Erika Donalds has long been a proponent of school choice and parental empowerment, and she hopes to see Florida move further in that direction now and under its next Governor — a job her husband, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, is well-positioned to take.

“My dream for Florida and actually for the whole nation is that every dollar that is spent on education is parent-directed, and I think we’re the closest state in the country doing that,” she told Florida Politics.

“I think we’re going to get closer every year between now and the next governorship, and hopefully the next Governor will continue that trajectory. But that’s where we need to end up to break the monopoly and give every single parent the ability to make the choice. Even if it’s a public school, even if they’re choosing a private school, they’re making that active decision. And that puts the ownership on the parents as well to decide what’s best for their children and not just the default option.”

Erika Donalds’ comments came Tuesday following an afternoon roundtable with U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon at the Kendall campus of True North Classical Academy, a charter school network in Miami-Dade County.

Other participants included, among others, Florida International University Interim President and former Lt. Gov. Jeantte Nuñez, Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega, Miami-Dade School Board member Monical Colucci, charter school magnate Fernando Zuleta and former state Rep. Michael Bileca, True North’s CEO.

Donalds, an education entrepreneur and former Collier County School Board member who in January took over as Chair of the Center for Education Opportunity, advised people to “be on the lookout” for guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) on further empowering parents in the coming days.

“I support anything that puts the power in the hands of parents and even into the community itself,” she said.

McMahon, whom President Donald Trump has tasked with shuttering USDOE, said one of her goals for the agency before closing it is to “leave best practices in place to provide states with the right tools” to take over more education administration duties in its absence.

That includes backing more student vouchers and public, charter, private and alternative school options. McMahon said she and Trump are both “strong proponents” of school choice, but the federal government’s role in expanding it will be limited.

Both Byron and Erika Donalds are outspoken supporters of killing USDOE. The Congressman has cosponsored legislation to abolish the Department and provide funding directly to states for primary and secondary education. Erika Donalds’ X page features multiple posts calling for its dismantling.

In one such post, Donalds displayed an image stating that “7 in 10 American fourth graders are NOT proficient readers.” That assertion tracks with findings from the National Assessment Governing Board and the National Center for Education Statistics, the primary statistical agency of USDOE.

U.S. Rep. Donalds is the presumptive front-runner in the 2026 Republican Primary for Governor. Internal polling released this month shows that after learning Trump has endorsed him, Donalds held a nearly 2 to 1 lead over First Lady Casey DeSantis in a head-to-head race.

Other GOP notables rumored or confirmed to be mulling a gubernatorial bid include Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and former Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward.

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The Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee was the first Senate panel to approve Sen. Tom Leek’s measure (SB 1678) which would defend Israel against its opponents in schools and non-governmental agencies.

That bill suggests anti-Israeli actions undertaken by “an educational institution, a nonprofit organization, an agency, a local governmental entity or unit thereof, or a foreign government” amount to an “academic boycott.”

It urges cessation of state contracts and grants with those entities on the wrong side of the ideological conflict if they don’t change their ways.

These entities would have 90 days to correct their noncompliance and be removed from what would be called the Scrutinized Companies or Other Entities that Boycott Israel List under this proposal. Otherwise, the state would divest itself of contracts with them.

Even before Leek could speak, a member of the crowd called the bill “f****** b*******.” She was immediately excused from the room.

A delete all amendment clarified that public funds, such as the State Board of Administration or State University System, cannot invest in these companies. Additionally, it requires that Arts and Culture grants not go to support antisemitic work.

The bill would also target agreements, like foreign exchange programs, with foreign universities deemed to be supporting antisemitism.

Members of the public complained about the legislation, saying it restricted “academic freedom” and offered support to an Israeli regime they find objectionable.

However, others said the bill was necessary.

Miami Beach City Commissioner David Suarez noted the Boycott Divestment and Sanction movement was targeting cities like his, and the legislation was a way to counter “hateful campaigns from a noisy minority.”

Chair Randy Fine hailed Leek for carrying the bill, saying he’d worried about leaving Tallahassee and having no one carry this kind of legislation,

Leek’s bill has two more committee references.

Rep. Hillary Cassel’s bill (HB 1519) the companion legislation, also has two stops in the House. But it has yet to have a committee hearing.

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