advertisement

SSN on Facebook SSN on Twitter SSN on YouTube RSS Feed

15 Comments
Politics

House Looks for Ways to Boost Teacher Pay

October 18, 2019 - 6:00am
Chris Latvala
Chris Latvala

A House education panel on Thursday began delving into the issue of raising teacher pay, with a key lawmaker saying that while "everything is on the table," the panel still needs to figure out where the money would come from.

Rep. Chris Latvala, a Clearwater Republican who chairs the House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, said his panel has been asked by House leaders to find about $500 million in potential cuts as part of a broader budget exercise. But that exercise also could help determine if a teacher-pay package would be viable.

“That’s something that we will find out in the coming month or two,” Latvala told reporters.

Latvala said House leaders directed budget panels to do such exercises ahead of the 2020 legislative session, after state economists warned about a possible economic slowdown and a relatively small budget surplus next fiscal year.

But the effort also comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed raising the minimum starting salary of Florida teachers to $47,500, a proposal with an estimated $603 million price tag. The governor is pushing the potentially popular plan as dozens of lawmakers run for re-election in 2020.

“I am happy that this is something that is not a pie in the sky,” the governor said last week when he rolled out his proposal. “This is achievable, so we have to get this done.

Latvala said it remains unclear exactly how the Legislature would be able to pay for increasing teacher salaries and whether lawmakers would be able to bypass county school boards, which negotiate contracts with teachers.

“Ultimately, it is going to come down to finding that money and that’s what the budget exercise that we are going to be doing will look at,” he said. “If we’re going to need $500 million or $600 million or even more than that, where is that money going to come from?”

However, Latvala was hesitant to endorse a repeal of the controversial “Best and Brightest” teacher bonus program, which received $233.9 million in funding in the current year’s budget. 

“I am a strong supporter of Best and Brightest,” Latvala told reporters. “But when it comes to rewarding our teachers, everything is on the table.”

In the Senate, Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, is pushing to eliminate the bonus program because he said it has “managed to frustrate many good teachers with seemingly random outcomes” and has “made many good teachers feel less appreciated.”

Bradley filed a bill to end the program after the state agreed to pay $15.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that focused on allegations that the bonus program discriminated against black and Hispanic teachers.

Those allegations stemmed from the state’s past use of teachers’ scores on ACT and SAT college-entrance exams in helping determine whether teachers should receive bonuses. This spring, the Republican-dominated Legislature and DeSantis moved to do away with that test requirement.

Senate Education Chairman Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, said this week that when it comes to teacher compensation “everything is on the table” --- a comment echoed by Latvala. But Diaz added that if the bonus program is repealed, it would free up a lot of money that could be used somewhere else.

Latvala also said he would not overlook potential scenarios in which a $47,500 minimum salary would lead to experienced teachers making only slightly more money than brand-new teachers, something the governor has not addressed.

The Florida Education Association, a statewide teachers union, has said it is encouraged by DeSantis’ focus on teacher pay, but it also has raised questions about how the plan would help retain longstanding teachers.

Florida ranked 27th in the nation for average teacher starting pay during the 2017-2018 school year at $37,636, according to the National Education Association. The national average starting salary was $39,249.

The state’s overall average teacher pay in 2017-2018 topped $48,000, but educators have long called for higher salaries as Florida has ranked near the bottom nationally.

Rep. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville, told Latvala at the meeting that it is also important to consider raises for school employees who are not considered instructional personnel.

“There are teachers that have never been included in any type of bonus programs that we have. So, the pay increase across the board, especially for those ESE (exceptional student education) teachers and those reading coaches and those people who are not considered instructional personnel, are very important," Davis said.

Comments

It’s so easy to make $5000 for every day trading, if you want to understand how it is Google Emini S&P Trading Secret.

Emini S&P Trading Secret is so great they help me a lot in trading and making money, unlike the forex it disappoints me a lot. I will never trade back to forex again!

Emini S&P Trading Secret is so great they help me a lot in trading and making money, unlike the forex it disappoints me a lot. I will never trade back to forex again!

These guys are really good in Emini S&P trading, Google “Emini S&P Trading Secret” .

Emini S&P Trading Secret is so great they support me a lot in trading and making money, unlike the forex it disappoints me a lot. I will never trade back to forex again!

Emini S&P Trading Secret method is the best! And I love it. Google Emini S&P Trading Secret to learn more if you want to learn how to earn money by trading.

Want to learn a strategy and the most accurate method to earn money and to be successful in Emini S&P trading? Google Emini S&P Trading Secret.

Google the website Emini S&P Trading Secret, if you’re finding a fellow who can show you how to earn in trading, these guys are great they take seriously teaching people and I’m very happy to recommend them to anyone who are interested in learning to trade for themselves.

Earn cash in doing Emini S&P trading the easiest way and learning the correct strategies of how to do it. Google Emini S&P Trading Secret.

Want an extra ordinary work and strategy on how to be successful in trading? Simply Google ‘’ Emini S&P Trading Secret’’ You ought to have the capacity to discover it.

I’ve been trying to make money on forex for years but it’s a waste of time, go to Emini S&P Trading Secret and get into trading the futures. Now I’m making money trading and I’m so happy.

Emini S&P Trading Secret is the most strategic and accurate method in terms of doing Emini S&P trading. To learn more about them just Google Emini S&P Trading Secret.

According to an article published in High Times-The study, conducted by New Frontier Data, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank dedicated to providing empirical research on cannabis, suggests that the state could see a significant uptick in jobs over the next several years if pot is legalized. ---- John Kagia, chief knowledge officer of New Frontier Data, said that if prohibition is lifted, the number of jobs in Florida related to hemp and pot could swell to 128,587 by 2025—a sevenfold increase from the nearly 17,000 cannabis jobs in the state.----The study also said that the Sunshine State could claim a 12 percent share of the entire nationwide cannabis market by 2025, which is expected to total almost $30 billion. ----Kagia, as quoted by the Miami New Times, that the types of jobs generated by the cannabis industry vary widely, including “lower-skilled labor roles such as trimmers or budtenders, [plus] higher-skilled workers like extraction tech, chemists, and other manufacturers dealing with edibles.”----https://hightimes.com/news/study-suggests-legal-cannabis-could-create-over-100000-jobs-florida/-----

Simple. Increase business taxes - and actually start using lottery money for public education!!!

Um bah ga doi

Comments are now closed.

politics
advertisement
advertisement
Live streaming of WBOB Talk Radio, a Sunshine State News Radio Partner.

advertisement