Fla. teachers to Governor DeSantis: We have questions
Everybody was buzzing this week after the governor announced his plan to raise beginner teacher salaries. Everybody, that is, except for existing teachers.
You’d think we’d would be cheering. After all, the state hasn’t offered to fund our raises in seven years, since Rick Scott promised $2500, which, after all the fine print, ended up being much less. Throw in the three percent pension tax, and that actually left us in the red.
So, forgive us if we have questions.
Like, if it’s so “easily doable,” as the governor bragged during a press conference, then why didn’t he propose it 10 months ago during last legislative session, when the state was swimming in new revenue?
Maybe it has something to do with all the headlines this week regarding his relationship with those shady Ukrainian businessmen arrested trying to flee the country.
We have questions about how it would affect experienced teachers, Those with 15, and 20, and 30 years in the classroom. Or counselors and media specialists, who are required to hold valid Florida teaching certificates.
And does the governor even have the authority? We thought teacher salaries were negotiated during collective bargaining.
“Please ask Ed policy makers, like [Senate Education Chair] @SenMannyDiazJr and [House Education Chair] @voteforjennifer [Sullivan], who, when (for years) teachers asked for raises not bonuses, repeatedly said that the legislature cannot set salary: how can Tallahassee mandate salary now?” https://twitter.com/FLBaloney/status/...
House Speaker Jose Oliva expressed his surprise when tweeted that the governor already has $2 billion in new proposals and that the legislature has to set priorities.
You see, projected revenue in the coming year are actually down, despite all those promises that years of $billion tax cuts for corporations would grow the state economy.
And honestly, we just don’t trust that the same career politicians who’ve been playing musical chairs in Tallahassee for over a decade — like Education Commissioner Dick Corcoran — are finally going to see the light and actually support the work we do in the classroom. These politicians have been using the K-12 budget as a personal slush fund for their charter school businesses at home. And are unlikely to change anytime in the near future.
So, you’ll understand us if we say we’ll believe it when we see it in our checks.
Fla. teachers to Governor DeSantis: We have questions - YouTube
