Florida’s New Education Laws: Governor DeSantis Enacts Measures Transforming Teacher Work Conditions

FORT MYERS, Fla. – On Friday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis enacted two significant pieces of legislation poised to affect educators statewide.

During a news conference in Fort Myers, DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1296 and House Bill 1279, both of which are set to be implemented on July 1. These new measures add to the more than 60 bills that have already been approved this year, with additional legislation still awaiting the governor’s signature.

At Friday’s briefing, Governor DeSantis highlighted Florida’s strong standing in education, asserting that these new laws are designed to enhance the state’s educational achievements further.

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“Florida’s students are entitled to a top-notch education, and outstanding teachers should be rewarded with recognition and competitive salaries,” DeSantis stated. “However, school unions often prioritize their interests over those of the educators and students they claim to represent.”

“Florida students deserve high-quality education, and great teachers deserve recognition and competitive pay,” he said. “But time and time again, partisan school unions have shown that they do not act in the best interests of the teachers they purport to represent, let alone the best interest of students.”

Below is a rundown of what both new laws do, according to the governor’s office:

HB 1279 — Teacher Funding

House Bill 1279 lets school districts provide immediate pay incentives to high-performing teachers who choose to teach in lower-performing schools, even without collective bargaining.

The law also allows bonuses for districts and teachers who offer Florida Advanced Courses (FACTs), in line with bonuses offered for other advanced courses like AP, AICE and IB.

SB 1296 — Union Crackdown

Senate Bill 1296 provides for the decertification of partisan school unions, fast-tracking salary increases that some unions have stalled.

The law requires at least 50% participation in union certification elections, meaning that unions can no longer be recertified through elections with just a handful of voters.

Furthermore, SB 1296 increases penalties for illegal strikes, raising the maximum fine from $20,000 per day to $40,000 per day for such organizations.