Governor Ron DeSantis announces $1.25 billion toward teacher pay increases
Press release from the Office of Governor Ron DeSantis
HIALEAH, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced his commitment to approving a historic teacher salary funding increase of $1.25 billion in the budget for Fiscal Year 2024–25. Since 2019, Florida has invested over $4 billion in teacher pay increases and has raised starting teacher pay by nearly $10,000.
“Florida’s education system is number one in the nation, and we want to make sure good educators are attracted to Florida with attractive compensation,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I am proud to have invested more than $4 billion for teacher pay increases since the beginning of my time in office, and I will continue to push for increased funding for Florida’s teachers.”
“I want to thank Governor DeSantis for his steadfast commitment and unwavering dedication to Florida’s education system throughout the years,” said Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. “Florida continues to attract some of the best educators in the country, and it is a testament to the work that Governor DeSantis has done to support education and raise teacher pay. Florida is the education state, and with investments like this, we will continue to lead the nation for years to come.”
For the 2023–2024 school year, Florida’s average starting teacher pay is over $48,000, and the average teacher salary exceeds $54,000.
Before Governor DeSantis took office, there was no dedicated, recurring funding for teacher pay increases. In 2020, the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation was established in the budget and has risen from $500,000,000 to more than $1.25 billion, the amount approved today for the upcoming year. Thanks to the work of Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature, Florida has the highest average starting teacher salary in the southeast United States.
“Florida has invested over $4 billion in teacher pay increases and has raised starting teacher pay by nearly $10,000.”
Please note these increases do not benefit veteran teachers, who are more likely to stay in the profession until retirement or who have delayed retirement because of the teacher shortage. As a result, new teachers, especially in Alachua county, do not have a tremendous pay gap between veteran teachers.
Veteran teacher pay is set in negotiations between the teachers’ union and the district, not by the governor. But teachers willingly send dues to ACEA to fund Carmen Ward’s $97k salary (plus $27k in “other compensation”) and Crystal Tessman’s $75k salary (plus $26k in “other compensation”) while complaining about the governor.
This is crazy. I thought they were supposed to get teacher salaries. How do you know this. This is outrageous.
If you’re a teacher, ask ACEA for the PERC Membership Authorization Form (you should have filled it out to become a member). The salaries are listed there.
Those veteran teachers, and new ones, may want to question why they’re funding such an exorbitant salary for people who do far less than they do.
Some things just don’t add up.
Paula, when the union negotiates, all instructional staff, union members or not receive raises. The Desantis funds are only for new staff.
My point was that salaries are set in negotiations between the teachers’ union and the school board – so any complaints about a lack of raises should be directed toward those two parties. The governor has included money in the budget that has to be used for salaries (not just for new teachers), but he is not part of the negotiations.
Here’s hoping those funds make it past the walls of Kirby Smith and to those it’s intended for.
This district will find loopholes in the bill and divert the money somewhere else. Teachers never get high pay increases and ACEA pretends to fight for them.
I applaud Governor DeSantis for this. Unfortunately, the woke teachers also get raises too. 🙄