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• We appreciate that they are focusing on salaries not bonuses, but they need to be reminded there is much work left to be done to ensure our students are receiving a high quality education.
• It is great progress that the Legislature is talking about investing over one-half billion dollars directly into educator salaries this year, but it will take a sustained commitment over the next few years to make up for over a decade of underfunding.
• All educators must be included. Some plans have accounted only for “classroom teachers,” but there are many additional personnel who are vital to student success. Whether it is instructional personnel such as counselors, media specialists, and teachers aides or non-instructional personnel such as clerical, maintenance, and bus drivers, all Florida’s educators are deserving of a significant investment in their salary.
• Restoring local control to districts is just as important. A large part of the reason veteran teachers’ pay has been stagnant are legislative restrictions regarding salary increases. Lawmakers need to repeal regulations that mandate how salary increases are provided.