HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 1 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to education; amending s. 1001.03, 2
F.S.; renaming critical teacher shortage areas as 3
"high-demand teacher needs areas"; repealing s. 4
1002.351, F.S., relating to the Florida School for 5
Competitive Academics ; amending s. 1002.40, F.S.; 6
revising the definition of the term "incident" for the 7
Hope Scholarship Program; amending ss. 1002.421, F.S.; 8
revising the background screening requirements for 9
certain private school personnel; amending s. 1003.42, 10
F.S.; requiring K-12 health education include 11
instruction on human embryologic development; 12
providing requirements for such instruction; requiring 13
the State Board of Education to adopt rules relating 14
to such instruction; amending s. 1003.4201, F.S.; 15
revising the requirements for certain reading 16
instruction plans to include specified instruction and 17
information; requiring the Department of Education to 18
approve school district reading instruction plans; 19
creating s. 1003.4202, F.S.; requiring school 20
districts to implement a certain system of 21
comprehensive mathematics instruction for certain 22
students; defining the term "evidence -based"; amending 23
s. 1004.04, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes 24
made by the act; amending s. 1007.27, F.S.; 25
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 2 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
authorizing the Department of Education to join or 26
establish a national consortium as an additional 27
alternative method to develop and implement advanced 28
placement courses; amending s. 1008.25, F.S.; 29
requiring certain provision s to be defined in State 30
Board of Education rules; requiring parents of a 31
student who exhibits a substantial deficiency in 32
mathematics be notified in writing information about 33
the student's eligibility for the New Worlds 34
Scholarship Accounts and the New Wo rlds Tutoring 35
Program; amending s. 1008.365, F.S.; expanding the 36
types of tutoring hours that may be counted toward 37
meeting the community service requirements for the 38
Bright Futures scholarship to include paid tutoring 39
hours; amending s. 1008.366, F.S.; re quiring the New 40
Worlds Tutoring Program to provide best practice 41
guidelines for mathematics tutoring in consultation 42
with the Office of Mathematics and Sciences; amending 43
ss. 1011.58, 1012.07, and 1012.22, F.S.; conforming 44
provisions to changes made by the act; amending s. 45
1012.315, F.S.; revising the background screening 46
requirements for certain private school personnel; 47
providing that certain background screening 48
requirements remain in place for a specified period of 49
time for certain personnel; amending s . 1012.586, 50
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 3 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
F.S.; amending reading endorsements and subject area 51
examinations to address identifications of the 52
characteristics of dyscalculia; removing the 53
requirement for school districts' reading endorsement 54
add-on programs to be resubmitted for approva l by a 55
date certain; amending s. 1012.77, F.S.; authorizing 56
certain charter school consortiums to submit nominees 57
for the Teacher of the Year and Ambassador for 58
Education; providing effective dates. 59
60
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Flo rida: 61
62
Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 1001.03, Florida 63
Statutes, is amended to read: 64
1001.03 Specific powers of State Board of Education. — 65
(5) IDENTIFICATION OF HIGH-DEMAND CRITICAL TEACHER NEEDS 66
SHORTAGE AREAS.—The State Board of Education s hall identify 67
high-demand critical teacher needs shortage areas pursuant to s. 68
1012.07. 69
Section 2. Section 1002.351, Florida Statutes, is 70
repealed. 71
Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 1002.40, Florida 72
Statutes, is amended to read: 73
1002.40 The Hope Scholarship Program. — 74
(3) PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY. —A student enrolled in a Florida 75
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 4 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
public school in kindergarten through grade 12 is eligible for 76
the educational options described in subsection (4) if the 77
student reported an incident in accordance with th at subsection. 78
For purposes of this section, the term "incident" means 79
aggravated battery; harassment; hazing; bullying; kidnapping; 80
simple battery physical attack; robbery; sexual offenses, sexual 81
harassment, sexual assault, or sexual battery; threat or 82
intimidation; or fighting at school, as defined by the 83
department in accordance with s. 1006.09(6). 84
Section 4. Paragraphs (e), (m), and (p) of subsection (1) 85
of section 1002.421, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 86
1002.421 State school choice scho larship program 87
accountability and oversight. — 88
(1) PRIVATE SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY AND OBLIGATIONS. —A private 89
school participating in an educational scholarship program 90
established pursuant to this chapter must be a private school as 91
defined in s. 1002.01 in this state, be registered, and be in 92
compliance with all requirements of this section in addition to 93
private school requirements outlined in s. 1002.42, specific 94
requirements identified within respective scholarship program 95
laws, and other provisions of Fl orida law that apply to private 96
schools, and must: 97
(e) Annually complete and submit to the department a 98
notarized scholarship compliance statement certifying that all 99
school employees and contracted personnel with direct student 100
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 5 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
contact have undergone background screening pursuant to s. 101
435.12 and have met the screening standards as provided in s. 102
1012.315 s. 435.04. 103
(m) Require each employee and contracted personnel with 104
direct student contact, upon employment or engagement to provide 105
services, to undergo a state and national background screening 106
under s. 1012.315, pursuant to s. 943.0542, by electronically 107
filing with the Department of Law Enforcement a complete set of 108
fingerprints taken by an authorized law enforcement agency or an 109
employee of the private school, a school district, or a private 110
company who is trained to take fingerprints and deny employment 111
to or terminate an employee if he or she fails to meet the 112
screening standards under s. 1012.315 s. 435.04. Results of the 113
screening shall be provided to the participating private school. 114
For purposes of this paragraph: 115
1. An "employee or contracted personnel with direct 116
student contact" means any employee or contracted personnel who 117
has unsupervised access to a scholarship student for whom the 118
private school is responsible. 119
2. The costs of fingerprinting and the background check 120
shall not be borne by the state. 121
3. Continued employment of an employee or contracted 122
personnel after notification that he or she has failed th e 123
background screening under this paragraph shall cause a private 124
school to be ineligible for participation in a scholarship 125
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 6 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
program. 126
4. An employee or contracted personnel holding a valid 127
Florida teaching certificate who has been fingerprinted pursuant 128
to s. 1012.32 is not required to comply with the provisions of 129
this paragraph. 130
5. All fingerprints submitted to the Department of Law 131
Enforcement as required by this section shall be retained in the 132
Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse as pro vided in 133
s. 435.12 by the Department of Law Enforcement in a manner 134
provided by rule and entered in the statewide automated 135
biometric identification system authorized by s. 943.05(2)(b). 136
Such fingerprints shall thereafter be available for all purposes 137
and uses authorized for arrest fingerprints entered in the 138
statewide automated biometric identification system pursuant to 139
s. 943.051. 140
6. Employees, contracted personnel, owners, and operators 141
must be rescreened as required by s. 435.12 The Department of 142
Law Enforcement shall search all arrest fingerprints received 143
under s. 943.051 against the fingerprints retained in the 144
statewide automated biometric identification system under 145
subparagraph 5. Any arrest record that is identified with the 146
retained fingerprints of a person subject to the background 147
screening under this section shall be reported to the employing 148
school with which the person is affiliated. Each private school 149
participating in a scholarship program is required to 150
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 7 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
participate in this search proces s by informing the Department 151
of Law Enforcement of any change in the employment or 152
contractual status of its personnel whose fingerprints are 153
retained under subparagraph 5. The Department of Law Enforcement 154
shall adopt a rule setting the amount of the ann ual fee to be 155
imposed upon each private school for performing these searches 156
and establishing the procedures for the retention of private 157
school employee and contracted personnel fingerprints and the 158
dissemination of search results. The fee may be borne by the 159
private school or the person fingerprinted . 160
7. Persons who apply for employment are governed by the 161
laws and rules in effect at the time of application for 162
employment, provided that the person is continually employed by 163
the same school Employees and contracted personnel whose 164
fingerprints are not retained by the Department of Law 165
Enforcement under subparagraphs 5. and 6. are required to be 166
refingerprinted and must meet state and national background 167
screening requirements upon reemployment or reengage ment to 168
provide services in order to comply with the requirements of 169
this section. 170
8. Every 5 years following employment or engagement to 171
provide services with a private school, employees or contracted 172
personnel required to be screened under this section must meet 173
screening standards under s. 435.04, at which time the private 174
school shall request the Department of Law Enforcement to 175
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 8 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation 176
for national processing. If the fingerprints of employees or 177
contracted personnel are not retained by the Department of Law 178
Enforcement under subparagraph 5., employees and contracted 179
personnel must electronically file a complete set of 180
fingerprints with the Department of Law Enforcement. Upon 181
submission of fingerp rints for this purpose, the private school 182
shall request that the Department of Law Enforcement forward the 183
fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for national 184
processing, and the fingerprints shall be retained by the 185
Department of Law Enforce ment under subparagraph 5. 186
(p) Require each owner or operator of the private school, 187
prior to employment or engagement to provide services, to 188
undergo level 2 background screening as provided in s. 1012.315 189
under chapter 435. For purposes of this paragra ph, the term 190
"owner or operator" means an owner, operator, superintendent, or 191
principal of, or a person with equivalent decisionmaking 192
authority over, a private school participating in a scholarship 193
program established pursuant to this chapter. The fingerp rints 194
for the background screening must be electronically submitted to 195
the Department of Law Enforcement and may be taken by an 196
authorized law enforcement agency or a private company who is 197
trained to take fingerprints. However, the complete set of 198
fingerprints of an owner or operator may not be taken by the 199
owner or operator. The owner or operator shall provide a copy of 200
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 9 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
the results of the state and national criminal history check to 201
the Department of Education. The cost of the background 202
screening may be borne by the owner or operator. 203
1. Every 5 years following employment or engagement to 204
provide services, each owner or operator must meet level 2 205
screening standards as described in s. 435.04, at which time the 206
owner or operator shall request the Departm ent of Law 207
Enforcement to forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of 208
Investigation for level 2 screening. If the fingerprints of an 209
owner or operator are not retained by the Department of Law 210
Enforcement under subparagraph 2., the owner or operator must 211
electronically file a complete set of fingerprints with the 212
Department of Law Enforcement. Upon submission of fingerprints 213
for this purpose, the owner or operator shall request that the 214
Department of Law Enforcement forward the fingerprints to the 215
Federal Bureau of Investigation for level 2 screening, and the 216
fingerprints shall be retained by the Department of Law 217
Enforcement under subparagraph 2. 218
2. Fingerprints submitted to the Department of Law 219
Enforcement as required by this paragraph must be ret ained by 220
the Department of Law Enforcement in a manner approved by rule 221
and entered in the statewide automated biometric identification 222
system authorized by s. 943.05(2)(b). The fingerprints must 223
thereafter be available for all purposes and uses authorized for 224
arrest fingerprints entered in the statewide automated biometric 225
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 10 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
identification system pursuant to s. 943.051. 226
3. The Department of Law Enforcement shall search all 227
arrest fingerprints received under s. 943.051 against the 228
fingerprints retained in t he statewide automated biometric 229
identification system under subparagraph 2. Any arrest record 230
that is identified with an owner's or operator's fingerprints 231
must be reported to the owner or operator, who must report to 232
the Department of Education. Any cost s associated with the 233
search shall be borne by the owner or operator. 234
4. An owner or operator who fails the level 2 background 235
screening is not eligible to participate in a scholarship 236
program under this chapter. 237
1.5. In addition to the offenses listed in s. 435.04, a 238
person required to undergo background screening pursuant to this 239
part or authorizing statutes may not have an arrest awaiting 240
final disposition for, must not have been found guilty of, or 241
entered a plea of nolo contendere to, regardless of 242
adjudication, and must not have been adjudicated delinquent for, 243
and the record must not have been sealed or expunged for, any of 244
the following offenses or any similar offense of another 245
jurisdiction: 246
a. Any authorizing statutes, if the offense was a fe lony. 247
b. This chapter, if the offense was a felony. 248
c. Section 409.920, relating to Medicaid provider fraud. 249
d. Section 409.9201, relating to Medicaid fraud. 250
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 11 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
e. Section 741.28, relating to domestic violence. 251
f. Section 817.034, relating to fraudu lent acts through 252
mail, wire, radio, electromagnetic, photoelectronic, or 253
photooptical systems. 254
g. Section 817.234, relating to false and fraudulent 255
insurance claims. 256
h. Section 817.505, relating to patient brokering. 257
i. Section 817.568, relating to criminal use of personal 258
identification information. 259
j. Section 817.60, relating to obtaining a credit card 260
through fraudulent means. 261
k. Section 817.61, relating to fraudulent use of credit 262
cards, if the offense was a felony. 263
l. Section 831.01, relat ing to forgery. 264
m. Section 831.02, relating to uttering forged 265
instruments. 266
n. Section 831.07, relating to forging bank bills, checks, 267
drafts, or promissory notes. 268
o. Section 831.09, relating to uttering forged bank bills, 269
checks, drafts, or promissory notes. 270
p. Section 831.30, relating to fraud in obtaining 271
medicinal drugs. 272
q. Section 831.31, relating to the sale, manufacture, 273
delivery, or possession with the intent to sell, manufacture, or 274
deliver any counterfeit controlled substance, if the offense was 275
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 12 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
a felony. 276
2.6. At least 30 calendar days before a transfer of 277
ownership of a private school, the owner or operator shall 278
notify the parent of each scholarship student. 279
3.7. The owner or operator of a private school that has 280
been deemed ineligible to participate in a scholarship program 281
pursuant to this chapter may not transfer ownership or 282
management authority of the school to a relative in order to 283
participate in a scholarship program as the same school or a new 284
school. For purposes of this subparagraph, the term "relative" 285
means father, mother, son, daughter, grandfather, grandmother, 286
brother, sister, uncle, aunt, cousin, nephew, niece, husband, 287
wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, 288
brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, 289
stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, or half 290
sister. 291
292
The department shall suspend the payment of funds to a private 293
school that knowingly fails to comply with this subsection, and 294
shall prohibit the sc hool from enrolling new scholarship 295
students, for 1 fiscal year and until the school complies. If a 296
private school fails to meet the requirements of this subsection 297
or has consecutive years of material exceptions listed in the 298
report required under paragra ph (q), the commissioner may 299
determine that the private school is ineligible to participate 300
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 13 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
in a scholarship program. 301
Section 5. Paragraph (o) of subsection (2) of section 302
1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 303
1003.42 Required instruction. — 304
(2) Members of the instructional staff of the public 305
schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education 306
and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and 307
faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the 308
highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy, 309
following the prescribed courses of study, and employing 310
approved methods of instruction, the following: 311
(o) Comprehensive age -appropriate and developmentally 312
appropriate K-12 instruction on: 313
1. Health education that addresses concepts of community 314
health, consumer health, environmental health, and family life, 315
including: 316
a. Injury prevention and safety. 317
b. Internet safety. 318
c. Nutrition. 319
d. Personal health. 320
e. Prevention and control of disease. 321
f. Substance use and abuse. 322
g. Prevention of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and 323
human trafficking. 324
h. Human embryologic development. 325
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 14 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
2. For students in grades 7 through 12, teen dating 326
violence and abuse. This component must include, but not be 327
limited to, the definition of dating violence and abuse, the 328
warning signs of dating violence and abusive behavior, the 329
characteristics of healthy relationships, measures to prevent 330
and stop dating violence and abuse, and community resources 331
available to victims of dating violence and abuse. 332
3. For students in grades 6 through 12, awareness of the 333
benefits of sexual abstinence as the expected standard and the 334
consequences of teenage pregnancy. 335
4. Life skills that build confidence, support mental and 336
emotional health, and enable students to overcome challenges, 337
including: 338
a. Self-awareness and self-management. 339
b. Responsible decisionmaking. 340
c. Resiliency. 341
d. Relationship skills and conflict resolution. 342
e. Understanding and respecting other viewpoints and 343
backgrounds. 344
f. For grades 9 through 12, developing leadership skills, 345
interpersonal skills, organization skills, and research skills; 346
creating a résumé, including a digital résumé; exploring career 347
pathways; using state career planning re sources; developing and 348
practicing the skills necessary for employment interviews; 349
workplace ethics and workplace law; managing stress and 350
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 15 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
expectations; and self -motivation. 351
5.a. For students in grades 6 through 12, the social, 352
emotional, and physical ef fects of social media. This component 353
must include, but need not be limited to, the negative effects 354
of social media on mental health, including addiction; the 355
distribution of misinformation on social media; how social media 356
manipulates behavior; the perma nency of sharing materials 357
online; how to maintain personal security and identify 358
cyberbullying, predatory behavior, and human trafficking on the 359
Internet; and how to report suspicious behavior encountered on 360
the Internet. 361
b. The Department of Education shall make available online 362
the instructional material being used pursuant to this 363
subparagraph, and each district school board shall notify 364
parents of its availability. 365
6. For students in grades 6 through 12, health education 366
addressing human embryologi c development must include: 367
a. A high-definition ultrasound video, at least one minute 368
in duration, showing the development of the heart and other 369
organs and movement of the limbs and head; and 370
b. A high-quality, computer-generated rendering, 371
animation, video, or other multimedia, at least three minutes in 372
duration, showing and describing the process of fertilization 373
and various stages of human development inside the uterus, 374
noting significant markers in cell growth and organ development 375
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 16 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
by week from conception until birth. 376
c. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to 377
implement this subparagraph. 378
379
Health education and life skills instruction and materials may 380
not contradict the principles enumerated in subsection (3). 381
382
The State Board of Educat ion is encouraged to adopt standards 383
and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. 384
Instructional programming that incorporates the values of the 385
recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is 386
offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or 387
other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness 388
initiative meets the requirements of paragraph (u). 389
Section 6. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) and subsection 390
(3) of section 1003.4201, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 391
1003.4201 Comprehensive system of reading instruction. —392
Each school district must implement a system of comprehensive 393
reading instruction for students enrolled in prekindergarten 394
through grade 12 and certain students who exhibit a substantial 395
deficiency in early literacy. 396
(2)(a) Components of the reading instruction plan may 397
include the following: 398
1. Additional time per day of evidence -based intensive 399
reading instruction for kindergarten through grade 12 students, 400
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 17 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
which may be delivered during or outside of the regular school 401
day. 402
2. Highly qualified reading coaches, who must be endorsed 403
in reading, to specifically support classroom teachers in making 404
instructional decisions based on progress monitoring data 405
collected pursuant to s. 1008.25(9) and improve classroom 406
teacher delivery of effective reading instruction, reading 407
intervention, and reading in the content areas based on student 408
need. 409
3. Professional learning to help instructional personnel 410
and certified prekindergarten teachers funded in the Florida 411
Education Finance Program earn a certification, a credential, an 412
endorsement, or an advanced degree in scientifically researched 413
and evidence-based reading instruction. 414
4. Summer reading camps, using only classroom teachers or 415
other district personnel who possess a micro -credential as 416
specified in s. 1003.485 or are certified or endorsed in reading 417
consistent with s. 1008.25(8)(b)3., for all students in 418
kindergarten through grade 5 exhibiting a reading deficiency as 419
determined by district and state assessments. 420
5. Intensive reading interventions that must be delivered 421
by instructional personnel who possess a micro -credential as 422
provided in s. 1003.485 or are certified or endorsed in reading 423
as provided in s. 1012.586 and must incorporate evidence-based 424
strategies identified by the Just Read, Florida! Office pursuant 425
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 18 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
to s. 1001.215(7). Instructional personnel who possess a micro -426
credential as specified in s. 1003.485 and are delivering 427
intensive reading interventions must be supervised by a n 428
individual certified or endorsed in reading. For the purposes of 429
this subsection, the term "supervised" means the ability to 430
communicate by way of telecommunication with or physical 431
presence of the certified or endorsed personnel for consultation 432
and direction of the actions of the personnel with the micro -433
credential. Incentives for instructional personnel and certified 434
prekindergarten teachers funded in the Florida Education Finance 435
Program who possess a reading certification or endorsement as 436
specified in s. 1012.586 or micro-credential as specified in s. 437
1003.485 and provide educational support to improve student 438
literacy. 439
6. Tutoring in reading. 440
7. A description of how the district prioritizes the 441
assignment of highly effective teachers, as identif ied in s. 442
1012.34(2)(e), to students in kindergarten to grade 2. 443
(3) Each school district shall submit its approved reading 444
instruction plan, including approved reading instruction plans 445
for each charter school in the district, to the Department of 446
Education for approval by August 1 of each fiscal year. 447
Section 7. Section 1003.4202, Florida Statutes, is created 448
to read: 449
1003.4202 Comprehensive system of mathematics 450
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 19 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
instruction.—Each school district must implement a system of 451
comprehensive mathematic s instruction for students enrolled in 452
prekindergarten through grade 12 and certain students who 453
exhibit a substantial deficiency in early mathematics skills 454
under s. 1008.25(6). 455
(1) As part of the reading instruction plan required under 456
s. 1003.4201, each school district shall include a detailed 457
mathematics instruction plan that outlines the components of the 458
district's comprehensive system of mathematics instruction. 459
(2) Components of the mathematics instruction plan may 460
include the following: 461
(a) Additional time per day of evidence -based intensive 462
mathematics instruction for students in kindergarten through 463
grade 12, which may be delivered during or outside of the 464
regular school day. 465
(b) Highly qualified mathematics coaches who hold either a 466
grades 5 through 9 mathematics certification or a grades 6 467
through 12 mathematics certification and have 3 consecutive 468
years of a highly effective district evaluation, pursuant to s. 469
1012.34, to specifically support classroom teachers in making 470
instructional decisions based on progress monitoring data 471
collected pursuant to s. 1008.25(9) and improve classroom 472
teacher delivery of effective mathematics instruction and 473
mathematics intervention. 474
(c) Tutoring in mathematics. 475
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 20 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(3) For purposes of this section, the term "evidence-476
based" means demonstrating a statistically significant effect on 477
improving student outcomes or other relevant outcomes as 478
provided in 20 U.S.C. s. 8101(21)(A)(i) . 479
Section 8. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section 480
1004.04, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 481
1004.04 Public accountability and state approval for 482
teacher preparation programs. — 483
(4) CONTINUED PROGRAM APPROVAL. —Continued approval of a 484
teacher preparation program shall be based upon evidence that 485
the program continues to implement the requirements for initial 486
approval and upon significant, objective, and quantifiable 487
measures of the program and the performance of the program 488
completers. 489
(a) The criteria for continued approval must include each 490
of the following: 491
1. Candidate readiness based on passage rates on educator 492
certification examinations under s. 1012.56, as applicable. 493
2. Evidence of performance in each of the following areas: 494
a. Performance of students in prekindergarten through 495
grade 12 who are assig ned to in-field program completers on 496
statewide assessments using the results of the student learning 497
growth formula adopted under s. 1012.34. 498
b. Results of program completers' annual evaluations in 499
accordance with the timeline as set forth in s. 1012.34 . 500
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 21 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
c. Workforce contributions, including placement of program 501
completers in instructional positions in Florida public and 502
private schools, with additional weight given to production of 503
program completers in statewide high-demand critical teacher 504
needs shortage areas as identified in s. 1012.07. 505
3. Results of the program completers' survey measuring 506
their satisfaction with preparation for the realities of the 507
classroom. 508
4. Results of the employers' survey measuring satisfaction 509
with the program and the program's responsiveness to local 510
school districts. 511
Section 9. Effective upon becoming a law, paragraph (b) of 512
subsection (1) of section 1007.27, Florida Statutes, is amended, 513
and paragraph (d) is added to subsection (2), to read: 514
1007.27 Articulated acceleration mechanisms. — 515
(1) 516
(b) The State Board of Education and the Board of 517
Governors shall identify Florida College System institutions and 518
state universities or a national consortium to develop courses 519
that align with s. 1007.25 for students in secondary education 520
and provide the training required under s. 1007.35(6). 521
(2) 522
(d) The department may join or establish a national 523
consortium as an alternative method to develop and implemen t 524
advanced courses that align with s. 1007.25. 525
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 22 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Section 10. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (6) of 526
section 1008.25, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 527
1008.25 Public school student progression; student 528
support; coordinated screening and progr ess monitoring; 529
reporting requirements. — 530
(6) MATHEMATICS DEFICIENCY AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION. — 531
(a) Any student in a Voluntary Prekindergarten Education 532
Program provided by a public school who exhibits a substantial 533
deficiency in early mathematics skil ls and any student in 534
kindergarten through grade 4 who exhibits a substantial 535
deficiency in mathematics or the characteristics of dyscalculia 536
based upon screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, or 537
assessment data; statewide assessments; or teacher obser vations 538
must: 539
1. Immediately following the identification of the 540
mathematics deficiency, be provided systematic and explicit 541
mathematics instruction to address his or her specific 542
deficiencies through either: 543
a. Daily targeted small group mathematics i ntervention 544
based on student need; or 545
b. Supplemental, evidence -based mathematics interventions 546
before or after school, or both, delivered by a highly qualified 547
teacher of mathematics or a trained tutor , as defined by the 548
State Board of Education . 549
2. The performance of a student receiving mathematics 550
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 23 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
instruction under subparagraph 1. must be monitored, and 551
instruction must be adjusted based on the student's need. 552
3. The department shall provide a list of state examined 553
and approved mathematics interve ntion programs, curricula, and 554
high-quality supplemental materials that may be used to improve 555
a student's mathematics deficiencies. In addition, the 556
department shall work, at a minimum, with the Florida Center for 557
Mathematics and Science Education Researc h established in s. 558
1004.86 to disseminate information to school districts and 559
teachers on effective evidence -based explicit mathematics 560
instructional practices, strategies, and interventions. 561
4. A school may not wait for a student to receive a 562
failing grade at the end of a grading period or wait until a 563
plan under paragraph (4)(b) is developed to identify the student 564
as having a substantial mathematics deficiency and initiate 565
intensive mathematics interventions. In addition, a school may 566
not wait until an evaluation conducted pursuant to s. 1003.57 is 567
completed to provide appropriate, evidence -based interventions 568
for a student whose parent submits documentation from a 569
professional licensed under chapter 490 which demonstrates that 570
the student has been di agnosed with dyscalculia. Such 571
interventions must be initiated upon receipt of the 572
documentation and based on the student's specific areas of 573
difficulty as identified by the licensed professional. 574
5. The mathematics proficiency of a student receiving 575
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 24 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
additional mathematics supports must be monitored and the 576
intensive interventions must continue until the student 577
demonstrates grade level proficiency in a manner determined by 578
the district, which may include achieving a Level 3 on the 579
statewide, standardized Mathematics assessment. The State Board 580
of Education shall identify by rule guidelines for determining 581
whether a student in a Voluntary Prekindergarten Education 582
Program has a deficiency in early mathematics skills or a 583
student in kindergarten through gra de 4 has a substantial 584
deficiency in mathematics. 585
586
For the purposes of this subsection, a Voluntary Prekindergarten 587
Education Program student is deemed to exhibit a substantial 588
deficiency in mathematics skills based upon the results of the 589
midyear or final administration of the coordinated screening and 590
progress monitoring under subsection (9). 591
(c) The parent of a student who exhibits a substantial 592
deficiency in mathematics, as described in paragraph (a), must 593
be immediately notified in writing of the fol lowing: 594
1. That his or her child has been identified as having a 595
substantial deficiency in mathematics, including a description 596
and explanation, in terms understandable to the parent, of the 597
exact nature of the student's difficulty in learning and lack o f 598
achievement in mathematics. 599
2. A description of the current services that are provided 600
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 25 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
to the child. 601
3. A description of the proposed intensive interventions 602
and supports that will be provided to the child that are 603
designed to remediate the identifie d area of mathematics 604
deficiency. 605
4. Strategies, including multisensory strategies and 606
programming, through a home -based plan the parent can use in 607
helping his or her child succeed in mathematics. The home -based 608
plan must provide access to the resources identified in 609
paragraph (d). 610
5. Information about the student's eligibility for the New 611
Worlds Scholarship Accounts under s. 1002.411 and the New Worlds 612
Tutoring Program under s. 1008.366. 613
614
After the initial notification, the school shall apprise the 615
parent at least monthly of the student's progress in response to 616
the intensive interventions and supports. Such communications 617
must be in writing and must explain any additional interventions 618
or supports that will be implemented to accelerate the student's 619
progress if the interventions and supports already being 620
implemented have not resulted in improvement. Upon the request 621
of the parent, the teacher or school administrator shall meet to 622
discuss the student's progress. The parent may request more 623
frequent notification of the student's progress, more frequent 624
interventions or supports, and earlier implementation of the 625
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 26 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
additional interventions or supports described in the initial 626
notification. 627
Section 11. Subsection (8) of section 1008.365, Florida 628
Statutes, is amended to read: 629
1008.365 Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic 630
Excellence Act.— 631
(8) As part of the RAISE Program, the department shall 632
establish a tutoring program and develop training in effective 633
reading tutoring practices and content, b ased on evidence-based 634
practices grounded in the science of reading and aligned to the 635
English Language Arts standards under s. 1003.41, which prepares 636
eligible high school students to tutor students in kindergarten 637
through grade 3 in schools identified un der this section, 638
instilling in those students a love of reading and improving 639
their literacy skills. 640
(a) To be eligible to participate in the tutoring program, 641
a high school student must be a rising junior or senior who has 642
a cumulative grade point aver age of 3.0 or higher, has no 643
history of out-of-school suspensions or expulsions, is on track 644
to complete all core course requirements to graduate, and has 645
written recommendations from at least two of his or her present 646
or former high school teachers of rec ord or extracurricular 647
activity sponsors. 648
(b) School districts that wish to participate in the 649
tutoring program must recruit, train, and deploy eligible high 650
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 27 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
school students using the materials developed under this 651
section. Tutoring must occur during or after the school day on 652
school district property in the presence and under the 653
supervision of instructional personnel who are school district 654
employees. A parent must give written permission for his or her 655
child to receive tutoring through the program. 656
(c) Tutoring may be part of a service -learning course 657
adopted pursuant to s. 1003.497. Students may earn up to three 658
elective credits for high school graduation based on the 659
verified number of hours the student spends tutoring under the 660
program. The hours o f volunteer service must be documented in 661
writing, and the document must be signed by the student, the 662
student's parent or guardian, and an administrator or designee 663
of the school in which the tutoring occurred. The Unpaid hours 664
that a high school student devotes to tutoring may be counted 665
toward meeting community service requirements for high school 666
graduation and community service requirements for participation 667
in the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program as provided in 668
s. 1003.497(3)(b). The departm ent shall designate a high school 669
student who provides at least 75 verified hours of tutoring 670
under the program as a New Worlds Scholar and award the student 671
with a pin indicating such designation. 672
(d) School districts participating in the tutoring progr am 673
may provide a stipend to instructional personnel and high school 674
students serving as tutors for after -school tutoring. 675
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 28 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Section 12. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 676
1008.366, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 677
1008.366 The New Worlds T utoring Program.— 678
(1) The New Worlds Tutoring Program is created to support 679
school districts and schools in improving student achievement in 680
reading and mathematics by: 681
(b) Providing best practice guidelines for mathematics 682
tutoring in alignment with F lorida's Benchmarks for Excellent 683
Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards for mathematics in 684
consultation with the Office of Mathematics and Sciences . 685
Section 13. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 686
1011.58, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 687
1011.58 Procedures for legislative budget requests for the 688
Florida School for Competitive Academics. — 689
(1)(a) The legislative budget request of the Florida 690
School for Competitive Academics established in s. 1002.351 must 691
be prepared using the same format , procedures, and timelines 692
required for the submission of the legislative budget request of 693
the Department of Education. 694
Section 14. Section 1012.07, Florida Statutes, is amended 695
to read: 696
1012.07 Identification of high-demand critical teacher 697
needs shortage areas.— 698
The term "high-demand critical teacher needs shortage area" 699
means high-need content areas and high -priority location areas 700
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 29 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
identified by the State Board of Education. The State Board of 701
Education shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536( 1) and 702
120.54 necessary to annually identify high-demand critical 703
teacher needs shortage areas. The state board must consider 704
current and emerging educational requirements and workforce 705
demands in determining high-demand critical teacher needs 706
shortage areas. School grade levels may also be designated 707
critical teacher shortage areas. Individual district school 708
boards may identify and submit other high-demand critical 709
teacher needs shortage areas. Such submissions must be aligned 710
to current and emerging educational requirements and workforce 711
demands in order to be approved by the State Board of Education. 712
High-priority location areas must be in high -density, low-713
economic urban schools; low -density, low-economic rural schools; 714
and schools that earned a grade of "F" or three consecutive 715
grades of "D" pursuant to s. 1008.34. The State Board of 716
Education shall develop strategies to address high-demand 717
critical teacher needs shortage areas. 718
Section 15. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 719
1012.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 720
1012.22 Public school personnel; powers and duties of the 721
district school board. —The district school board shall: 722
(1) Designate positions to be filled, prescr ibe 723
qualifications for those positions, and provide for the 724
appointment, compensation, promotion, suspension, and dismissal 725
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 30 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
of employees as follows, subject to the requirements of this 726
chapter: 727
(c) Compensation and salary schedules. — 728
1. Definitions.—As used in this paragraph: 729
a. "Adjustment" means an addition to the base salary 730
schedule that is not a bonus and becomes part of the employee's 731
permanent base salary and shall be considered compensation under 732
s. 121.021(22). 733
b. "Grandfathered salary sche dule" means the salary 734
schedule or schedules adopted by a district school board before 735
July 1, 2014, pursuant to subparagraph 4. 736
c. "Instructional personnel" means instructional personnel 737
as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a) -(d), excluding substitute 738
teachers. 739
d. "Performance salary schedule" means the salary schedule 740
or schedules adopted by a district school board pursuant to 741
subparagraph 5. 742
e. "Salary schedule" means the schedule or schedules used 743
to provide the base salary for district school board perso nnel. 744
f. "School administrator" means a school administrator as 745
defined in s. 1012.01(3)(c). 746
g. "Supplement" means an annual addition to the base 747
salary for the term of the negotiated supplement as long as the 748
employee continues his or her employment f or the purpose of the 749
supplement. A supplement does not become part of the employee's 750
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 31 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
continuing base salary but shall be considered compensation 751
under s. 121.021(22). 752
2. Cost-of-living adjustment.—A district school board may 753
provide a cost-of-living salary adjustment if the adjustment: 754
a. Does not discriminate among comparable classes of 755
employees based upon the salary schedule under which they are 756
compensated. 757
b. Does not exceed 50 percent of the annual adjustment 758
provided to instructional personnel rated as effective. 759
3. Advanced degrees. —A district school board may use 760
advanced degrees in setting a salary schedule for instructional 761
personnel or school administrators if the advanced degree is 762
held in the individual's area of certification. 763
4. Grandfathered salary schedule. — 764
a. The district school board shall adopt a salary schedule 765
or salary schedules to be used as the basis for paying all 766
school employees hired before July 1, 2014. Instructional 767
personnel on annual contract as of July 1, 2014, shall be placed 768
on the performance salary schedule adopted under subparagraph 5. 769
Instructional personnel on continuing contract or professional 770
service contract may opt into the performance salary schedule if 771
the employee relinquishes such contract and ag rees to be 772
employed on an annual contract under s. 1012.335. Such an 773
employee shall be placed on the performance salary schedule and 774
may not return to continuing contract or professional service 775
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 32 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
contract status. Any employee who opts into the performance 776
salary schedule may not return to the grandfathered salary 777
schedule. 778
b. In determining the grandfathered salary schedule for 779
instructional personnel, a district school board must base a 780
portion of each employee's compensation upon performance 781
demonstrated under s. 1012.34 and shall provide differentiated 782
pay for both instructional personnel and school administrators 783
based upon district-determined factors, including, but not 784
limited to, additional responsibilities, school demographics, 785
high-demand teacher needs critical shortage areas, and level of 786
job performance difficulties. 787
5. Performance salary schedule. —By July 1, 2014, the 788
district school board shall adopt a performance salary schedule 789
that provides annual salary adjustments for instructional 790
personnel and school administrators based upon performance 791
determined under s. 1012.34. Employees hired on or after July 1, 792
2014, or employees who choose to move from the grandfathered 793
salary schedule to the performance salary schedule shall be 794
compensated pursuant to the performance salary schedule once 795
they have received the appropriate performance evaluation for 796
this purpose. 797
a. Base salary.—The base salary shall be established as 798
follows: 799
(I) The base salary for instructional personnel or school 800
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 33 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
administrators who opt into the performance salary schedule 801
shall be the salary paid in the prior year, including 802
adjustments only. 803
(II) Instructional personnel or school administrators new 804
to the district, returning to the district after a break in 805
service without an authorized leave of absence, or appointed for 806
the first time to a position in the district in the capacity of 807
instructional personnel or school administrator shall be placed 808
on the performance salary schedule. 809
b. Salary adjustments. —Salary adjustments for highly 810
effective or effective performance shall be established as 811
follows: 812
(I) The annual salary adjustment under the performance 813
salary schedule for an employee rated as highly effective must 814
be at least 25 percent greater than the highest annual salary 815
adjustment available to an employee of the same classification 816
through any other salary schedule adopted by the district. 817
(II) The annual salary adjustment under the performance 818
salary schedule for an employee rated as effective must be equ al 819
to at least 50 percent and no more than 75 percent of the annual 820
adjustment provided for a highly effective employee of the same 821
classification. 822
(III) A salary schedule shall not provide an annual salary 823
adjustment for an employee who receives a ratin g other than 824
highly effective or effective for the year. 825
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 34 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
c. Salary supplements. —In addition to the salary 826
adjustments, each district school board shall provide for salary 827
supplements for activities that must include, but are not 828
limited to: 829
(I) Assignment to a Title I eligible school. 830
(II) Assignment to a school that earned a grade of "F" or 831
three consecutive grades of "D" pursuant to s. 1008.34 such that 832
the supplement remains in force for at least 1 year following 833
improved performance in that school . 834
(III) Certification and teaching in high-demand critical 835
teacher needs shortage areas. Statewide high-demand critical 836
teacher needs shortage areas shall be identified by the State 837
Board of Education under s. 1012.07. However, the district 838
school board may identify other areas of high-demand needs 839
critical shortage within the school district for purposes of 840
this sub-sub-subparagraph and may remove areas identified by the 841
state board which do not apply within the school district. 842
(IV) Assignment of addi tional academic responsibilities. 843
844
If budget constraints in any given year limit a district school 845
board's ability to fully fund all adopted salary schedules, the 846
performance salary schedule shall not be reduced on the basis of 847
total cost or the value of i ndividual awards in a manner that is 848
proportionally greater than reductions to any other salary 849
schedules adopted by the district. Any compensation for 850
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 35 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
longevity of service awarded to instructional personnel who are 851
on any other salary schedule must be inc luded in calculating the 852
salary adjustments required by sub -subparagraph b. 853
Section 16. Section 1012.315, Florida Statutes, is amended 854
to read: 855
1012.315 Screening standards. — 856
(1) A person is ineligible for educator certification or 857
employment in any position that requires direct contact with 858
students in a district school system, a charter school, or a 859
private school that participates in a state scholarship program 860
under chapter 1002, which includes being an owner or operator of 861
a private school that participates in a scholarship program 862
under chapter 1002, if the person: 863
(a)(1) Is on the disqualification list maintained by the 864
department under s. 1001.10(4)(b); 865
(b)(2) Is registered as a sex offender as described in 42 866
U.S.C. s. 9858f(c)(1)(C); 867
(c)(3) Is ineligible based on a security background 868
investigation under s. 435.04(2). Beginning January 1, 2025, or 869
a later date as determined by the Agency for Health Care 870
Administration, The Agency for Health Care Administration shall 871
determine the eligibility of employees in any position that 872
requires direct contact with students in a district school 873
system, a charter school, or a private school that participates 874
in a state scholarship program under chapter 1002; 875
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 36 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(d)(4) Would be ineligible for an exemp tion under s. 876
435.07(4)(c); or 877
(e)(5) Has been convicted or found guilty of, has had 878
adjudication withheld for, or has pled guilty or nolo contendere 879
to: 880
1.(a) Any criminal act committed in another state or under 881
federal law which, if committed in this state, constitutes a 882
disqualifying offense under s. 435.04(2). 883
2.(b) Any delinquent act committed in this state or any 884
delinquent or criminal act committed in another state or under 885
federal law which, if committed in this state, qualifies an 886
individual for inclusion on the Registered Juvenile Sex Offender 887
List under s. 943.0435(1)(h)1.d. 888
(2) Persons who apply for certification or employment are 889
governed by the law and rules in effect at the time of 890
application for issuance of the initial certificate or 891
employment, provided that continuity of certificates or 892
employment is maintained. 893
Section 17. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 894
1012.586, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 895
1012.586 Additions or changes to certificates; duplicate 896
certificates; reading endorsement pathways. — 897
(2) 898
(b) As part of adopting a pathway pursuant to paragraph 899
(a), the department shall review the competencies for the 900
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 37 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
reading endorsement and subject area examinations for educator 901
certificates identified pursuant t o s. 1012.585(3)(f) for 902
alignment with evidence -based instructional and intervention 903
strategies rooted in the science of reading and identified 904
pursuant to s. 1001.215(7) and recommend changes to the State 905
Board of Education. Recommended changes must addre ss 906
identification of the characteristics of conditions such as 907
dyslexia or dyscalculia, implementation of evidence -based 908
classroom instruction and interventions, including evidence -909
based reading or mathematics instruction and interventions 910
specifically for students with characteristics of dyslexia or 911
dyscalculia, and effective progress monitoring. By July 1, 2023, 912
each school district reading endorsement add -on program must be 913
resubmitted for approval by the department consistent with this 914
paragraph. 915
Section 18. Section 1012.77, Florida Statutes, is amended 916
to read: 917
1012.77 Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education 918
Program.— 919
(1) The Legislature recognizes that Florida continues to 920
face teacher shortages and that fewer young people consider 921
teaching as a career. It is the intent of the Legislature to 922
promote the positive and rewarding aspects of being a teacher, 923
to encourage more individuals to become teachers, and to provide 924
annual sabbatical support for outstanding Florida teachers to 925
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 38 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
serve as goodwill ambassadors for education. The Legislature 926
further wishes to honor the memory of Christa McAuliffe, who 927
epitomized the challenge and inspiration that teaching can be. 928
(2) The Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education Program 929
is established to provid e salary, travel, and other related 930
expenses annually for an outstanding Florida teacher to promote 931
the positive aspects of teaching as a career. The goals of the 932
program are to: 933
(a) Enhance the stature of teachers and the teaching 934
profession. 935
(b) Promote the importance of quality education and 936
teaching for our future. 937
(c) Inspire and attract talented people to become 938
teachers. 939
(d) Provide information regarding Florida's scholarship 940
and loan programs related to teaching. 941
(e) Promote the teachi ng profession within community and 942
business groups. 943
(f) Provide information to retired military personnel and 944
other individuals who might consider teaching as a second 945
career. 946
(g) Work with and represent the Department of Education, 947
as needed. 948
(h) Work with and encourage the efforts of school and 949
district teachers of the year. 950
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 39 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(i) Support the activities of the Florida Future Educator 951
of America Program. 952
(j) Represent Florida teachers at business, trade, 953
education, and other conferences and meeting s. 954
(k) Promote the teaching profession in other ways related 955
to the teaching responsibilities, background experiences, and 956
aspirations of the Ambassador for Education. 957
(3) The Teacher of the Year shall serve as the Ambassador 958
for Education. If the Teac her of the Year is unable to serve as 959
the Ambassador for Education, the first runner -up shall serve in 960
his or her place. The Department of Education shall establish 961
application and selection procedures for determining an annual 962
teacher of the year. Applica tions and selection criteria shall 963
be developed and distributed annually by the Department of 964
Education to all eligible entities identified in subsection (4) 965
school districts. The Commissioner of Education shall establish 966
a selection committee which assure s representation from teacher 967
organizations, administrators, and parents to select the Teacher 968
of the Year and Ambassador for Education from among the district 969
teachers of the year. 970
(4) Eligible entities to submit to the Department of 971
Education a nominee for the Teacher of the Year and Ambassador 972
for Education are: 973
(a) Florida school districts, including lab schools as 974
defined in s. 1002.32. 975
HB 1255 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1255-00
Page 40 of 40
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(b) Charter school consortia with at least 30 member 976
schools and an approved professional learning system on fi le 977
with the Department. 978
(5)(a)(4)(a) The Commissioner of Education shall pay an 979
annual salary, fringe benefits, travel costs, and other costs 980
associated with administering the program. 981
(b) The Ambassador for Education shall serve for 1 year, 982
from July 1 to June 30, and shall be assured of returning to his 983
or her teaching position upon completion of the program. The 984
ambassador will not have a break in creditable or continuous 985
service or employment for the period of time in which he or she 986
participates in the program. 987
Section 19. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this 988
act, and except for this section, which shall take effect upon 989
this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1, 990
2025. 991