Scott Calls For $2,500 Raise For All Teachers

January 24, 2013

Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday called on state lawmakers to give every full time public school teacher a $2,500 raise, a request that was met with encouragement, caution and a more than a little skepticism by lawmakers and teacher advocates.

Visiting Ocoee Middle School in central Florida, the governor said he would push lawmakers to approve the across-the-board pay increase for full-time teachers, who have gone several years without raises and been asked to pay more for retirement as the state and local school districts have scrambled for cash.

“Ultimately, I want all Florida families to have more opportunities to pursue their dreams,” Scott said in remarks prepared for delivery at the school. “That means more job opportunities. It is impossible to connect more Floridians with great jobs without a strong education system that supports student achievement.”

The raise, which would have to be approved by the Legislature and subject to local collective bargaining agreements, would cost taxpayers about $480 million – money not everyone is certain can be found.

The state’s largest teachers union was “encouraged” by the news.

“This begins to repair the damage that has been done to our students and those who work in our schools,” said Andy Ford, president of the Florida Education Association. The union has clashed frequently with Republicans in Florida over the last decade or so, over teacher pay, as well as many other issues.

Key lawmakers said they support the governor’s efforts, but stressed that any discussion of teacher pay and benefits has to be part of a large budget discussion – and some aren’t sure the money is available.

Though revenues are expected to increase in the coming fiscal year, lawmakers say that years of budget deficits and austerity have affected all branches of government.

Senate President Don Gaetz, a former Okaloosa County schools superintendent, said he prefers an approach of providing more funding to local school boards, which would then make decisions about pay increases.

When told of its expected cost, Gaetz acknowledged that it could be challenging to find the money. But he said it could involve making tradeoffs in deciding how to spend state funds.

“$480 million is a lot of money,” said Gaetz, R-Niceville.”It’s more money than some people think we’ll have.”

Scott is expected to release his full budget recommendation next week. Lawmakers, who convene in March, are not required to do anything with his spending blueprint. Historically, however, legislative leaders have at least given the governor’s plan some consideration.

The governor, who plans to run for re-election in 2014, began putting education issues on the front burner last year with calls on lawmakers to restore $1 billion to education coffers that had been trimmed by more than that following the collapse of the Florida housing market and subsequent recession.

State economists are predicting an uptick in revenues for the coming fiscal year as the state’s real estate market rebounds, businesses get back on their feet and consumers feel more confident. But lawmakers say counting on that additional revenue right now is a little premature.

“We need to make sure those funds are there,” said Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, the chairman of the Education Appropriations Subcommittee that would decide whether or not to include the raises in the Senate budget.

“They’re basing that additional money on projected revenue gains,” Galvano said. “And that very well may be the case, and we certainly support increased funding for education, but again we have to … run all the traps before we can work it into the education budget.”

“We look forward to working with the governor and seeing his entire budget recommendations and seeing how that works, how he is putting that together,” said Sen. John Legg, R-Lutz, and chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

Scott’s push for across the board pay raises follows an earlier policy focused more on merit pay.

“I believe in merit pay, I believe in measurement I believe in accountability,” Scott told reporters earlier Wednesday. “We’re going to continue to work on that, but right now the right thing to do is across the board pay raises for all of our full time teachers.”

House Speaker Will Weatherford has also expressed interest in a merit pay proposal.

Some Democrats said the governor is pandering to teachers as he seeks to stay in the governor’s mansion.

“You have to step back and look at it that way,” said Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach. “It is a political move, especially since he doesn’t appear to want to any (raises) for police, firefighter and other public employees.

“It’s almost an affront to their intelligence,” Pafford said. “Waving dollars after a clear anti-public education agenda and expecting to them to jump on the Scott bandwagon. Public educators know where he stands.”‘

Bur regardless of any political motive, some say the proposal is the first step in getting teachers some compensation after they were required to put 3 percent of their salaries into their pension plans and absorb a 2 percent increase in the federal social security tax.

“I’m sure there are those who would consider this to be a political move,” said Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, and a former teacher, principal and school superintendent. “I can’t judge the governor on that but what I can say is that it is good for public education to recognize teachers in this manner.”

By The News Service of Florida

Comments

13 Responses to “Scott Calls For $2,500 Raise For All Teachers”

  1. Mark on January 25th, 2013 8:07 am

    Whatever…In “my” opinion, “public” (not private) school teachers, emergency response personnel, and the military SHOULD be one of the highest paid “jobs” out there!

    Thankless jobs that everyone complains about. Make them the highest paying jobs, and you will be able to have a huge pool of very qualified individuals to fill those positions!

  2. curious on January 24th, 2013 9:12 pm

    Teachers hace gotten several raises/bonuses when bus drivers did not.

  3. bama on January 24th, 2013 6:27 pm

    But he better give the custodians,bus drivers and lunch workers a raise too.Because we pay 3% and have not a one in 2 years.

  4. Bad teacher!!! on January 24th, 2013 4:35 pm

    BAD teachers don’t deserve a raise…in fact…they need a pay cut…

    GOOD teachers deserve a raise…make it a merit raise…but ALL teachers DO NOT deserve a raise…

    The BAD teachers are worthless…GOOD teachers are worth their weight in gold.

  5. Another State worker on January 24th, 2013 11:17 am

    Where is the pay raise for the rest of the State empoyees? We have not has a raise in 7 years, but still have to pay the 3% into our retirement, pay the increases for health insurance and pay the increases in the cost of living. Seems only fair that if you’re going to give one set of State employees a raise that it should be done across the board.

  6. County Employee on January 24th, 2013 10:41 am

    Other state and county workers have had to pay into the 3 percent of their salaries into their pension plans and absorb a 2 percent increase in the federal social security tax. Not even cost of living raises each year, no raises in several years. Just not fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  7. bill on January 24th, 2013 10:31 am

    The Flim Flam man first says that teachers are getting too good a deal on pensions and docks them 3% to go to the pension fund. Now he says they need a raise, which they do, but that goes against everything he’s been telling us for years. I guess he has really made the transition from Flim Flam man to double talking politician.

  8. Not Surprised on January 24th, 2013 9:35 am

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! It’s time to prepare for re-election. Does he really believe that the public that he serves cannot see through this? Surely no one will fall for this even if he does give raises. He has got to go!!!

  9. notafan on January 24th, 2013 9:17 am

    I am a County employee who has not had a raise in OVER 4 years. I have nothing against teachers, congratulations, you deserve it!, but what the h*** Mr. Scott! I need to put food on my table, gas in my car to get to work and still be able to afford to have you to continue to take retirement out of my check and put it in my FRS each pay period. Where is my $2500.00 a year raise Mr. Scott? Unbelievable.

  10. of course on January 24th, 2013 7:52 am

    i agree with ProudArmyParent corrections has continually done more with less. To the point where it is almost dangerous. Please Mr Scott, dont forget about those who work for DOC, we’ve earned it!

  11. mg on January 24th, 2013 6:57 am

    very likely its just a grab for teacher votes in the next election

  12. ProudArmyParent on January 24th, 2013 6:57 am

    Mr. Scott,
    I am a former teacher and now work in Corrections. Teachers get raires, what about the other state employees? What about the department of Corrections? You rob from Corrections to give a raise to teachers. Just doesn’t seem fair! Corrections teach also, we teach grown human beings who never got the lessons of RIGHT and WRONG the first time around!

  13. StateLEOWife on January 24th, 2013 2:18 am

    As usual ….Rick Scott talks out of both sides of his mouth

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News