As the new school year approaches, Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas are traveling across the state on what has been called the “Blame Educators Tour.” The tour comes amid ongoing debate over public school funding and educator pay in Florida.
The Florida Education Association (FEA) has responded to these efforts by stating that educators are not responsible for delays in salary increases. According to the FEA, “Educators are not to blame for the slow rollout of raises. They are the victims of it. Every educator in the state has one goal: To ensure that every child in Florida has access to a world class public education where they can thrive. It’s an uphill battle when public schools have to also grapple with underfunded districts, confusing state mandates, and last-minute changes from the state.”
Florida currently ranks last among all states in average teacher pay for two consecutive years. Veteran teachers report feeling unheard, healthcare costs have risen, and retirees face increasing challenges. Despite these issues, state leaders continue to attribute problems within schools to teachers and their unions rather than acknowledging concerns about underfunding and policy decisions.
“Educators are constantly being burdened by the state’s continual underinvestment in public schools. Florida ranks 50th in average teacher pay and has for two years running. Veteran educators are not being heard, healthcare costs are rising, and retirees are struggling, yet the Governor and Commissioner blame teachers and unions instead of owning the consequences of underfunding and poor policy,” said an FEA spokesperson.
The FEA also disputes claims from Governor DeSantis regarding teacher pay increases. While DeSantis has stated that $5.6 billion has been allocated toward this purpose, records from the Florida Department of Education indicate that cumulative funding is closer to $1.3 billion—a difference of about $4 billion. This year’s allocation amounts to approximately $101 million statewide—less than a 1% increase compared to last year—which translates into roughly $20 more per paycheck per teacher.
According to FEA officials: “Meanwhile, the Governor’s so-called ‘historic’ funding is just more fuzzy math. He keeps repeating that $5.6 billion has gone toward teacher pay. According to the Florida Department of Education’s records, the real cumulative figure is closer to $1.3 billion, which is a $4 billion exaggeration… That works out to roughly $20 more per paycheck per teacher, which is a far cry from historic.”
Education advocates argue that students’ academic performance is being affected as well; recent declines have been reported in SAT scores along with lower results on national math and reading assessments.
“Our students deserve better,” reads another statement from FEA representatives. “They deserve bold, sustained funding for our public schools. Educators are not political pawns or enemies; they are professionals. And they deserve policies that reflect that, not weak excuses or blame.”
