Contact:
Robert Cassanello, UFF President, [email protected]

“Who Decides What we Teach? Sociology and the Politics of Curriculum”

When a Florida Board of Governors work group produced a censored version of an Introduction to Sociology textbook, the United Faculty of Florida decided to step in to affirm the importance of teaching according to disciplinary expertise.

Join the United Faculty of Florida and former American Sociological Association presidents Ruth Milkman and Aldon Morris for a conversation about what is at stake when the state seeks to dictate academic curriculum. Learn how faculty, students, and community members can organize to fight back! Download a flyer for the event here and post it on your social media and share it with your colleagues.

Join the United Faculty of Florida on Wednesday, February 18^th at 6:00pm EST to attend this virtual event.

Register for this Zoom Webinar Here

From InsideHigherEd

“ [Students] will be getting a sociology text, a sociology course without a soul…“It’s been scraped out. It is a sanitized version of the course.” Matthew Marr, Associate Professor of Sociology at FIU

“This is a completely opaque process…They know they have their pants down and if they put themselves under any kind of scrutiny the justification and rationale for all of this will collapse. They’re doing their best to keep all of this out of the sunshine.” Robert Cassanello, President of the United Faculty of Florida

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Labor Movement v. Fascism: Worker Organizers & Labor Educators Are Under Attack via
Laura Flanders & Friends Podcast @lauraflandersandfriends  

FEA and UFF Oppose Politically Driven State Accreditor in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (June 26, 2025) – The Florida Education Association (FEA) and the United Faculty of Florida (UFF), representing educators, faculty, and graduate assistants statewide, strongly oppose the state’s creation of a politically driven accreditor for public colleges and universities. 

This move directly threatens the independence, integrity, and academic credibility of the state’s higher education system. By allowing political interference into the accreditation process, the state will continue to erode faculty voice, chill academic freedom, and further politicize hiring, curriculum, and tenure decisions. It sets a dangerous precedent that could fragment national accreditation standards, damage Florida’s academic reputation, and jeopardize our students’ futures, including their federal aid eligibility and degree recognition. 

“Accreditation matters because it’s the backbone of academic freedom, shared governance, and public trust in the quality of our institutions,” said Teresa M. Hodge, President of the United Faculty of Florida. “This proposed state accreditor appears designed to align more with political priorities rather than academic independence. It seems to be the state’s latest attempt to exert top-down control over what faculty can teach and what students are allowed to learn. Our communities don’t need more politics in our education systems—we need systems that are focused on the growth of our students and not on the political whims of whoever is in charge. It is critical that accreditation remain independent of political interference, grounded in academic standards and peer review, as well as transparent and inclusive of shared governance principles.” 

The implications don’t end at higher education. A shift in accreditation standards will also impact Florida’s Pre-K-12 system in the form of teacher preparation programs at public colleges and universities, certification requirements, and even access to the profession.  

“Time and time again, we’ve seen political agendas take priority over sound education policy,” said Andrew Spar, President of the Florida Education Association. “The creation of this state accreditor could derail the very programs we rely on to train and prepare educators at a time when Florida faces a critical teacher and staff shortage. Even dual enrollment offerings for students could be disrupted. Students learn best when they’re free to learn and educators are free to teach—not when curriculum decisions are dictated by politics.” 

FEA and UFF call for accreditation processes that remain true to their purpose: Independent of political interference, grounded in academic standards and peer review, and inclusive of shared governance. Florida’s students, educators, and communities deserve nothing less. 

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The Florida Education Association is the state’s largest association of professional employees, with 120,000 members. FEA represents PreK-12 teachers, higher education faculty, educational staff professionals, students at our colleges and universities preparing to become teachers and retired education employees. The United Faculty of Florida represents over 25,000 faculty at all 12 public universities, 15 colleges and Saint Leo University, along with graduate assistants at four universities.

This is an incredibly prestigious honor given by NEA, recognizing one higher educator nationwide for their extraordinary leadership, impact, and unwavering commitment to advancing higher education and union values. Teresa’s tireless advocacy for academic freedom, faculty rights, and public higher education in Florida has not only strengthened UFF — it has elevated our entire movement on a national stage.

This recognition is a powerful reflection of the courageous, strategic, and justice-centered work Teresa leads every day — and of the collective power we are building together in one of the most challenging environments for higher ed in the country.

Please join us in congratulating President Hodge on this well-deserved honor. Her leadership inspires us all — and we’re proud to celebrate this moment with her!

NEA NEWS Five Things to Know About the 2025 NEA Higher Educator of the Year

For her innovative, student-focused approach as an educator, plus her warmth and fierce advocacy as a union leader, Florida’s Teresa M. Hodge is this year’s honoree.

Teresa M. Hodge—an innovative Florida math professor and dedicated unionist who has served in almost every possible local and state union role—has been named the 2025 NEA Higher Educator of the Year. The $10,000 award, funded by the NEA Foundation and awarded annually to an outstanding educator and advocate, will be presented to Hodge at the NEA Representative Assembly in Portland, Ore., in early July. 

“What sets Teresa apart is not just her impressive resume, but her unwavering commitment to justice and equity,” wrote Adela Ghadimi, the executive director of the United Faculty of Florida (UFF), in recommending Hodge for the award. “Whether she is leading bargaining efforts, defending faculty rights through grievances and arbitrations, or mentoring emerging union leaders, she brings an unmatched level of expertise, integrity, and passion… She is a trailblazer, a fighter, and a role model.”

“Teresa doesn’t just talk about change—she makes change happen.”

Hodge, who is UFF’s statewide president, recently sat down with NEA Today to talk about her earliest memories of labor activism; her journey from the U.S. Virgin Islands to a historically Black university in Virginia; her love of math, music, and especially of union organizing; and even her dedication to animal rescue. (She’s a cat person!) Here are a few things to know about Hodge, the seventh person to receive NEA’s award as Higher Educator of the Year.  

Florida’s higher education system has consistently been ranked as the best in the nation, demonstrating exemplary outcomes, excellent efficiency, and widespread student success. Our universities are world-renowned hubs of research, innovation, and educational excellence, directly contributing to the state’s economy and national prominence.

The DOGE team’s intrusive demands—detailing budgets, staffing, academic courses, facilities, research centers, and particularly the progress on shuttering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives—clearly signals a politically motivated move to undermine academic autonomy, faculty rights, and institutional integrity. These programs, often misunderstood by political interests, are essential for fostering an environment of inclusion, innovation, and competitive academic inquiry, benefiting students and the broader Florida community alike.

This initiative, under the guise of efficiency, places an unnecessary and potentially detrimental administrative burden on university and college leadership, diverting critical resources from their core educational missions. Moreover, it unjustly infringes upon academic freedom and institutional independence, qualities integral to the long-standing success and national recognition of Florida’s higher education system. 

If Governor DeSantis and his administration are serious about efficiency, they should start by ensuring our colleges and universities are properly funded to attract and retain world-class faculty, maintain academic excellence, and serve the needs of students across all disciplines. Rather than being recognized as vital engines of economic growth and innovation, our higher education institutions have been treated as an expense to be minimized. We believe they are an investment to be protected.

UFF firmly believes in accountability and transparency. However, we strongly oppose politically charged campaigns thinly disguised as efficiency audits, particularly those that aim to suppress academic freedoms and inclusivity programs. Real accountability means providing faculty, students, and staff the resources and support to continue delivering exceptional education, not enforcing compliance with ideologically driven mandates.

Only by safeguarding these values can we maintain our position as the nation’s leading higher education system and continue to effectively serve the students and communities of Florida.  Together, we can push back. Together, we can defend democracy.  Together, we will defend the dignity of our profession and the integrity of our institutions.

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The United Faculty of Florida represents over 25,000 faculty at all 12 public universities, 15 colleges and Saint Leo University, along with graduate assistants at four universities.

United Faculty of Florida Statement in Response to Governor DeSantis’ DOGE Initiative

Our campuses must be institutions of learning, critical inquiry, and inclusion—not instruments of surveillance and state-sponsored oppression. The presence and involvement of ICE on our campuses sows fear among students, staff, and faculty, particularly those from immigrant, undocumented, or international communities. It undermines the very mission of our higher education system: to foster open dialogue, intellectual freedom, and the free exchange of ideas across borders and identities.

These ICE partnerships are not merely administrative decisions—they are part of a broader pattern of authoritarian overreach and political repression targeting Florida’s public institutions. They are a chilling message to our most vulnerable communities and a direct assault on academic freedom, shared governance, and the right of every member of our campus communities to feel safe, supported, and free from intimidation.

UFF stands in solidarity with all students, faculty, and staff impacted by these harmful collaborations. We affirm our commitment to defending the integrity of Florida’s colleges and universities against policies that criminalize identity, silence dissent, and prioritize surveillance over safety.

We call on university administrations to immediately disclose the terms of any agreements with ICE or similar agencies and to terminate any partnerships that compromise the wellbeing and trust of our campus communities.

Higher education should be a beacon of democratic practice—not a pipeline to deportation. Voicing opposition to our democracy is not a crime, and violations to free speech are not going to be tolerated on our campuses, where so many movements have begun. 

In the face of fear, we organize. In the face of repression, we resist. UFF will continue to fight for a Florida where all people—regardless of immigration status—can teach, learn, and live with dignity.

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The United Faculty of Florida represents over 25,000 faculty at all 12 public universities, 15 colleges and Saint Leo University, along with graduate assistants at four universities.

Statement from the United Faculty of Florida on ICE Partnerships in the State University System