Ron DeSantis gives teachers power to ban cell phones and ‘ensure discipline in classrooms’: Florida governor signs school bills that include unions
- Ron DeSantis signed a Teacher’s Bill of Rights
- Empowers teachers in classrooms
- It removes power from unions by ending the automatic deduction of contributions from teachers’ salaries
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a “Teacher’s Bill of Rights” Tuesday that gives teachers more power to “ensure discipline in classrooms” and ban cell phones.
DeSantis, who is seen as a presidential candidate, also took a swipe at the powerful teachers’ unions with his new legislation, which removed the ability of unions to withhold dues directly from employees’ pay.
“That will lead to more pay for teachers because they won’t get as many deductions from their paychecks,” DeSantis noted.
He also announced that he will approve more than $1 billion in teacher salaries in this year’s budget, an increase of $252 million from the current record.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a Teacher’s Bill of Rights
Education has proven to be a winning issue for many Republican candidates in the past few elections, most notably for DeSantis who rose to national prominence for his controversial Don’t Say Gay Law – which bans the teaching of sexual and gender identity in the classroom – and for passing teachers unions during the COVID pandemic with its demand to keep classrooms open.
DeSantis signed the series of bills at a Miami charter school surrounded by fellow Republican lawmakers in the state. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week.
“We are at the forefront of teacher empowerment,” he noted.
Florida placed first for education as part of U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best States ranking. It displaced former No. 1 New Jersey and No. 2 Massachusetts after finishing in third place the previous year.
The ranking is based on the state’s low tuition fees and debt, as well as high graduation rates.
But students and faculty have protested some of DeSantis’ policies, including his Don’t Say Gay Law.
However, DeSantis on Tuesday expanded teachers’ scrutiny, giving them the authority to set rules for cell phone use in the classroom.
“We don’t want the kids to be on the phone all the time while the teachers are teaching,” he said. “There’s no way you learn what you need to learn” when you’re on social media.
He also gave teachers more authority over discipline.
“They have the right to ensure discipline in the classroom, and that is not only for their safety, but also for the safety and learning experience of other students. We have one person who is constantly disruptive, it’s hard for people to be able to do, but we want to make sure teachers have the protection to be able to do that basic thing,” he said.
Students and others attend a strike rally to protest Florida’s education policy
Students have protested their opposition to Governor DeSantis’ policies
The law he signed “adds to teachers’ efforts to maintain safety and order in their classrooms by giving teachers the benefit of the doubt in breaking up arguments, preventing violence and by giving teachers the presumption of lawful to act on behalf of their personal safety and the safety of their students.’
DeSantis noted that many teachers were afraid to punish students for fear they would be punished for their actions.
“Teachers think if they discipline a student, people will go after them because they’re just maintaining order,” DeSantis said. “So we’re going to make sure they have the ability to do that.”
DeSantis has not yet officially announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, but expects to do so this summer.
He has been on a national book tour to key early voting states, which many see as a precursor to a presidential campaign.