JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County parents are reacting to new data released on Tuesday that showed Florida’s average teacher pay is still ranked at the bottom of the nation.
Florida is 50th out of all 50 states and D.C., according to newly released data from the National Education Association (NEA).
Fighting for public education is a passion for Katie Hathaway and Erin Sharer. They attended a May Day rally Thursday to advocate for public schools as part of Public School Defenders.
Hathaway and Sharer are concerned about the teacher pay data from the NEA.
“It’s shameful, to be honest, we need to stop saying teacher pay is an expense, it’s an investment,” said Sharer.
“Our teachers are shaping the future leaders of this state, and unfortunately, they are constantly being asked to do more with less. Less pay, less resources, less respect,” said Hathaway. “We are seeing good teachers leaving the profession, not because they stopped caring, but because they can’t afford to stay.”
The Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, said Florida’s poor ranking is a “direct result of poor policy implemented over the past 15 years and a continued lack of investment in public education by state leaders.”
The new figures show that average teacher pay in Florida rose to $54,875 in the 2023-24 school year, a 3.3% increase from the year before. But when adjusted for inflation, from 2014-15 to 2023-24, the average teacher salary in Florida fell 12.9%, FEA said.
(To access the full data sets, visit Feaweb.org/50InPay)
The average starting teacher salary is just under $49,000, ranking 17th in the nation.
Concerns arise from the cost of living. Data from the NEA shows that the minimum living wage in Florida is $61,002.
“There’s a direct correlation between teacher pay and retention and student success,” Sharer explained. “So if we want a strong workforce economy in the state of Florida, we need great teachers.”
“Florida’s lawmakers say they want to lead in public education, but you can’t lead from 50th place,” said FEA President Andrew Spar. “Florida’s 50th place ranking two years in a row is undeniable evidence that what politicians are doing right now simply isn’t working. Our state is facing a critical teacher and staff shortage, SAT scores are declining, and NAEP scores in reading and math are slipping — all clear signs that students are paying the price for bad policy. It’s a legacy of bad policy, and if we don’t change course, that will be the legacy that defines the future of public education in our state. Educators aren’t asking for riches — they’re asking for the chance to build a stable life, to afford to live in the communities they serve, and to lift up the next generation. They want to be able to teach without worrying about making ends meet, and to give every student the attention and care they deserve. Strong public schools are the heart of strong communities. If lawmakers truly want to lead on education, it’s time to put money where their priorities are — into neighborhood public schools where 80% of Florida’s children learn and grow every day.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke about education funding during a news conference in Central Florida on Wednesday.
He talked about how in 2020, Florida established a “Teacher Salary Increase Allocation” in the state budget, and it has since increased funding to $1.25 billion. DeSantis said the salary funding could increase to $1.5 billion in the upcoming fiscal year.
The teacher salary allocation requires school districts and charter schools to use the money to raise the minimum base salary for full-time classroom teachers.
“I think [the average starting salary for a teacher in Florida] was like $39,000 four or five years ago, and now that’s up closer to $50,000, which is helpful,” DeSantis said Wednesday. “I mean, it’s not nearly enough, obviously, for how much costs have gone up for people in a high inflation economy...But that’s been a real big issue over the last three or four years for a lot of people, but we put record amounts of money.”
Public School Defenders will keep advocating for a better future not just for students but for teachers too.
“Our teachers are heroes. They are the foundation of our democracy. They are shaping our future leaders,” Hathaway said. “Our children are with them many hours every day. So our teachers definitely need to be respected, and they need to be paid.”
To read more about the proposed budget, click here.
