After it appeared the House and Senate had agreed on spending $500 million to increase teacher salaries, the Senate on Sunday proposed upping the amount to $600 million. The proposal came a day after the House indicated it would go along with an initial Senate plan to spend $500 million.
Increasing teacher pay is a top priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis and has been a high-profile issue during this year’s legislative session. DeSantis asked the Legislature to approve a $602 million plan that would set a minimum salary of $47,500 for public school teachers.
The House initially proposed $650 million for teacher salary increases but indicated during negotiations Saturday that it would accept the Senate’s $500 million proposal. In another round of negotiations Sunday evening, the Senate offered to go to $600 million on the issue.
Senate Education Appropriations Chairwoman Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, said lawmakers are “still trying to meet the goal of the governor of trying to hit that minimum salary for our teachers.”
DeSantis also asked legislators to set aside $300 million for a new teacher and principal bonus program that would replace the embattled “Best and Brightest” bonus program. The House and Senate have rejected DeSantis proposed funding for a bonus program.
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They should get the minimum salary, but many will get no increase.
Just be sure the teachers union isn’t protecting incompetent teachers.
Teachers are overpaid.
Not sure I agree with you, but to the degree that is true, the School Board is VERY overpaid.
Really, all schools should be privately run,and let the market set wages.
Daycare centers all cost differently, depending on what parents want and can afford. Why any different for schools? Daycares are regulated to a minimum standard, why not schools?
School Board makes way too much for the failures they consistently present to our County. Their pay should be tied to the performance of the schools they oversee.
I couldn’t agree more with your comment. I don’t want to use the public school system, why am I forced to pay for it? Like everything the govt gives you “for free”, it’s very expensive, and you have no freedom of choice.
Public schools are invariably the worst schools in the county. Let’s get rid of this system and allow the good, private schools to compete.
This entire concept is pernicious. Govt created these schools so they can control the message taught to kids, which is completely unfair to the parents who don’t believe in that message.