Ever since the pandemic saw school boards explode into shouting matches over mask mandates, nothing has been the same. And Florida has been the epicenter of some of those battles. Leading the charge is Bridget Ziegler, mother of three, and chair of the Sarasota school board. She is against the teaching of CRT and gender identity, but she is pro protecting the rights of parents. And Governor Ron DeSantis endorses her. Bloomberg spent several days with Ziegler, and over the course of three episodes we got to know her – and her opponents.

In chapter one of “The School Board Queen” we meet Ziegler and her family, and we learn her origin story. There were mean girls in high school. She didn’t finish college. And it was a surprising suggestion from her husband that set her on the school board path. We also talk to a former school board member who was so put off by Ziegler’s “shenanigans” that she left the Republican party and registered as a Democrat.

“The School Board Queen” is reported, produced and hosted by Kathleen Quillian and Samantha Storey. For more information visit bloomberg.com/bedrock-usa. Have a suggestion or comment? We’d love to hear from you: kquillian@bloomberg.net or samanthastoreywrites@gmail.com.

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