Sarah Mueller
State Senate Democrats who feel Gov. Ron DeSantis’ teacher pay plan doesn’t go far enough are proposing their own plan.
DeSantis is proposing investing $900 million dollars into raising minimum teacher salaries. The Governor said his proposal would lead to a boost in pay for more than 100,000 teachers statewide, or about 60% of them statewide. But his plan focuses mostly on first-time teachers, a move critics say amounts to stiffing veteran and tenured educators. It also leaves out other staff such as bus drivers, cafeteria workers and guidance counselors.
Senate Minority Leader Audrey Gibson said the plan they’re offering would cover everyone with the same amount of money. Their plan would give educators an annual 3% cost-of-living increase and a 4.5% base salary raise each year over 10 years.
“Our plan rewards everyone and leaves no one out,” Gibson said.
Kissimmee Democrat Sen. Victor Torres was a bus driver for 10 years in Marion County. He said he understands the role support staff plays.
“Hopefully this Governor will listen to us,” he said. “Because this is going to be a better quality of life for our school teachers and our support staff in those schools.
Because the Democrats’ proposal includes more personnel for the same amount of money, it reduces DeSantis’ proposed salary bump of $10,000 to about $3,000.
Gibson acknowledges it’s not as much of an increase as she wants to it be. But to seek more funding is to risk being slapped with the “tax and spend Democrats” label. Still, she believes seasoned teachers shouldn’t be left out.
“Why should they be left out,” she said. “They get up everyday and go and do their jobs in our schools too.”
Gibson and other Senate Democrats responded to a letter from the State Department of Education to Polk County Public Schools warning of possible fines of up to $20,000 or termination if they attend the Florida Education Association rally held Monday at the Capitol. The letter calls it an “illegal strike.”
“Of course it’s ridiculous,” Gibson said.
One comment
Denise Hunt
January 14, 2020 at 3:19 am
This seems easy to find a compromise. If I were a first-time teacher the Governor’s plan seems more attractive, but Senator Gibson’s plan calls for equity, fairness, and inclusion with less annual salary for teachers and their support staff.
Usually most legislative actions Audrey Gibson supports is repressive to the Black community. I need to do more research before I accept anything she says or supports!
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