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| - FACT CHECK: Has Florida Awarded 11,000 Teachers More Than $33 Million For Completing Civics Training?
In a post shared on Twitter, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis purports the state has awarded 11,000 teachers more than $33 million for completing civics training offered by the Florida Department of Education.
Florida has awarded 11,000 teachers more than $33 million for completing civics training offered by @EducationFL.
Congratulations to all the educators who have finished this training and received bonuses – we are glad you are taking civics seriously!
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) July 9, 2023
Verdict: True
A press release shared to both DeSantis’ and the Florida Department of Education’s websites indicates 11,000 teachers have received $33 million for completing the training. A March release from the Florida Department of Education noted that 4,500 teachers had completed the training at the time.
Fact Check:
DeSantis said he’s “not a No. 2 guy” when asked if he would be former President Donald Trump’s running mate in the 2024 election, according to The New York Times. DeSantis, who is also a 2024 hopeful, is currently trailing Trump by 30 percentage points in national polls, Reuters reported.
“Florida has awarded 11,000 teachers more than $33 million for completing civics training offered by @EducationFL,” DeSantis wrote in a Jul. 9 tweet that has been viewed more than 500,000 times. “Congratulations to all the educators who have finished this training and received bonuses – we are glad you are taking civics seriously!” he said.
A press release shared to both DeSantis’ and the Florida Department of Education’s websites indeed confirms that 11,000 teachers have received $33 million for completing the training. The teachers who received the money either participated in the Summer Civics Professional Learning Series or the Civics Seal of Excellence Endorsement, according to the same release.
A March release from the Florida Department of Education noted that 4,500 teachers had completed the training at the time. These teachers participated in the Civics Seal of Excellence Endorsement course and received a $3,000 bonus, the release indicated. In addition, the release stated more than 10,000 teachers had registered for the course the first week it was available.
In July 2021, DeSantis announced $106 million would be used to establish the Civic Literary Excellence Initiative. The funding is used to award Florida teachers with the Civics Seal of Excellence and provide them with the $3,000 bonus. (RELATED: Was George Soros At An Event Supporting Ron DeSantis?)
In the press release announcing that 11,000 teachers had completed civics training and received bonuses, DeSantis stressed the importance of preparing children to be “great citizens.”
“We have a responsibility to ensure our students are prepared to be great citizens,” the Republican Florida Governor said.
“That is why we created a new civics curriculum in Florida and are making this important investment of more than $106 million. By July 4, 2026, our country’s 250th anniversary, we will make sure every K-12 student in Florida is educated with our new civics curriculum,” he added.
According to the course’s official website, it is 55 hours in length and can be completed entirely online. The course is composed of video modules and features 53 expert speakers, including DeSantis.
Check Your Fact contacted DeSantis’ office and the Florida Department of Education for comment and both spokespersons directed us to the press release published on their respective websites.
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