Key takeaways
- Community members and public education leaders call on lawmakers to repeal the Schools of Hope Co-Location provision that allows public schools to be taken over by for-profit charter operators.
- Lawmakers should help strengthen out public schools, not abandon them
- Legislators must hear bills that focus on wage compression, salary flexibility, multiyear contracts, 10 year teaching certificates, advanced degrees, and that begin to address the issues with voucher accountability and transparency
Today, the Florida Education Association (FEA), alongside parents, teachers, professors, education staff professionals and student leaders from across the state discussed the state of public education in Florida and the urgent need for the Legislature to strengthen public schools rather than abandon them, in order to meet the needs of the students, parents, educators, and communities they serve.
“As educators, parents, and students across the state know, Florida is not fulfilling the constitutional requirement it has,” said Andrew Spar, President of the Florida Education Association. “But Legislators have a chance to do so. This session, lawmakers have several bills before them that will improve learning conditions for Florida’s public-school students. We want lawmakers to act on behalf of our public-school students, uphold their constitutional right to a free, high-quality public education, and help educators do the jobs they love and want to do.”
Several bills that address wage compression (when veteran educators make the same as newly hired educators), salary flexibility, multiyear contracts, 10 year teaching certificates, advanced degrees, and that begin to address the issues with voucher accountability and transparency as addressed by Florida’s auditor general’s recent report are either moving in the Senate or have even passed the Senate fully- but have not been placed on the agenda or been scheduled to be heard in the House.
Over the last 20 years, lawmakers have pushed forward restrictions that limit and overburden educators and policies that divert billions to unaccountable private school vouchers, and have allowed charter corporations to co-locate inside public school buildings while taxpayers foot the bill. These policies drain resources from already underfunded public schools and weaken public education across the state- directly impacting our students.
“Parents have made it abundantly clear—especially when it comes to charter schools co-locating in our public schools—that we are against harmful policies like Schools of Hope,” said Damaris Allen, Executive Director of Families for Strong Public Schools. “We are concerned about the future of our students, we are concerned they will lose opportunities, and we are concerned about their safety. Every single step of the way, parents have been ignored. In a state that claims that we are all about parental rights, that is an absolute slap in the face.”
To see a list of the bills FEA is tracking, visit FEAweb.org/session.
Here’s what parents, students and educators had to say today:
Antonio White, President, United Teachers of Dade
“In Miami, I had the opportunity to visit a school where, after a co-located charter opened, dozens of students disappeared from the roles almost overnight. The school lost staff positions, lost programs, and the children who remained felt like guests in their own school buildings. Educators see the tensions in the hallway, the confusion for families, and the message that it sends that some kids get hope while others get what’s left. That is not how you build strong public education in the state of Florida. So today I’m simply calling on our legislators to repeal the co-location provision…If you want hope, you need to invest in the schools that serve every child that walks through the door.”
David Freeland, President, Education Association of St. Lucie
“Every year we lose educators because without multiyear contracts there’s nothing to stop educators from leaving the profession for more stable work. On paper, it looks like a staffing issue. In real life, it’s a student issue. Students need a stable learning environment. They need teachers who stay long enough to build relationships and grow programs. Teachers needs to focus on teaching, not whether they will have a job next year.”
Tiffany Kane, President, Okeechobee County Education Association
“When education staff professionals are overworked, underpaid, and leaving public education altogether, students lose stability, consistency, and access to essential services. Schools struggle to maintain programs, manage resources effectively, and provide the support students need to succeed. Public education is the cornerstone of our economy, our communities, and our future workforce. Strong public schools require stable, experienced, and supported staff not burnout, turnover, and vacancy signs. We are asking lawmakers to strengthen, not abandon, public education. That means real investment in funding, programs, and resources starting with fair and sustainable wages for education staff professionals.”
RJ Decoteau, President, Hardee Education Association
“In my rural community Hardee County, the school district isn’t just a place where kids learn. It’s the largest employer, the heartbeat of the town, and the one institution that touches every family. When our schools struggle, our entire community feels it. In Hardee County, we are struggling right now…If we want strong schools, strong families, and a strong rural economy, we need lawmakers to act.”
Stephanie Yocum, President, Polk Education Association
“Budgets are a reflection of priorities and our budget in the state of Florida has reflected the priorities of billionaires and corporations for far too long, at the expense of the education of children in this state. And we must demand that lawmakers do better- do different, listen to parents and to educators advocating for better for our children. This isn’t just about the teaching profession, it’s about kids.”
Robert Cassanello, President, United Faculty of Florida
“Public higher education in Florida is under attack, and our students are paying the cost. Students are facing serious learning challenges because their instructors are being targeted by lawmakers and state-appointed bureaucrats. This climate of fear will result in students not learning the full content of some courses due to censorship, not engaging in lessons to the capacity of their abilities and thus being shortchanged on the state’s education commitment to provide students with the opportunity to critically think and understand the world.”
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CONTACT: FEA Press, feapress@floridaea.org, (850) 201-3223
The Florida Education Association is the state’s largest association of professional employees, with 120,000 members. FEA represents PreK-12 teachers, higher education faculty, educational staff professionals, students at our colleges and universities preparing to become teachers and retired education employees.
