FL Gov Wants To Give Principals, Teachers $1,000 Bonuses

PALM HARBOR, FL — Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced a proposal to provide $1,000 bonuses to public school principals and full-time classroom teachers for grades pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in Florida.

DeSantis made the announcement last week during a news conference at Palm Harbor University High School.

The funding for the bonuses would total $216 million and would come from the third round of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, The ESSER is funded through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act.

The proposal would provide a bonus to more than 3,600 public school principals and nearly 180,000 full-time classroom teachers. DeSantis is asking the Florida Senate and House of Representatives to include this $216 million appropriation in their respective budgets.

“The past year included so much uncertainty for our state’s students, parents and educators,” DeSantis said. “In Florida, we knew how important it was for our students to return to school, and our principals and teachers answered the call. I urge the Florida Legislature to join me in awarding our great educators through this bonus program as a show of gratitude for their actions and hard work.”

Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran applauded the governor's gesture.

“I am proud to stand with Gov. DeSantis as he once again demonstrates his leadership and commitment to our educators for the incredible job they have done during this extremely challenging school year,” Corcoran said. “The governor’s proposal is just one way we can show our appreciation to our hard-working teachers and principals who guided Florida through these immense challenges, and I look forward to the Legislature making it a reality.”

DeSantis' proposal builds on other teacher compensation initiatives the governor and his administration have undertaken. Last year, DeSantis called secured a $500 million investment to raise the minimum salary for teachers, and his Florida Leads budget recommendation for fiscal year 2021-22 includes an additional $50 million to continue raising the minimum salary for Florida’s teachers.

Additionally, on March 17, the governor announced a proposal to dedicate $106 million from the second round of ESSER funds toward a Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative to make Florida a national leader in civics education.

The proposal includes professional development support and a $3,000 bonus for teachers participating in the Florida Civics Seal of Excellence endorsement program.

“A high-quality education begins with high-quality curriculum, which is why I remain laser focused on developing the best possible civics education standards,” DeSanntis said. “This initiative will promote high-quality civics education for Florida students and reward classroom educators who choose to participate in advancing civics education in their classrooms.”

Highlights of the Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative include:

• Creation of the Florida Civics Seal of Excellence – a new professional licensure endorsement for educators in civics education.
• A $3,000 bonus for educators who complete training and earn the Civics Seal of Excellence endorsement.
• $16.5 million for additional training, professional development and classroom support for educators and principals seeking to elevate civics education in Florida schools.
• Creation of regional civics coaches to provide supports for teachers in building out civics programs.
• More than $17 million to bolster Florida’s civics curriculum and implement Florida standards for kindergarten through 12th grade public schools.
• $6.5 million for a career pathway program to launch pilot programs for public service incubators to develop partnerships between secondary schools and government institutions, allowing students to explore government and public administration and inspire the next generation of leaders in Florida.

“The Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative is an all-in approach to fully elevate civic literacy and education for Florida’s students and teachers, beyond any state in the nation,” Corcoran said. “Florida’s continued commitment to lead and foster the values we hope to see in our society will not only help develop great students, but will create humble, civically minded citizens of tomorrow. We look forward to continuing to work with the legislature on this important priority.”

In January 2020, Governor DeSantis announced the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative with The Marcus Foundation to elevate civic knowledge, civic skills and civics disposition for middle and high school students. The Marcus Foundation committed $5 million over three years to the Florida Education Foundation to increase Florida students' access to speech and debate programs.

Before the initiative was created, there were 11 school districts in Florida that participated in debate. In FCDI’s first year, Florida now has 59 active teams in 30 school districts across the state.

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