Leon County teachers could soon be seeing a pay increase. Negotiations between the district, and the local union are underway as both sides look for a deal.
It’s been more than three years since Leon County school teachers got a pay raise. During that time, the district lost about $100 million due to state budget cuts, and it also closed some schools and shrunk programs. However, unlike other areas of the state, the district managed to avoid teacher layoffs. School board chairwoman Joy Bowen says the negotiations for raises have been a long time coming.
“Our teachers are so deserving, our staff is so deserving, and I hope we can be at a place where we can do something. And that’s how I’m feeling about this," Bowen said.
Leon County teachers recently outperformed those in the rest of the state in Florida’s new teacher evaluation model. Statewide, about 92 percent of teachers were rated as effective and highly effective. All of Leon County’s teachers received the top two ratings.
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