June 12, 2020
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Governor Ron DeSantis and Commissioner Richard Corcoran Announce 60 Schools Selected to Participate in Florida’s Civics and Debate Initiative
State also seeks public input on civics education course standards
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran announced 60 schools, representing 28 districts in Florida, were chosen to participate in the first phase of the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative (FCDI). On January 27, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the multi-year, $5 million grant from the Marcus Foundation, Inc., to elevate civic knowledge, civic skills and civic disposition for middle and high school students through speech and debate. To view a list of the 60 schools participating in the first phase and to learn more about the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative, visit www.floridaeducationfoundation.org/fcdi.
FDOE also opened an online survey platform to gather input on the K-12 Civics and Government standards. The standards revision can be found at http://www.fldoe.org/civicsreview and is a result of House Bill 807 signed by Governor DeSantis in June 2019 that required the FDOE to conduct a complete review of the statewide civics education standards by December 31, 2020.