CAPE CORAL, Fla -- A new analysis shows American students are falling behind in several major subject areas like math and reading. For students in Florida, some of the numbers are even more concerning.
Across the board, middle school students nationwide seem to be falling behind the worst in both subjects. In Florida, students range from only 19-48% proficiency in math and reading when you break down by age and subject matter, according to data from our nation's report card.
Governor Ron DeSantis prioritized education when he spoke at our state’s Capitol yesterday. He hit on several initiatives but started by saying that this coming legislative session needs to be “the year of the teacher.” He reminded us again of his goal to take the minimum salary for all teachers, not just starting teachers, from 26th nationwide to second.
“It's a really good tool to be able to recruit new teachers, obviously to be able to help some of those who are not making a lot, and then that provides a good foundation for us to go forward as well,” said DeSantis.
He added “we’re also looking at doing things in addition to that like principal bonuses, teacher bonuses, so stay tuned for that. I think that is something that would make a lot of sense as well.”
Another major focus the governor hit on is his intention to eliminate Common Core, saying we can expect an announcement on its replacement by the end of the year.
“Parents, when they find out that they're actually going to be able to do the math with their kids without having to wonder why can't they just do simple math people appreciate that, “ said DeSantis .
The governor also said he wants there to be a civics component. He said he’s looking at potentially having high school seniors take the citizenship exam or something similar to build on basic civic-knowledge.
He also highlighted his push to focus on workforce education. Specifically, getting vocational programs back into schools and supporting pre-apprenticeship programs.
