same mandates, the same required services, a cap on tuition, and a means test that would push families off the program. His approach undermines the very basis of school choice.

Jolly’s first error is that he wants every scholarship student to take the same state exam. One test for every school means one curriculum for every school — that’s the opposite of choice. Students who receive Florida scholarships are already required to take either the state exam or another nationally recognized test, and those scores are reported to families and to the state.

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