teachers

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum unveiled his plans to raise teacher salaries and improve education statewide. His plan calls for $1 billion to go towards education.

Florida’s public school teachers’ yearly income is ranked the 45th worst nationally. That’s according to a poll by the National Education Association. The census also found the average teacher salary in Florida has decreased in the past decade by 12 percent. In response to these statistics, the Florida Education Association is asking state politicians to take a pledge to increase Florida teacher wages. 

Two months after it passed the state legislature, Florida’s latest gun reform law is still under scrutiny from gun control and pro-gun advocates alike.

After passing the Florida legislature last week, Governor Rick Scott decided to sign the gun safety legislation into law. Earlier in the week, he told reporters he’d wait before signing it, until he talked to the families who were impacted by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school.

The Florida House has now teed up gun safety legislation for a vote, in response to last month’s mass shooting at a South Florida high school. They agreed Tuesday to take up the Senate version of the bill that narrowly passed Monday. While language was stripped from that bill to exclude most classroom teachers, opponents argue the “compromise” could still arm school staff, like coaches.

While a lot of eyes are on Tallahassee to see what the state Legislature has in store in terms of gun reforms, Florida’s U.S. Senators are also talking about what they’d like to see Congress do as well.

With about a week left of the 2018 legislative session, lawmakers are facing increased pressure to pass gun safety legislation—in response to last month’s mass school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. But, the process is pitting people within the same parties against one another.

Governor Rick Scott as well as the Florida House and Senate leadership have unveiled their gun safety proposals, in response to last week’s mass school shooting. They include some differences and some similarities.

Legislation extending the Best and Brightest scholarship program for teachers and principals is on the move in the Florida House. The measure allows more educators to qualify as highly effective.

Education is once again in the spotlight and so are Florida’s teachers. Local superintendents say they’re struggling to recruit even elementary school educators—a space where finding help has historically been pretty easy. Now the Florida Senate is taking a look, and after years of ratcheting up pressure on teachers, lawmakers could cut them some slack.

Leon County Schools will be experiencing a teacher shortage in the upcoming school year. The district is struggling to replace some 50 retiring teachers.

Republican-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist has now formally qualified to run for Florida Governor again in hopes of unseating current Governor Rick Scott. Qualifying for Florida's 2014 elections officially began Monday at noon.

At around 1:30 p.m. Monday, a Leon County teacher submitted Crist’s qualifying paperwork at the Florida Division of Elections. Crist says it’s because she believes there needs to be a change in leadership.

If Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed $500 million in tax cuts pass, that money is going to have to come from somewhere. A group of lawmakers and teachers rallying at the capital Thursday say they hope it won’t come from the education budget.

Rep. Karen Castor Dentel (D-Maitland) says if the state has extra income, it should be reinvesting that money in the state’s schools, not giving it away through tax breaks.

“A shrewd business owner would take those dollars and reinvest them into growing his business and creating new jobs.”