Ron DeSantis utterly destroyed woke accreditation cartels with this game-changing victory

The education establishment has been pushing their radical agenda on colleges for decades.

But one governor finally said “enough is enough” and took decisive action.

And Ron DeSantis utterly destroyed woke accreditation cartels with this game-changing victory.

DeSantis leads six-state coalition against woke higher education

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis scored a massive victory against the woke higher education establishment when Florida’s Board of Governors approved the creation of the Commission for Public Higher Education on July 11.

The groundbreaking initiative brings together six southern states – Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee – in a coordinated effort to break free from what DeSantis calls “woke accreditation cartels.”

“The Commission for Public Higher Education is a consortium of six public university systems that are committed to streamlining accreditation standards and prioritizing student outcomes,” a spokesperson for the board told Fox News Digital.¹

This isn’t just another bureaucratic reshuffling.

It’s a direct assault on the leftist stranglehold that’s been choking American higher education for years.

The Commission will create a “first-of-its-kind accreditation model for public higher education institutions that will offer high-quality, efficient services prioritizing academic excellence, student outcomes and achievement.”²

The accreditation cartel’s dirty secret exposed

DeSantis didn’t mince words when he explained exactly what’s been happening behind closed doors at America’s universities.

Speaking at a press conference at Florida Atlantic University, DeSantis revealed how the current accreditation system has become a weapon against conservative states trying to clean up their education systems.

“The accreditors are telling them they have to do these things,” DeSantis said. “So, when we said, ‘No DEI,’ the accreditors are telling these universities, ‘No, no, no, you’re not going to get accredited unless you do DEI.’ Who the heck are they to say what our universities have to do? They’re telling them they can’t follow state law? Are you kidding me? Nobody elected them to make that judgment at all.”³

That’s the smoking gun right there.

Unelected bureaucrats in accreditation organizations have been holding universities hostage, forcing them to adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion programs even when state law explicitly prohibits such discriminatory practices.

“What we’ve seen develop is an accreditation cartel and the accreditors by-and-large are all singing from the same sheet of music, and it’s not what the state of Florida wants to see reflected in its universities in many different respects,” DeSantis continued.⁴

Trump administration backing the fight

This victory didn’t happen in a vacuum.

President Donald Trump laid the groundwork for this breakthrough when he issued an executive order in April calling for accountability and reform to the accreditation process in higher education.

Trump’s order specifically targeted accrediting bodies that have “abused their enormous authority” by compelling the “adoption of discriminatory ideology, rather than on student outcomes” in order to access federal aid.⁵

The executive order also cited accredited institutions offering “undergraduate and graduate programs with a negative return on investment” – a direct shot at the bloated, useless degree programs that have left millions of students drowning in debt with worthless credentials.⁶

DeSantis said the members of the new accrediting body have been working directly with the Department of Education to expedite the process of acquiring approval from the federal government.

“The Business Plan provides the mission and goals of CPHE and outlines the upcoming work for the entity to receive approval as a recognized institutional accreditor from the U.S. Department of Education,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.⁷

The establishment fights back

As expected, the education establishment and their union allies are throwing a tantrum over DeSantis’s bold move.

The Florida Education Association and United Faculty of Florida released a joint statement “strongly opposing” the move that they believe “directly threatens the independence, integrity, and academic credibility of the state’s higher education system.”⁸

Their response is classic leftist projection.

They’re claiming this threatens “academic freedom” when the current system has been systematically destroying academic freedom for decades by forcing universities to adopt radical ideologies.

“Accreditation matters because it’s the backbone of academic freedom, shared governance, and public trust in the quality of our institutions,” UFF President Teresa M. Hodge said, adding that the proposed accreditor “appears designed to align more with political priorities rather than academic independence.”⁹

What Hodge won’t admit is that the current accreditation system is already completely aligned with political priorities – just leftist ones.

The path forward

The new Commission still faces a two-year approval process with the U.S. Department of Education, but Trump’s executive order could speed things up significantly.

Florida’s Board of Governors has already approved $4 million toward the agency, showing they’re serious about making this happen.

State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues made it clear what the real goal is: getting politics out of accreditation entirely.

“We’re not looking to create an accreditor that removes left-wing ideology and replaces it with right-wing ideology,” Rodrigues said. “The point of this is to have an accreditor that’s not involved in ideology at all but is completely focused on academic excellence and quality education.”¹⁰

Universities should be teaching students useful skills, not pushing political agendas.

But that’s been impossible under the old system where accreditors held all the cards.

A model for the nation

The Florida governor just pulled off something most politicians only talk about – he actually fought the education establishment and won.

Six states working together creates real leverage against the accreditation monopoly.

What started as a Florida problem is now becoming a regional solution that could spread nationwide.

For years, universities have been stuck in an impossible position – follow state law or lose accreditation.

But under the new guidance, schools will get judged on how well they’re preparing students for careers.

If successful, this could be the beginning of the end for the woke stranglehold on American higher education.

Other conservative states are watching closely, and don’t be surprised if this six-state coalition grows rapidly once the Department of Education gives its approval.

The education establishment knows what’s at stake here – that’s why they’re fighting so hard against it.

DeSantis isn’t the type to back down when he knows he’s right.

And this fight against the accreditation cartel shows exactly why Florida voters keep supporting him.

And this victory against the woke accreditation cartels could be his biggest win yet in the battle to reclaim American education from the radical left.

¹ Fox News Digital, “DeSantis wins against ‘woke’ accreditation in push to overhaul higher education,” July 14, 2025.

² Ibid.

³ Ibid.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Ibid.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Florida Phoenix, “Despite questions from Board of Governors, DeSantis-driven accrediting agency moves forward,” July 12, 2025.

⁹ Ibid.

¹⁰ Ibid.