HIALEAH, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday touted money in the upcoming state budget to increase teacher salaries by $1.25 billion.
The governor discussed the money during a news conference at the City of Hialeah Educational Academy, which is a charter school.
“We can have this next budget, $1.25 billion has to go to raise teacher salaries. It can’t be used for anything else,” DeSantis said. “But the big base student allocation, that can also used for salary.”
The governor still needs to sign the budget, which was approved on March 8 by the state legislature but has not been formally presented to him. The budget takes effect July, 1.
DeSantis touted efforts over the years to increase teacher salaries, saying the state had invested $4 billion in teacher salaries, more than any time in Florida history. He also touted Florida’s recent No. 1 rankings for education by U.S. News and World Report.
According to the National Education Association, which is the labor union umbrella for teachers, listed average teacher salary at $53,098 for the 2022-2023 school year, ranking 50th in the country, below the national average of $69,544.
Florida also ranked No. 16 in average starting teacher pay, which is $47,178 according to the NEA, still below the national average of $56,327. The Florida teacher’s union has long said the problem with teacher salaries is the undervaluing of experienced teachers in the state.
DeSantis responded to that by attacking the state’s teachers unions, saying they do more to hurt teachers than help them, and that they were more focused on their political ideology than education. He also questioned the methodology the unions used to decide teacher pay.
The state says average starting pay for the 2023-2024 school year is over $48,000, and the average teacher salary is over $54,000.
DeSantis also touted efforts to make it easier to become a teacher in Florida.
“We now have 13 different pathways in Florida where individuals can work to become a teacher in our schools, one of which is tailormade for military veterans who have honored their country,” DeSantis said. “We value the unique experience that veterans bring, and we give qualified veterans a few extra years to earn their full certificate while getting additional classroom experience. And so far, we have almost 100 Florida veterans that have taken advantage of this pathway.”