Florida teachers union blasts Gov. DeSantis ‘fuzzy math,’ says $200M in budget for teacher pay isn’t enough

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state’s next budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, including $200 million for teacher pay raises. DeSantis has touted the increase, which the Legislature passed at his behest, as a “record” investment.

But the state’s largest teachers union isn’t impressed. Florida Education Association (FEA) President Andrew Spar said in a statement after the bill signing that DeSantis’ assertion “is at best, fuzzy math and at worst, a political stunt meant to intentionally mislead teachers in the state and once again shift blame.”

The increase will bring Florida’s total allocation for teacher salaries to $1.25 billion. After increasing starting teacher pay in 2020 to $47,500, Florida now ranks at No. 16 in the nation. But the National Education Association also ranks Florida at No. 50 — second-to-last in the nation because the ranking includes Washington, D.C. — in overall average teacher pay, which is about $53,000.

“Florida is the fourth largest economy in the nation — and with this budget the Governor has claimed he has so much money, he doesn’t know what to do with it,” Spar said.

“This is curious given that Florida’s teachers rank #50 in the nation in average teacher pay, a ranking that is contributing to a concerning teacher and staff shortage in our state. The solution seems to be to close down public schools in favor of voucher schools, which actively take money from our students in neighborhood public schools.”

A memo from the group puts the $200 million increase into perspective, noting that while it “sounds historic,” the increase doesn’t “move the needle far enough or fast enough for educators working toward a better life.”

“Parents, communities and voters overwhelmingly support public education,” Spar said. “This $200 million equates to a salary increase in every classroom teacher’s paycheck of about $125 a month, and nowhere near the $15,000 annual increase needed to match the national average for teacher salaries. The only thing the budget guarantees is that Florida’s teachers will remain near the bottom in average pay.”

The association is calling for $2.5 billion a year for the next seven years — about $1,000 more per student — “to make Florida’s teachers rank top 10 in the nation in pay and to fund programs that Florida’s students need to succeed.”

The FEA also laid out a series of budget items it says miss the mark on public education, including a 3.72% increase to the Base Student Allocation.

“Trends show when adjusted for inflation this funding is actually less than pre-Great Recession funding, when Florida was ranked 28th in the nation in average teacher salary,” the FEA memo noted.

Additionally, the group lamented that a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for past or future retirees will not be restored under the signed budget. The budget also maintains the $300 stipend for teachers to purchase classroom supplies, “effectively ensuring that teachers will need to continue to pay for supplies out of pocket.”

The FEA also said $180 million in funding for mental health and $290 million for school safety don’t go far enough either.

“Teachers and staff in Florida have recommendations on how the Governor can spend his extra cash: provide funds to pay teachers and education staff professionals fairly, fully fund public education, provide mental health resources for students and teachers who are struggling, and ensure teacher vacancies are filled so every child can have an educator trained in their subject,” Spar said.

Spar and the FEA have been speaking out about funding for public education since Monday, when the Florida Department of Education issued a press release from the Governor’s Office touting “historic teacher salary funding.” DeSantis is quoted in the press release touting teacher pay as “attractive compensation.”