Describing college education programs as “overtaken by ideology,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he wants to expand a new law that allows military veterans to become classroom teachers to include retired first responders such as police, firefighters and EMTs.
“We believe that the folks that have served our communities have an awful lot to offer,” DeSantis said at an event in New Port Richey. “And we’ve 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’re 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.”
DeSantis said the program, which would require legislative approval, would be open to first responders with bachelor’s 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.
