On November 14, days after Moms for Liberty saw resounding defeat among its endorsed candidates in high-profile races in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and elsewhere, Moms for Liberty-backed candidate Monica Colucci was elected vice chair of the Miami-Dade County School Board.
Both Colucci and Maria Teresa Rojas, who was re-elected chair, won via a 5-4 vote by the board.
"Humbled and honored to have been elected as the vice chair of the School Board," Colucci said. "It is a privilege to be entrusted with such a role. I am committed to continue working alongside my colleagues to improve education and ensure a brighter future for our students."
Their victories once again reflect a conservative majority on the board.Humbled and honored to have been elected as the Vice Chair of the School Board of @MDCPS.
— Monica Colucci (@MonicaColucciD8) November 14, 2023
It is a privilege to be entrusted with such a role. I am committed to continue working alongside my colleagues to improve education and ensure a brighter future for our students. pic.twitter.com/p0GydEsC5N
In November 2022, Colucci was elected to represent the school board's District 8 as a DeSantis-endorsed candidate who pledged to prioritize "parental rights" and stamp out "socialist curriculums and ideologies in our schools." She won following an endorsement from the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a group that has led a nationwide culture-war crusade by spearheading the drive for school book removals and campaigning against critical race theory.
In a June 2022 Instagram post, the Miami chapter of Moms for Liberty (@momsforlibertymiami) endorsed Colucci for the District 8 seat.
"Change is upon us," the caption reads. "Please vote for these conservative candidates who will fight for the kids and for our parental rights."
Following Colucci's win in August 2022, Moms for Liberty announced the victory on social media.
"Miami Dade County School Board now has a conservative majority! Congratulations Moms for Liberty-endorsed candidates Monica Colucci & Robert Alonso! #YearoftheParent," the post reads.
Founded by former Florida school board members Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, Moms for Liberty has grown into a prominent force in Christian conservative spheres and education politics in the two years since its formation. A Brookings Institute study found that candidates backed by Moms for Liberty won 45 percent of sampled school board contests in the 2022 election cycle. (Researchers noted it was difficult to discern whether the victories were directly attributable to the group's endorsement.)
The Southern Poverty Law Center recently included Moms for Liberty on its list of extremist groups, saying the organization opposes "LGBTQ+ and racially inclusive school curriculum."
Colucci has not responded to an email asking whether she still welcomes Moms for Liberty's endorsement.🚨BREAKING @MDCPS Miami Dade County School Board now has a conservative majority! Congratulations Moms for Liberty endorsed candidates Monica Colucci & Robert Alonso! #YearoftheParent
— Moms for Liberty (@Moms4Liberty) August 24, 2022
Colucci has served as a Miami-Dade educator since 1994. After more than two decades as an elementary school teacher, she ran for public office to "serve as a strong advocate for parental rights," according to her school board biography. She's a personal friend of Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, whose administration enlisted her as a special assistant between February 2019 and August 2020.
She previously told WLRN that she believes religion should play a larger role in public education. ("A woman of faith, Ms. Colucci believes strongly in each student’s God-given potential," her school board bio reads.)
"I think that there’s always a greater role for faith in schools," she said. "Obviously respecting the faith of each individual family, because I have a profound respect for all faiths — but yes, I do."
The longtime teacher's policy positions and public statements have fallen in line with Moms for Liberty's rhetoric stoking fear that children are subjected to radical indoctrination in schools. Colucci told voters last year that she would combat "extreme liberal agendas that harm our kids."
"As an educator and daughter of a Cuban immigrant, I am keenly aware that these dangerous ideologies run contrary to our country’s fundamental founding principles," she said in her 2022 campaign profile.
During her first year on the board, Colucci pushed for the implementation of the conservative-backed "classical education curriculum model" in schools. She said in her swearing-in speech last year that she has an unwavering stance on education policy.
"I will never settle for being politically correct, but rather morally correct," Colucci said. "When it comes to children, I pledge to protect their minds, hearts and spirits, and in turn protect their innocence, which all children have a right to."
