Florida grants more than $60 million in bonuses to teachers completing new western heritage courses

More than 21,000 Florida teachers have completed a new civics course on the heritage of Western civilization, launched in January, Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a speech Monday.

“We believe that graduating our students from our institutions K-12 requires us to arm them with basic knowledge about what they’re walking into as adult citizens,” DeSantis said. “We don’t want to graduate a bunch of blank slates. We want them to be informed about what it means to be an American.”

To equip these high school students with strong civil education, DeSantis said the teachers themselves must be trained in such material. But public colleges and universities have lost the art of good education in America’s heritage, DeSantis said.

“The reality is for people going to school at a lot of these universities now: The building blocks of Western Civilization are a lost art. They focus on a lot of ideological studies – things that quite frankly have no application,” he said. “Some of the ideological stuff – these are fads. This is not stuff that has lasting impact, and it’s not going to stand the test of time.”

DeSantis referenced Harvard’s course catalogue of the 1950s, which offered survey classes in ancient history, philosophy and literature. These ancient and European roots produced America’s Republic, DeSantis said, emphasizing how teachers must be equipped to explain this heritage to students.

“I really believe true liberal arts, the classics, really help you in any endeavor that you do. You learn critical thinking. You get a solid philosophical foundation,” he said.

To resolve this educational drought, Florida’s Department of Education launched a teacher training program in January. The Civics Seal of Excellence Endorsement course, a branch of DeSantis’ Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative, offers more than 50 hours of lectures on American heritage from acclaimed professors, lawyers and political leaders. Courses survey ancient Greece and Rome, ancient philosophy, medieval to modern history and timeless literature – all that shaped the eventual birth of America.

“The Florida Department of Education designed and developed the content of this first-of-its-kind teacher training program, which aligns with Florida’s revised civics and government academic standards,” the website states. “In each lesson, participants will study video-based lessons created and delivered by 53 expert scholars and practitioners in history, government, and political science from Florida and around the country.”

Additionally, teachers who complete the program receive a $3,000 bonus from Florida State University. The university has granted $63 million in bonuses, DeSantis said. More than 90% of teachers who have taken the courses say their experience was positive, he said.

DeSantis shared these results during the unveiling of a new statue in Monroe County to honor one of America’s founding leaders and fifth president, James Monroe. The state of Florida became official American territory during Monroe’s presidency in 1821.

“James Monroe’s legacy is built on service, sacrifice, and vision. His Monroe Doctrine established our country as the guardian of the hemisphere,” DeSantis said. “He obviously had huge impact by making sure that Florida became part of the American Republic.”

The statue stands in Spanish Harbor Key, an island of Monroe County, and is part of DeSantis’ campaign to honor American leaders throughout the country’s 250th year celebration. Other statues include Frederick Douglass, Calvin Coolidge (to be completed in April) and Ronald Reagan.