Gov. Ron DeSantis used the Buckley Institute platform to recap education policies his administration has pursued and to argue they have produced better outcomes.

He said Florida has "universal school choice," with parents able to send children to the school of their choice and students eligible for scholarships for private schools. "Every single parent in Florida can send their kid where...and they get money for scholarships if it's private," he said.

On higher education, DeSantis stated Florida removed DEI programs from public universities and instituted mandatory reviews of tenured faculty every five years, with the possibility of termination for poor performance. He cited New College as an example where board changes and leadership turnover shifted the school’s direction and enrollment and test scores improved.

DeSantis also described expanding civics requirements and investing in speech-and-debate programs, noting one prize was named after Charlie Kirk and accompanied by a $50,000 scholarship. He framed these steps as restoring institutional priorities and countering what he described as left-leaning indoctrination.

The governor's remarks presented policy actions and claimed results in student enrollment and performance; the speech did not provide independent evidence for performance metrics. Many of the education claims were framed as the governor's accomplishments and assertions rather than independently corroborated findings.