TALLAHASSEE — A proposal designed in part to keep “identity politics” out of teacher-preparation courses began moving forward Monday in the Senate, with opponents arguing it could drive teachers away from Florida.
The Republican-controlled Senate Education Postsecondary Committee voted 5-3 along party lines to approve the bill (SB 1372).
Teacher preparation programs are offered by public and private colleges and universities, school districts and private providers and can help lead to educators getting their professional certificates.
Under the bill, teacher-preparation courses could not “distort significant historical events or include a curriculum or instruction that teaches identity politics.”
Courses also could not be “based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities.”
The Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022 approved a controversial law that restricted similar race-related concepts from being taught in schools. Supporters of the 2022 measure gave it the moniker “Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act,” or Stop WOKE Act.
Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, pointed to the term “identity politics” as he questioned bill sponsor Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, on Monday.
“How do you define identity politics?” Jones asked.
Ingoglia replied that it is the “same definition that we’ve had and we’ve been discussing in years past.”
“Basically some of the things revolving around race or gender, one group of people is better than another set of people, splitting people into classes — the oppressor or oppressed — things like that,” Ingoglia said.
Jones, who likened the measure to the Stop WOKE law, slammed the bill as “taking trash and passing it as law.”
“This is the new bogeyman of the day. This is going to suck the air out of the room once again. And once again we all have to walk out of here and figure out how we are supposed to deal with this … and say, ‘Here goes another law from the state of Florida that’s not needed,’” Jones said.
But Republicans defended the measure, with Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, saying teachers should not be responsible for having to teach theories.
“We shouldn’t put (teachers) in a position to deal with these theories. We should have them teach facts,” Collins said.
The bill also would require that teacher-preparation programs “afford candidates the opportunity to think critically, achieve mastery of academic program content, learn instructional strategies, and demonstrate competence.”
The measure also would apply to school-leader preparation programs.
Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, D-Davie, pointed to the bill potentially exacerbating a teacher shortage.
“We have the shortage that we have, probably because we aren’t respecting our educators,” Book said.
Ingoglia argued that teacher-shortage issues are being felt nationally.
“It’s a talking point used on issues like this, but it’s not accurate. In fact, three-quarters of all the states have teacher shortages. I would say it’s a bigger, macro issue that the United States is dealing with,” Ingoglia said.
An identical House bill (HB 1291) has not been heard in committees.