Low Pay and Morale

Often cited causes of the teacher shortage are low pay and morale. Salaries for teachers often fall short of their education and experience. Forbes reports, “Research shows that public K–12 teachers are paid 20% less than the average college-educated person working in a non-teaching sector, despite working 52 hours during a typical school week. It comes as no surprise, then, that they are the most burnt-out professionals, with as many as 53% of teachers reporting feeling burnt out every or almost every day. Over the past decade, teacher job satisfaction has fallen from 39% (down from a historic norm of 50-60%) to just 12%. And more than 36,000 teacher vacancies went unfilled this past school year, with nearly a third of current teachers thinking about leaving.”  Many educators struggle to make ends meet, leading to dissatisfaction and burnout. According to Forbes, “More than half of all American teachers work outside of their full-time teaching job, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, with 17% working outside education, including driving Uber, gardening, retail, and, yes, waitressing.”

Political and Parental Pressure

Sign up for our updates to stay informed of issues like this that impact our children, educators, and public schools.

The post Teacher Appreciation Week: Why they need more than just our thanks appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

1. ESSER Funds and Fiscal Realities

The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, a lifeline during the pandemic, faced a cliffhanger. These federal dollars had bolstered schools, but their expiration loomed large. The budgets for both PreK-12 and higher education institutions were under the microscope. As the clock ticked, districts grappled with the impending funding gap, risking teacher layoffs and program cuts.

2. Deregulation and High Stakes Testing

Last year’s expansion of school choice had a ripple effect. In 2024, lawmakers doubled down on deregulation, aiming to free public schools from policies that districts viewed as cumbersome. While some hailed this as a step toward flexibility, others felt like the legislature did not go far enough. Popular proposals that would have ended the harsh consequences of high stakes testing failed in negotiations between the House and the Senate.

3. Social Media Regulations for Minors

In an era of tweets and TikToks, social media regulations became a hot topic. The legislature grappled with safeguarding minors online. Lawmakers attempted to balance free speech and protecting students. The resulting policy does not target specific platforms and applies to platforms “where at least 10 percent of daily active users are children younger than 16 who use it for two hours or more a day; that uses “addictive” features, such as infinite scrolling; and that uses algorithms that analyze user data to handpick content for users.”

Chronic Abseenteeism and the Future of Education

Despite committee hearings and public statements from legislative leaders, the chronic absenteeism crisis was never addressed. Districts continue to grapple with a high number of student absences.

Pay attention to the candidates on your ballot for school board, the state House, and the Senate. Be ready to vote on August 20th and November 5th. It will be up to advocates and voters to demand policies that empower students, elevate student voices, engage families and the community, and involve students in the solutions.

Sign up for our updates to stay informed of issues impacting our children, educators, and public schools.

The post The 2024 Florida Legislative Session: What’s in store for schools? appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

“This tax would help to provide our students with a suitable and productive learning environment, as part of a long-term sustainable plan for the Hillsborough County School District,” says a statement from the business organization.

“In alignment with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s guiding principle on workforce development, our business community is committed to partnering with stakeholders and policy makers to advocate for adequate resources to help recruit, develop, and retain talent in Hillsborough County. This initiative requires support from multiple funding sources and elected officials, and to help satisfy those critical funding needs the Chamber supports the education referendum.”

The Tampa Bay Times highlighted the state legislature’s failure to properly fund public schools for years. The chronic lack of sufficient funding has led to deferred maintenance and crowded schools.

Broken air conditioners, leaky roofs, lead in the drinking water – the schools are crumbling, and there is not nearly enough money to repair them or build new ones. As the state abdicates its responsibility to adequately fund public education, the only viable option is for Hillsborough voters to step up and approve a half-penny sales tax increase so kids can learn and teachers can teach in decent learning environments.

They felt that the district rushed the issue and the vote to put the referendum on the ballot. However, they acknowledged the desperate need for funds in order to fill the gap left by chronic under-funding from the state.

But the flawed process should not detract from the core issue at hand – the district’s undeniable inability to repair and maintain its schools without a significant new revenue source. This is another state responsibility that has fallen to local government. Nineteen of Florida’s 67 counties already levy an additional half-cent sales tax for school capital needs, while others – including Pinellas – have committed additional property taxes for school operations. Voters have wisely embraced public education as a priority even if their elected state leaders have not.

The Times noted the guardrails that will govern the funds should voters pass the referendum in November. They respect the governance process and trust the district’s plan for repairs and deferred maintenance.

The 10-year tax is targeted to fill an immediate funding gap as the district pays down existing debt. That buys time for critical repairs until the district can free up tens of millions of dollars now going to mortgage payments. Fittingly, 85 percent of this tax would go for deferred maintenance – not new schools. Strict rules would limit the ability of privately run charter schools to tap the fund. And an independent oversight committee would meet publicly to ensure the money is spent as promised. That panel would be chaired by Betty Castor, the widely respected former legislator, state education commissioner and University of South Florida president. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister would serve as vice-chair.

Learn more about the Hillsborough Schools Referendum here.

The post Tampa Bay Times, Chamber of Commerce endorse referendum appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

Its ruling on the three-pronged initiative is final. Elections supervisors across Florida are slated to complete their Nov. 6 ballots almost immediately, to have them ready for overseas voting.

The Secretary of State’s Office appealed Cooper’s action, and the Supreme Court heard arguments on Sept. 4. [Online docket here.]

During the hearing, two justices — Charles Canady and Al Lawson — repeatedly suggested that the language before voters was clear in its intent.

“I’m struggling to understand why they aren’t going to get the main point here,” Chief Justice Canady said at one point during questioning of Ron Meyer, the lawyer representing the League of Women Voters.

The League, a vocal critic of Florida’s charter school spread, challenged Amendment 8 by arguing the proposal’s ballot title and summary obscured the true purpose of the measure: to create a pathway for charter schools to be approved outside local school boards.

The title is “School Board Term Limits and Duties; Public Schools.” The summary, too, does not use the words “charter schools.”

Four others on the court signaled during questioning that they saw logic in the League’s arguments. They took issue, for instance, with the provision that “permits the state to operate, control, and supervise public schools not established by the school board,” suggesting it does not clearly explain its the purpose or possible effects.

If the objective is to let the voters know what they’re voting on, Justice Jorge Labarga said to deputy solicitor general Daniel Bell, “why all the word-smithing? Why not just come out and say it?”

Related coverage: Florida justices ask pointed questions during hearing on Amendment 8

Amendment 8 packages three education-related measures into one ballot question. It would establish school board term limits, embed civics education in the constitution, and create a path for the creation of a public school authorizer outside the control of local school boards.

During debate among Florida Constitution Revision Commission members, concerns arose that the public school authorizer section should stand separately from the others because it could dramatically alter public education in the state.

A majority on the commission decided to tie the three together under the education umbrella, suggesting it would help stave off voter fatigue at the end of an already lengthy ballot. Some commissioners stated that the term limits and civics items might even help the authorizer piece win approval.

Related coverage: Constitution Revision Commission advances bundled education proposal to November ballot

Meyer used CRC discussions to bolster his position that the amendment’s chief purpose was not fully revealed to voters, as required by law.

Click here for online voter registration, update your registration, request a vote by mail ballot, and more.

Sign up today and join the effort to advocate for children and public schools.

The post Florida Supreme Court strikes Amendment 8 from the ballot appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

It turns out that the people who represent us and our children on the school board earned their seats thanks to just a small percentage of voters.

According to the Tampa Bay Times,

Those little ovals next to the candidates’ names went unmarked by the thousands. In Pasco County, the undervote hovered at 15 percent, while it neared 13 percent in Pinellas County, 8 percent in Hernando and 7.3 percent in Hillsborough.

“Sadly, it’s very common, ballot fatigue,” Pasco supervisor of elections Brian Corley said. “You’ll see it with the amendments in November, which personally frustrates me as an election administrator, because as we know, every vote matters.”

Corley and Hillsborough elections supervisor Craig Latimer both observed the trend is evident year after year. The upshot, Latimer noted, is “a small number of people make a decision on who a school board member is going to be.”

Across the state, the marquee races for President or Governor have the highest voting rates yet, many voters skip the down ballot contests.

After all, the trend becomes even more apparent during major elections, Latimer said. He noted about 50,000 more voters in 2012 cast ballots for president than any other race. By the time they got down to more than a dozen amendment and other initiatives, he noted, the numbers fell by nearly 100,000.

Corley said it’s an issue he brings up when speaking to students, and even jury pools. Every race carries consequences, he said, and by skipping the nonpartisan or down-ballot items, “you literally are letting someone else choose for you.”

Click here for online voter registration, update your registration, request a vote by mail ballot, and more.

Sign up today and join the effort to advocate for children and public schools.

The post School board races decided by only a few voters appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

Over 1.9 million Florida primary voters had already voted before polls opened on Election Day. Election supervisors are predicting an increase over the last midterm primary election held in 2014.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Republican voters have had more vote-by-mail ballots returned than Democrats.

Even before polls opened on election day, Democratic primary turnout is already 69.5 percent higher this year than it was four years ago. Through Monday, 841,000 Democrats had voted, compared to 496,000 in the 2014 primary.

Despite the surge, there are still more unreturned vote-by-mail ballots (1.32 million) than returned (1.27 million), but that margin continues to narrow.

School board seats across the state are on the ballot. These non-partisan races require a 50% + 1 in order to lock down a win in August. Many will go to a runoff election in November. A few districts like Orange and Marion, have local referenda for schools on the ballot, as well. These funds will pay for everything from construction and repairs to operational costs like teacher salaries and important academic programs.

We will be watching the returns from across the state and will update the blog with important election news tomorrow.

If you haven’t voted yet- please vote for kids and schools today. Polls close at 7 p.m. Find your polling place here.

Please sign up to stay informed of issues impacting children, teachers and public schools.

The post Primary voters in Florida exceed 2014 totals appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

The post Amendment 5 puts school funding, Florida’s future in jeopardy appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

As News 4 in Jacksonville reports, companies with a lot to gain from the passage of the amendment are behind a campaign to convince Floridians to vote yes:

Companies with ties to charter schools and a controversial federal visa program are providing the bulk of contributions to an effort to pass a constitutional amendment that would impose an eight-year term limit on school board members.Through June, the 8isGreat.org political committee has raised $54,532 in support of Amendment 8, state election records show.The amendment, which was approved by the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, would impose term limits on school board members but would also provide more authority to the Legislature to create alternative public education initiatives, like charter schools.The amendment also would require civics literacy instruction in the public schools.Nearly three-quarters of the money raised by the 8isGreat group has come from companies involved with charter schools.Red Apple Development, a Fort Lauderdale company that has helped develop more than three dozen charter school projects in Florida, donated $10,000 to the amendment effort.GreenAccess, a Jupiter company also involved in more than three dozen charter schools in Florida, donated $15,000.Florida Overseas Investment Center, a Sarasota company, also made a $15,000 contribution to the amendment campaign, records show.GreenAccess and Florida Overseas Investment are both involved in the EB-5 investor visa program, which provides a path to U.S. residency for wealthy foreign immigrants.Under the program, the foreign investors can obtain a “green card” for themselves and their families if they provide at least $500,000 for projects, such as schools, that are tied to job creation.Critics have said the visa program is loosely regulated, while supporters have defended it as a way to direct investments and jobs to under-served communities.Amendment 8 is one of 13 state constitutional amendments on the Nov. 6 general-election ballot.Each amendment will require support from at least 60 percent of the voters to be enacted.The Florida League of Women Voters has filed a lawsuit against the amendment, claiming that the ballot language is misleading. The League acted as a watchdog during the Constitutional Revision Commission hearings and says its “proposed ballot title and summary fail to inform voters of the chief purpose of the revision, and are affirmatively misleading as to (its) true purpose and effect.” If they prevail, the proposal will be tossed from the ballot. If they do not, it is up to public education advocates to spread the word that #8isNOTgreat and to vote no on this proposal that will remove local decision making for charter school authorization. Click here to register to vote or request a vote by mail ballot.

Join the effort and become an education advocate. Sign up and stay up to date on this and other issues impacting public schools.

The post Charter schools behind deceptive Amendment 8 appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

In addition, this year’s ballot will have 13 proposed constitutional amendments for voters to decide. Some proposals were put on the ballot through citizen-led efforts. Others were placed on the ballot through the Constitutional Revision Commission- an appointed body that reviews the state constitution every twenty years. The deceptive Amendment 8, written by the CRC, seeks to add term limits to locally elected school board members but also establishes a charter authorizing body that removes the local control over charter school applications.

Florida voters will have more choices on the ballot than ever before. The Tampa Bay Times reports:

A flood of new candidates for seats in the state Legislature, many of them Democratic women, met June 22nd’s deadline to get on the ballot and give voters many more choices than in past election cycles…The newcomers include more than 80 women legislative challengers across the state.

State government has had single party rule for over 20 years with Republicans controlling both houses of the Florida Legislature and the Governor’s office. However, due to “a burst of civic activism” many incumbents won’t return to their seats unchallenged as in previous years. Democrats fielded challengers in every Senate race for the first time in recent memory.

How this new activism impacts children’s issues and public education remains to be seen. It is up to advocates to ensure that all eligible Floridians are registered to vote, are informed on the challenges facing education and turn out to vote for pro-public school candidates.

Click here for online voter registration, update your registration, request a vote by mail ballot, and more.

Sign up today and join the effort to advocate for children and public schools.

The post Future of public education in Florida voters’ hands appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

Every 20 years the Constitution Revision Commission meets and proposes amendments to the Florida Constitution. Their amendments will appear on the already lengthy 2018 ballot. The outcome of this election will potentially change the future of school funding, vouchers, charter schools and more.

A new survey from Florida TaxWatch found 77 percent of Florida voters said they haven’t heard about recent Constitution Revision Commission meetings. Another 13 percent of respondents, according to the survey, said they only saw, read or heard “a little” about the commission’s activities.

Those findings come after months of public hearings across the state to get input from Floridians on issues important to them. According to the TaxWatch, about 2,350 citizens have attended the meetings, and more than 900 Floridians have addressed the commission on a variety of issues. Florida Politics

Members of the Commission were appointed by Governor Scott and other state leaders and serve at their pleasure. These members have the sole power to determine what issues make it on the ballot yet, most Floridians have never heard of them. In spite of their power, the voters will have the final say in what becomes the law of the land.

For the first time, the commission’s work product will need support of three-fifths of those voting. That means every “No” vote is worth 1.5 times as much as every “Yes” vote. It’s always hard to amend the Constitution – it should be – and the 60 percent rule makes it even harder…

Voter turnout will be less in a non-presidential year, and candidates for governor and Cabinet seats can capitalize on various amendments – for or against them – in their campaigns. But it might be tactically safer for them to avoid the referendum issues, rather than alienating voters on either side.

In any event, people tend to vote against anything they’re not sure of – if they vote at all, down at the end of a long ballot.

So to get 60 percent, the amendments will need public confidence that they were debated fairly and adopted by experienced, well-meaning leaders who looked beyond the horizon and thought of Florida’s future. News-Press

The Florida voter has the power to decide the future of the state. Tell your elected officials and Governor Scott that students and their public schools are important to you. One click and you can send a message to politicians that kids and their schools must be a priority when they return to Tallahassee this fall.

Please donate today. Your generous gifts help support the Alliance’s policy analysis and online tools so more people can easily connect to elected officials and support public education.

The post Powerful commission and election will determine the future of Florida appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.