(VitalNews.org) – The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, approved a series of bills on Tuesday, May 9th, one of which designates September 11th, 2001 as “9/11 Heroes Day”. Middle and high school students will be required to learn about the events of that day and the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.
The bills are in addition to a $252 million increase in teachers’ salaries and are designed to address the issue of “out-of-control” school boards and unions, according to a spokesperson for the governor’s office.
Governor DeSantis has signed House Bill 477, which decreases the term that school board members may serve from 12 to 8 years. In addition, Joint Resolution 31 increases transparency for school board elections and will come into effect for the 2024 election cycle.
House Bill 1537, which focuses on programs that prepare teachers for the instruction to be given to students, contains provisions for 45 minutes of instruction to be given to middle and high school students on the events of 9/11.
He said, “Establishing a ‘9/11 Heroes Day’ in honor of those who gave their lives on September 11th, 2001, fighting for freedom on US soil, will mean that kids in school will now be learning about people, especially those in uniform, who sacrificed their lives at the Twin Towers and at the Pentagon.”
Governor DeSantis noted during the press conference on Tuesday that children currently in middle and high schools were born after the attacks on 9/11 and therefore have no memory of it, making it even more important that their sacrifices should be honored.
Two other bills which were passed by the Florida legislature include House Bill 1035, which establishes a Bill of Rights for Teachers, and House Bill 379, which addresses social media, and has the direct effect of removing the Chinese app TikTok from schools in the light of its alleged pernicious influence on American children.
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