Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 182 into law on Monday, a broad education bill that requires Florida schools to teach cursive writing proficiency by fifth grade and to display portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
The law, effective July 1, establishes a School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program. It also makes it legal for private schools to use or acquire buildings such as churches, museums, theaters, colleges, and former schools or day care centers without requiring rezoning or special land-use approval.
The legislation began as a measure aimed at improving teacher training by allowing retired teachers to mentor new or struggling educators, sponsored by Miami Gardens Democrat Sen. Shevrin Jones and Gainesville Democrat Rep. Yvonne Hinson.
Supporters say the expanded requirements reset traditional literacy skills and provide students with a way to connect with history. Critics counter that they add more testing and act as an unfunded mandate for districts that already run on tight budgets.
