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Get in touch with your local legislators today and tell them any salary plan must be long-term, include all school employees, respect local control, and provide raises for veteran teachers.
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Talking Points
We welcome the discussion of making 2020 the “Year of the Teacher,” with an investment of over one-half billion dollars into educator salary. That being said, we will be watching carefully to ensure that the promise of these funds actually becomes a reality for all who work with Florida’s children.
In order to fulfill the promise, the budget must contain the following elements:
Consist of a Multi-Year Commitment
- While it is unquestionably great progress to see the Legislature talking about investing over one-half billion dollars directly into educator salaries, it will take a sustained commitment over the next few years to make up for over a decade of underfunding.
Include All School Employees
- Any budget that excludes over 50% of the professionals who work with children every day is not compatible with the idea of the celebrating the “Year of the Teacher.”
- Kindergarten through twelfth grade “classroom teachers” are less than one-half of all public school employees. The other half of educators who are also deserving of raises include the following:
- Prekindergarten teachers
- K-12 instructional personnel such as counselors, media specialists, and paraprofessionals
- Non-instructional personnel such as clerical, maintenance, and bus drivers
Provide Local Flexibility
- The needs of Florida’s counties are the same, but the best solution might look very different from county to county.
- A “Year of the Teacher” budget plan must remove current restrictions on how salary increases are allocated and cannot provide new regulations. Each district must have the flexibility to meet their unique needs.
Respect Veteran Teachers
- Students and entire schools benefit from having veteran teachers, but too many teachers cannot afford to live in the community where they teach.
- A pay plan that ignores veteran teachers is not compatible with the “Year of the Teacher. Conversely, respecting veteran teachers is an investment in Florida’s students.
Fund Salaries not Bonuses
- Bonuses do not provide stability, nor do they help in recruitment and retention. A “Year of the Teacher” budget must dedicate funds exclusively to permanent salary increases, not one-time bonuses.
