At the latest State Board of Education meeting, Florida education officials faced criticism for their approach to public school policy and funding. The meeting was marked by accusations from the Florida Education Association (FEA) that state leaders are prioritizing political agendas over addressing long-standing issues in the state’s public education system.
According to the FEA, Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas used the board meeting to misrepresent events at an Alachua County School Board session and placed blame on educators for what they describe as inadequate investment in public schools. The association said these actions are part of a broader pattern of intimidation directed at educators across Florida.
The FEA pointed to comments made by Commissioner Kamoutsas regarding Alachua County, where he stated that the “culture” among community members exercising free speech “needs to change,” and suggested state intervention if it does not. The association characterized this as a threat to both educators and communities who disagree with current state policies.
The statement from FEA further alleges that such tactics reflect Governor Ron DeSantis’s influence on education policy: “At the end of the day however, we can’t fully blame Commissioner Kamoutsas for his department’s tactics to micromanage and intimidate superintendents, school boards, and educators. We know that he is only acting out the desires of Governor DeSantis.”
The FEA highlighted ongoing challenges facing Florida schools, including budget shortfalls attributed in part to delayed federal funds, deteriorating classroom conditions such as mold and broken air conditioning units, low teacher pay rankings nationwide, and staffing shortages resulting in students starting the year without certified teachers.
They also criticized recent legislative efforts around parental rights in education, book bans, and content restrictions: “There’s no better example of that than the Florida Department of Education’s effort to ban books, censor learning, and dictate whose voices and stories are allowed in our schools. Instead of upholding every child’s constitutional right to a high-quality public education, state leaders have put politics ahead of students.”
Regarding proposed increases in teacher pay outlined in this year’s Legislative Budget Request (LBR), the FEA argued that while $145 million has been allocated for salary improvements statewide—averaging approximately $708 per teacher before taxes—the amount falls short when measured against inflation and cost-of-living increases.
Despite these criticisms, members of the State Board emphasized that student achievement should remain above partisan concerns: “As members of the State Board of Education themselves so eloquently put it, student achievement isn’t a partisan ideal. Every child—not just a select few—deserves a rich and diverse education that allows them to see themselves in their learning and challenges them to think for themselves.”
The FEA pledged continued oversight on budget requests affecting schools throughout Florida.
