Florida teachers plan to rally against proposed budget cuts
17 mins agoDunedin, Florida -- Fourteen years in the classroom and teacher Brandt Robinson says what's happening in Wisconsin is just the beginning.
"I have people on Facebook in Iowa, in Wisconsin, in Nevada. It's gaining momentum. It might gain momentum into 2012 to the elections," says Robinson.
Tens of thousands of Wisconsin teachers continue a sixth day of rallying at the state capitol, protesting the governor's proposed budget cuts. Wisconsin teachers are also fighting to protect their collective bargaining rights - a right Florida's public workers, including teachers, have under the state constitution.
Like Wisconsin, Florida teachers say they are trying to protect their profession. "We're still fighting the perception this is missionary work, while it is we're still professionals and want to be treated as professionals," says Robinson.
Proposed legislation would tie teacher evaluations and merit pay to student test scores, and Governor Scott proposes having all public employees contribute five percent of their salaries into their pensions.