Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed another batch of bills on Tuesday, one of which designates September 11 as “9/11 Heroes Day,” requiring middle and high school students to learn about the attack.
DeSantis discussed a series of bills passed by the Florida legislature, slated to empower Florida’s teachers and “reign in out-of-control unions and school boards,” according to the governor’s office.
In addition to approving a $252 million increase in teacher salaries, DeSantis is signing Senate Bill 256, House Bill 477, House Bill 1537, House Bill 1035, and House Bill 379.
House Bill 477 addresses school board members, decreasing their terms from 12 years to eight years. Further, Joint Resolution 31 will make school board elections more transparent rather than “nonpartisan,” thereby allowing partisan elections. This will be in effect for the 2024 elections.
House Bill 1537, which largely focuses on preparation programs for teachers, also contains a provision establishing September 11 as “9/11 Heroes Day,” requiring 45 minutes of instruction for both middle and high school students on the tragic attack on U.S. soil:
The bill also includes something that we were asked to support over the last year, year and a half, by folks who were serving in uniform in New York City during September 11. And that is establishing a ‘9/11 Heroes Day’ in honor of those who gave their lives fighting for freedom on September 11.
“And so now kids in school are going to be learning about people who sacrificed at the Twin Towers and at the Pentagon on September 11,” he said.
DeSantis noted during Tuesday’s press conference that children in schools were born after the attack and therefore have no remembrance of it, as older generations do:
When you think about it, many of us remember that, and that was kind of a big deal for our country in terms of the last generation, but you look at these kids in high school here, they were not even born when September 11 happened. So we think it’s important that those folks are honored.
DeSantis also touted House Bill 1035, which establishes a Teachers’ Bill of Rights. House Bill 379, meanwhile, addresses social media, effectively removing TikTok from schools.
WATCH the full press conference below: