“I know there have been people from Brevard Public Schools who have been hired by Elon Musk at SpaceX right when they graduate,” DeSantis said. “That’s a pretty good opportunity to have.”

Factors that made Florida No. 1 in workforce education included the state’s top ranking in talent attraction for three years, a No. 1 ranking for college graduation rates for two years and No. 1 spot for education freedom for four years, DeSantis said.

In addition to Gonzalez, DeSantis was joined at the podium by Florida’s Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas and Congressman Mike Haridopolis. Also in attendance were Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Mark Rendell; School Board Chair Matt Susin; School Board Vice Chair Megan Wright; school board members Gene Trent and Katye Campbell; and Sheriff Wayne Ivey.

Vocational education makes school ‘relevant, engaging’

Over the course of the 40-minute meeting, officials praised the opportunities workforce education can provide students, highlighting Brevard Public Schools’ offerings.

“For our students, the (career and technical education) pathway has made education relevant, engaging and purposeful,” Gonzalez said, adding that Brevard has everything from training in the way of cyber security to culinary arts in the way of vocational education. “They graduate with not only a high school diploma, but with credentials, confidence and direction.”

Kamoutsas praised DeSantis for building up vocational education, crediting him for the increase in career and technical education participation.

“We heard the governor say we have more than 818,000 K12 CTE students who are not participating in our state, and almost 512 (thousand) CTE post-secondary students,” Kamoutsas said. “That’s an increase of 30% in post-secondary CTE enrollment since the beginning of this administration.”

Florida, he said, has “the most aligned, impactful and industry-driven workforce education system in the nation.”

“Thanks to Gov. DeSantis, we will continue to strengthen these pathways so that every student has access to programs that prepare them for in-demand careers with wages to support their families because of our governor’s leadership,” Kamoutsas said.

Commissioner condemns walkouts, union

Student walkouts were also briefly addressed during the meeting, with Kamoutsas thanking Rendell, Susin, Wright and Trent for taking a “strong stance” on the walkouts students organized on Feb. 6 protesting recent Immigration and Customs Enforcements actions.

“I am seeing across the nation, these walkouts that are being huge disruptions related to student safety concerns,” Kamoutsas said.

He also called out the Florida Education Association for calling the walkouts “reasonable.”

“There was no condemnation from the union,” he said. “There was no calling out the statement. In fact, they stayed silent, and it wasn’t until this weekend, where they received national backlash that now they’re having to change the narrative.”

On the Space Coast, Brevard Federation of Teachers has not made any statements related to the walkouts. Brevard students held a second protest against ICE actions on Presidents Day, a holiday.

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at fwalker@floridatoday.com. X: @_finchwalker. Instagram: @finchwalker_.