Steven Lemongello and Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
NEW PORT RICHEY 鈥� Describing college education programs as 鈥渙vertaken by ideology,鈥� Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he wants to expand a new law that allows to include retired first responders such as police, firefighters and EMTs.
鈥淲e believe that the folks that have served our communities have an awful lot to offer,鈥� DeSantis said at an event in New Port Richey. 鈥淎nd we鈥檝e got people that have served 20 years and in law enforcement, they retire and some of them are looking for kind of the next chapter in their life. ... Well, they鈥檙e not going to just sit around on their hands, they want to do something. So we want to provide a pathway we want to incentivize them being able to help.鈥�
DeSantis said the program, which would require legislative approval, would be open to first responders with bachelor鈥檚 degrees, adding the state would waive the exam fees for the state teacher certification. They would also be eligible for a $4,000 bonus to be able to serve.
鈥淎nd if they teach courses that have really acute shortages ... they鈥檒l get another $1,000,鈥� DeSantis said. 鈥�... Some of the areas where we鈥檝e been short, science, [special education], reading, those are all very, very important.鈥�
The governor also slammed college schools of education as 鈥渁 magnet for a lot of ideology.鈥�
鈥淲e would prefer people with real world experience and academic proficiency in the core subjects when they鈥檙e teaching English, math, science, not saying, 鈥極h, I got I went to the School of Education somewhere and they taught me kind of how to teach,鈥欌�� DeSantis said. 鈥淏ecause I鈥檝e seen that, and I鈥檝e been very underwhelmed by it.鈥�
At the event, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said first responders could help classrooms in emergencies.
鈥淲ho else would you want in your classrooms?鈥� Nocco said. 鈥淵ou talk about firefighters in that room, you talk about overdoses, you talk about law enforcement in that room, you talk about school shooting violence. It鈥檇 be great to have these people in the room, I can assure you, as a parent, I鈥檇 be happy to know, there was a former first responder teaching our kids.鈥�
鈥淗e has been the most pro-first responder governor that I have seen in my entire 37 years in Florida,鈥� said Reedy Creek Professional Firefighters President Jon Shirey
DeSantis also wants to create an apprenticeship system to allow people with associate鈥檚 degrees to be mentored for two years to become teachers, as well as a program to allow current high school teachers to earn their master鈥檚 degrees in order to teach classes that award college credit.
Florida鈥檚 new law to recruit military veterans as teachers, allowing them to obtain temporary certification even before they earn the bachelor鈥檚 degree required to teach in Florida鈥檚 public schools, took effect this year.
DeSantis touted it as a way to boost teaching ranks, but some educators have criticized the new initiative, saying it would allow unqualified instructors into classrooms.
鈥淭here are many people who have gone through many hoops and hurdles to obtain a proper teaching certificate,鈥� Carmen Ward, president of the Alachua County teachers union, . 鈥淸Educators] are very dismayed that now someone with just a high school education can pass the test and can easily get a five-year temporary certificate.鈥�
One Central Florida administrator doubted the veterans program will make much difference in the severe teacher shortage facing the schools.
鈥淲e love to talk to anyone,鈥� said Shawn Gard-Harrold, an assistant superintendent for Seminole County Public Schools, a district that honors a 鈥渧eteran of the month鈥� at its school board meetings. But Gard-Harrold said he doubted there was a big enough pool of veterans eager to teach to make a dent in Central Florida teacher vacancies, which currently top 400.
The veterans program is open to those who served at least four years, were honorably discharged and have at least 60 college credits, or about two years of college coursework. They also must pass a state certification test in the subject they plan to teach.
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