Frank Torres
Orlando State Senator Darren Soto will file the SB 296 “Florida Teacher Fair Pay Act” for a second time on Wednesday afternoon. The bill aims to retain and attract quality teaching candidates, while maintaining adequate funding for other education programs and personnel. It adds that the statewide minimum salary for all instructional personnel will be $50,000.
“Today I will be filing the Florida Teacher Fair Pay Act in my continuing crusade to boost minimum teacher salaries to $50,000 per year.” said Soto in announcement on social media “Unfortunately our teachers are underpaid, overworked and we are having difficulty recruiting and retaining them. With a projected budget surplus of $635M this year, the time for fair teacher pay is now!”
The bill was tied up in the Senate last year, and failed to get traction in the midst over the fight between the House and the Senate over Medicaid expansion. Education has been a hot button issue in 2015, with a per pupil spending increase and a debate over high stakes testing in the state. Soto is also currently running for Congress in the 9th district which consists of parts of Orange, Osceola, and Polk counties.
