State leaders quietly cut funding for teaching civics

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Florida students have led the nation in their understanding of how our government works. Test scores have shown they have a stronger grasp of civics, and at a younger age. 

While schools across the nation phased out civics instruction, Florida lawmakers ramped it up nearly 10 years ago by funding Florida’s Joint Center for Citizenship, a partnership between the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida. 

The center has since trained teachers across the state and helped develop much of their material. The classes focus on teaching students how government is designed to function at every level, their rights and responsibilities as citizens, and how to effectively drive change.

However, as student test scores in civics shot up, state leaders quietly cut off state support for the program last year. The legislature cut $500,000 in funding for the Joint Center and Governor Rick Scott vetoed the remaining $400,000. 

In an email, Scott’s spokeswoman Kerri Wyland wrote “This $400,000 project was vetoed because the University of Central Florida received a total of $555.5 million in Fiscal Year 2017-18 last year. The Governor felt that UCF had the funding to cover the costs.” 

Former governor and U.S. senator Bob Graham is a leading advocate for teaching civics. He was stunned by the Legislature and Scott’s decision. He believes we can address many of the problems in our government by teaching more government in our schools 

"They just said in the final deal cutting -- which all took place behind closed doors in Tallahassee -- that there were other things that were more important than civic education, so it got the axe," said Graham. “I was outraged because here we have one of the most serious challenges facing America and that is Americans are losing their confidence in democracy." 

Graham said he is hopeful the legislature will restore funding for civics instruction, but there is little movement within the chambers. The current Senate budget allocates $200,000 for the Joint Center for Citizenship, submitted by Senator David Simmons.

The current House budget allocated no money for the program. 

"There is, unfortunately, a core of people in politics who think it is not to their advantage to have the public very well informed,” Graham added. “They got elected with the public at its current level of knowledge about civics. If more people became engaged, maybe there would be more opponents running against them when they ran for re-election."