Recently, thousands of people signed a petition by Faithful America urging Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to stop promoting a distorted version of Christianity in public school civics classes.
The petition, filed by Faithful America, a Christian organization that advocates for social justice and opposes Christian nationalism, accuses Florida of promoting a biased curriculum in civics classes. They claim that the teachings include misinformation about the role of Christianity in the founding of the United States.
The petition, addressed to DeSantis and Florida Commissioner of Education Manny DÃaz Jr., criticizes the civics program for inaccurately depicting the country as a Christian nation, misrepresenting the separation of church and state, and introducing religious teachings in public classrooms.
DeSantis has been focused on revamping civics education in Florida and has introduced new standards for public schools. He emphasized the importance of providing accurate historical education without pushing any ideological agenda.
Starting in January 2023, teachers can participate in a 60-hour online course to earn the Civics Seal of Excellence, which comes with a $3,000 bonus. Faithful America reported that 20,000 Florida educators enrolled in the program last year.
Faithful America raised concerns about misleading information present in the teacher materials, emphasizing that the separation of Church and State does not equate to removing God from government and that individuals have the right to practice their religions freely under the First Amendment.
The petition demands an immediate end to the promotion of Christian nationalism in Florida’s schools and urges the Department of Education to adhere to the principle of the separation of Church and State.