Governor DeSantis is putting a $106 million plan before the state legislature this session that is meant to bolster civics education in Florida schools. The money is already in state coffers from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, also known as the ESSER Fund. It was created by the federal government as part of last year’s federal CARES Act in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. From that, 3.1 billion was distributed to Florida.
DeSantis wants to set up a training module for teachers that would award them $3,000 bonuses for earning a Florida Civics Seal of Excellence. He wants all teachers to be able to earn this seal of excellence, regardless of what subject they teach. He also wants the legislature to allocate $16.5 million for additional training and classroom support.
The civics education he envisions for Florida students, “ will expressly exclude unsanctioned narratives like critical race theory and other unsubstantiated theories," DeSantis said.
Critical Race Theory is an academic movement that, according to the American Bar Association, “acknowledges that the legacy of slavery, segregation, and the imposition of second-class citizenship on Black Americans and other people of color continues to permeate the social fabric of this nation."
Critical Race Theory was thrust into public discourse after former president Trump issued an executive order last fall excluding diversity and inclusion training from federal contracts and labeling Critical Race Theory as “divisive.” That executive order was later reversed by President Biden.
Asked how Critical Race Theory would specifically be excluded in his proposed curriculum, DeSantis says that would be worked out by the state legislature as they put together the coursework and requirements.
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