VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Monday was a day of action for teachers across Florida, calling on elected officials to step up and do better for the education system.
Eleventh-grade English teacher Tonyia Jenkins was one of several educators who rallied on street corners and waved signs. She's been teaching for more than 30 years.
"Over those 34 years, I have seen such a decrease in really putting our kids first," Jenkins said.
Jenkins said it's hard to get certified teachers to fill the classrooms when they aren't getting paid enough.
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The Volusia United Educators Organization said at the beginning of this school year, the district had more than 200 teacher vacancies. As of March 4, around 60 of those jobs were still vacant.
"There are many classrooms in Volusia County that have substitutes. Those kids are being cheated out of their education. You can put a warm body in there to maintain management, but the kids aren't learning what they need to learn," Jenkins said.
Another issue on the table is testing. Jenkins said there isn't enough money to properly teach students what the state wants them to teach.
"We're expected to teach them things (but)we don't have money to buy the materials in order to teach what they need to learn to pass for the test," she said.
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A total of 61 teacher unions across the state took similar action, hoping their voices would be heard.
Elizabeth Albert, president of the Volusia United Educators, said the goal was to let elected officials in Tallahassee know the government can do better.
She called on public officials to recognize "that public school is the one institution that levels the playing field for all. And that if children and parents and community members don't have trust and faith that when they send their children to public schools, they will receive the best of the best, I don't know what the future holds for our communities," Albert said.
The group invited people to visit the Volusia United Educators building at 1381 Educators Road to write letters to state leaders Monday until 6 p.m.