Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis slammed critical race theory and pledged there is no room in his state’s classrooms for the controversial curriculum.
“There’s no room in our classrooms for things like critical race theory,” the Florida Republican said Wednesday. “Teaching kids to hate their country and to hate each other is not worth one red cent of taxpayer money.”
DeSantis pledged that Florida’s curriculum will “expressly exclude” the teaching.
DeSantis also said he is proposing a $3,000 bonus for Florida teachers who complete a civics education program that focuses on “foundational concepts” rather than the critical race theory that has been spreading nationwide.
The critical race theory movement, energized by the New York Times’s recent 1619 Project, deviates from a traditional curriculum and teaches that racism is embedded in the founding of the United States.
Earlier this year, government employees in San Diego County, California, were forced to take part in critical race theory training, including a lecture stating that only white people are capable of being racist.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved forward last fall with critical race theory training despite an executive order from former President Donald Trump instructing government agencies to halt the practice.
“The President has directed me to ensure that Federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive, un-American propaganda training sessions,” former Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said about the executive order at the time, adding that “these types of ‘trainings’ not only run counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception, but they also engender division and resentment within the Federal workforce.”