Following Andrew Spar’s most recent appearance on the show, today’s episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast features portions of a May 29 press conference, where Spar and several leaders within the Florida Education Association discuss funding for public schools and the increasing teacher and staff shortage across the state.
The FEA hosted the virtual press conference following the State Board of Education meeting to discuss the current state of public education in Florida. Spar, FEA’s president, and several other leaders discussed what steps state leaders could take to address low-average teacher salaries and a critical teacher and staff shortage. Among the leaders on the panel, was Karla Hernandez-Matz, the president of the United Teachers of Dade. She discussed how the Miami-Dade area has been impacted by state regulations and how the UTD is responding to the attacks on teachers.
A recent NEA report ranked every state and Washington, D.C., in several categories, including average teacher wages. Florida ranked second from the bottom, or 50th in average teacher pay.. During the press conference, Spar discussed potential solutions to improving the average pay, allowing Florida to enhance their ability to retain teachers and decrease the shortage.
During the press conference, the leaders called on state decision makers to listen to teachers and students. Also, included was a brief discussion on Florida House Bill 7, which was previously voted down. Katie Blankenship, executive director of PEN America, discussed the next hurdle with HB 7 and the expected outcome of the upcoming vote on the higher education version of the bill. PEN America is a nonprofit organization focused on defending the freedom of expression for writers, artists and journalists worldwide.
Listen to the show above for more information from the May 29 press conference.