By: Alyssa Wilson

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday his proposal for a civics education curriculum in the state, but it will not include Critical Race Theory. 

The plan will direct the Florida Department of Education to create the Florida Civic Seal of Excellence, a new professional endorsement for civics education, according to News4Jax. 

Under this initiative, teachers who complete the training will be eligible for a $3,000 bonus. 

I’m excited to announce the Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative that will provide high-quality civics education to Florida’s students and reward educators who choose to participate in advancing civics education in their classrooms. pic.twitter.com/B1Gy1DrqTj

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 17, 2021

DeSantis announced the program will not include racism theories and added that “There is no room for things like Critical Race Theory.” He also said, “teaching kids to hate their country and to hate each other is not worth one red cent of taxpayer money.” 

Gov. @RonDeSantisFL announces Florida’s curriculum will “expressly exclude…Critical Race Theory.”

“There’s no room in our classrooms for things like Critical Race Theory. Teaching kids to hate their country and to hate each other is not worth one red cent of taxpayer money.” pic.twitter.com/7y2b40GqDk

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 17, 2021

DeSantis, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, said Critical Race Theory is “trying to make people view each other based on race,” according to The Hill. 

In September, Trump directed the Office of Management and Budget to end racial sensitivity training, including a Critical Race Theory session. 

According to Purdue University, Critical Race Theory is a “theoretical and interpretive mode that examines the appearance of race and racism across dominant cultural modes of expression.” 

Scholars in this field strive to understand how victims of systematic racism are impacted by cultural perceptions of race and its effect on experiences.