A South Florida legislator has proposed a new bill that would require Florida teachers take an oath to uphold the United States Constitution and teach their classes in a nonpartisan fashion.
The bill filed this week by Florida State Rep. Tom Fabricio would make it a requirement for teachers’ jobs to swear an oath to uphold the U.S. and state constitution as part of their responsibility as educators.
“I think this bill elevates teachers further as professionals and it gives them the opportunity to give their word, to give another layer of accountability for the important job that they’re doing for our state, our country, for our children,” said Fabricio.
The Miami Lakes Representative said the bill’s concept is not a new one.
“In Colorado, Michigan, West Virginia, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, Louisiana, Arizona, all have oaths, so this is something that’s been in play for many years. Florida doesn’t have it,” said Fabricio. “This should help parents feel more comfortable with leaving their children in these teachers’ hands.”
Under the proposed bill, teachers would swear under oath: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and the Constitution and Government of the State of Florida” and “that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of a classroom teacher in a professional, independent, objective, and nonpartisan manner.”
Teachers would also swear “that I will serve as a positive role model in both conduct and character, so help me God.”
Fabricio says the bill wouldn’t functionally change anything for teachers currently working in classrooms, drawing a comparison to oaths made by doctors and lawyers, where their oath is to the code of ethics they agreed to follow upon employment.
“The intent of the bill was not to create any kind of punitive framework, or anything of that nature, so in Florida, we already have a code of ethics that teachers are required to abide by, this points to that. Principally, this is the teacher giving their word that they’re gonna abide by the code of ethics. They’re giving their word that they’re not gonna enter into any kind of political discourse in the classroom, that they’re gonna teach professionally,” said Fabricio.
The bill will be considered by lawmakers when they meet in the next legislative session in January.
“My word means a lot to me and I imagine that their word also means a lot to them,” said Fabricio.
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