By Diane Roberts
Florida: We’re Number One!
Number One in low teacher pay, that is. We rank 50th out of 50 states.
Average K-12 salaries in Florida hover around $56,000 a year. Lower than Oklahoma, lower than Mississippi, lower than Louisiana.
Lower than Alabama, the frequent butt of book-learnin’ jokes.
Don’t take any crap from us, Alabama — your teachers make an average of $63,000.
You could be forgiven for thinking the state of Florida disdains teachers and devalues education — although, to be fair, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature plan to cough up money for teacher raises this year.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is the raise is only about 1.5%. Inflation is now at 3.8%.
No wonder teachers have to take second, sometimes even third, jobs with Uber, DoorDash, and maid services.
No wonder teachers are leaving Florida, taking better jobs in other states or getting out of the profession altogether.
To state the obvious, nobody goes into teaching expecting big bucks. Most teachers want to share knowledge, instill a love of learning and help kids realize their full potential — wild-eyed romantics that they are.
As one teacher puts it, “Teaching is ultimately an act of hope.”
We want teachers to prepare kids to become productive citizens, thinking members of society, literate, numerate and, fingers crossed, decent human beings.
Maybe $56,000 sounds like a lot of money. Obviously, if you’re one of the 13% of Floridians living below the poverty line or the 34% who are employed but still cannot afford basic necessities, it is.
Studies by various universities, including MIT, show a single person can get by in Florida on about $47,000. But if you have a kid or if your partner doesn’t have a job, you’re screwed.
Contempt
We don’t pay teachers close to what they’re worth.
We don’t properly fund public education, either.
The first public schools in what became the United States were founded in the 17th century. The likes of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson declared an educated populace essential to democracy.
Even during Jim Crow, when Black kids were forced into separate and decidedly unequal schools, states supported public education as a public good and teachers were respected.
These days, teachers get treated with contempt when they assert their expertise or organize to try and better their working conditions.
The governor recently approved a measure to kneecap public sector unions — municipal employees, nurses, bus drivers, doctors, professors, janitors, teachers, etc. At least 50% of employees in any bargaining unit must vote, and 50%-plus-one must vote for the union, otherwise it will be decertified.
This is a strange warping of what we’ve always understood to be democracy. Imagine you’re running for office and win the majority of voters. But if only 49.9% vote, you lose.
Ron DeSantis justifies this by claiming public sector unions, especially teachers’ unions, use dues for “partisan political activism.”
In other words, they tend to support Democrats.
Police unions, which commonly endorse Republicans and Republican causes, are not subject to the new law.
DeSantis signed the bill on May 1, May Day, traditionally a celebration of workers’ rights.
And y’all thought the man lacked a sense of humor.
Even people who should know better throw shade. Leon County School Board chair Laurie Lawson Cox, a former PE instructor, told teachers to stop complaining about low pay or asserting their rights, and to cultivate “an attitude of gratitude.”
Miseducation
Some school boards are actively hostile to teachers, especially school boards with a critical mass of Moms for Liberty members.
While the Moms have suffered some defeats in recent elections, they and their allies still wield considerable power in many Florida school districts.
Teachers are getting fired for daring to call a child by her preferred name without parental permission, instead of one that misgenders her, or accused of “indoctrinating” children by acknowledging the existence of LGBTQ people — now outlawed by Florida’s “Stop Woke Act.”
The Moms and like-minded anti-education conservatives also go after teachers they suspect of teaching too much truth about America’s rocky relationship with race. Dunedin High School history teacher Brandt Robinson got called a “Marxist” for teaching Black history.
History triggers state education authorities, too. Other than books about gay penguins or novels by Toni Morrison, nothing drives Florida politicians to hysterics like suggestions America has not always been a shining example of freedom and justice.
To that end, the state has rolled out a new Advanced Placement U.S. history course as an alternative to the standard high school AP course.
It doesn’t ignore the injustices of the past, but treats them as anomalies, temporary divergences from the march of American greatness.
This course concentrates on our European roots (indigenous people get short shrift), presents American exceptionalism as fact, and stresses the United States is, and should be, fundamentally Christian.
This is on brand for Florida: The state Constitution forbids using taxpayer money for religious schools, but Attorney General James Uthmeier says he’ll ignore the law, insisting Christianity is “the center of the nation’s identity.”
Hobson’s choice
Some content is plain wrong. The course suggests the Constitution is an anti-slavery document when it in fact protects the institution of slavery as well as slaveholders’ property claims to enslaved people.
It also claims the Founders were anti-slavery. Some were, but most of the signers of the Declaration of Independence owned slaves.
Teachers generally like the truth and know students can indeed handle the truth.
The State of Florida struggles with it.
None of this should come as a surprise. Various governors and their legislative enablers have been trying to control public education for years.
Way back in the late 1990s, Jeb Bush, who called public schools “government-run, unionized monopolies,” pushed charter schools and voucher programs to transfer state dollars to private schools.
Subsequent administrations have expanded “school choice,” at the same time making it their mission to attack public education, encourage book banning, and control curricula.
Now “school choice” is a major cause of the precipitous drop in enrollment. Some districts say they may have to close neighborhood schools.
Evidently, it doesn’t matter that Florida’s voucher system is embroiled in scandal, unable to keep track of its money or the students it’s supposed to support: ill-run, wasteful, and unaccountable.
Transferring money to private and charter schools is more important. Hamstringing teachers’ unions is more important.
Destroying public schools is the plan, and it may be working.
Diane Roberts is an 8th-generation Floridian, born and bred in Tallahassee. Educated at Florida State University and Oxford University in England, she has been writing for newspapers since 1983, when she began producing columns on the legislature for the Florida Flambeau. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Times of London, the Guardian, the Washington Post, the Oxford American, and Flamingo. She has been a member of the Editorial Board of the St. Petersburg Times–back when that was the Tampa Bay Times’s name–and a long-time columnist for the paper in both its iterations. She was a commentator on NPR for 22 years and continues to contribute radio essays and opinion pieces to the BBC. Roberts is also the author of four books.
Greg says
Let us count the time off they have. For $56000 a year, they have close to 100 days off a year with the summer shutdown, and the holidays they get. Most stay, because it’s a cushey job, and the time off they get.
Tony Mack says
Not factual — Short answer: No — teachers in Florida do not typically have ~100 paid days off per year.
Students are usually in school about 180 days. Most Florida districts add required teacher workdays (commonly ~190–196 teacher contract days), so teachers are under contract roughly 190–200 days per year. That leaves ~165–175 calendar days not under contract, but many of those are weekends and federal holidays, not additional paid “days off.”
Paid leave (sick, personal, professional) is usually about 10 sick days (some personal days drawn from sick leave) plus limited paid holidays; unused sick days carry over. Teachers often work summers for planning, professional development, or supplemental jobs. District calendars and contracts vary by county.
six hundred percent correct says
Okay but regardless of who occupies the job (an actual career teacher or a bum off the street), what part of “LAST IN PAY” did you not understand? If you did not know, since you didn’t pay attention in school, that means that 49 states pay more on average for their teachers than Floriduh. Your comment shows me you just needed a soap box to voice your personal vendetta against the teaching profession as you wish you had all that time off in your cushy job. Sounds like you should apply, and show everyone how easy it really is, and enjoy all that free time, Greg. Go after that time off boy! Go get it!
;-)
Samuel L. Bronkowitz says
The average cost of a home in palm coast is $341,000. Clutch your pearls somewhere else.
FlaglerLive says
Median single-family house price in Flagler County in April was $388,250; average sale price was $512,106, skewed by a few high-end home sales.
Proud Public Educator says
Teachers in Flagler receive six (6) paid holidays as follows:
Labor Day
Thanksgiving and the day after
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
President’s Day
Memorial Day
MANY of the teachers I know work one or two jobs over the summer to make up for the low pay they get during the school year. Sounds real “cushey” huh?
Sunny says
Not to mention some children that are disruptive & lack of parent interaction or interest.
Miss Crabtree says
Are human teachers becoming obsolete ? Maybe , but the role of teachers is likely going to change significantly as AI and VR education platforms improve.
AI already does some things better than traditional classrooms:
* Personalized pacing — students can move faster or slower without holding up a class.
* Instant feedback — AI tutors can correct mistakes immediately.
* 24/7 access — learning is no longer limited to school hours.
* Massive information access — students can explore topics deeply on demand.
* Lower cost scalability — one AI platform can teach millions.
VR adds another layer by making learning immersive:
* History lessons can become virtual recreations of ancient cities.
* Medical students can practice surgery simulations safely.
* Tradespeople can train on equipment virtually before real-world work.
* Science classes can visualize atoms, space, or anatomy interactively.
In some areas, AI + VR may outperform average classroom instruction, especially for:
* standardized learning,
* technical training,
* language learning,
* tutoring,
* adult education,
* repetitive curriculum delivery.
But there are limits. (Socialization)
Human teachers provide things machines still struggle with:
* emotional awareness,
* mentorship,
* discipline and motivation,
* conflict resolution,
* social development,
* ethical guidance,
* recognizing abuse, neglect, or mental distress,
* adapting to subtle human behavior.
THE HUMAN BASED TEACHER INTERACTION IN THIS DAY AND AGE ARE NOT THE NORM. THE HEADLINES CONTINUALLY DETAIL HORROR STORIES OF CRIMES COMMITTED BY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.
Children especially do not just learn information — they learn socialization, authority structures, cooperation, emotional regulation, and identity formation. Schools are partly educational institutions and partly social-development systems.
Which is becoming a much larger problem called INDOCTRINATION.
A likely future is:
* AI becomes the primary information-delivery system.
* Human teachers become more like coaches, mentors, facilitators, and behavioral guides.
* VR classrooms supplement physical schools rather than fully replacing them.
* Wealthier families may still prefer elite human-centered education because human mentorship becomes more valuable when automation is widespread.
There is also a political and economic dimension. Governments and institutions may favor AI education because it reduces labor costs and standardizes curriculum delivery. Critics worry this could:
* reduce independent thinking,
* increase centralized influence over education,
* widen inequality,
* weaken human connection,
* create overdependence on technology.
On the other hand, supporters argue AI could democratize high-quality education globally, especially in poor or rural areas where good teachers are scarce.
So the real question may not be whether teachers disappear entirely, but:
“What parts of teaching are uniquely human, and what parts are simply information transfer?”
The information-transfer side is increasingly automatable. The human-development side is much harder to replace.
In conclusion, keep demanding higher and higher salaries, the teachers are going to AI + VR themselves out of a job.
Pierre Tristam says
AI has its own commenters.
Deborah Coffey says
I bet you despise Pope Leo, too. What kind of world do we want and what kind of people do we want to be is the question. God didn’t create robots; He created humans in His image. And, they’re failing in so many ways.
Joe Clark says
Poor, poor teachers union. Sniff sniff.
Barbara Hunter says
Ms.Roberts, you have written a superb article! As a former K-12 public school teacher (since 1970) and now a professor of teacher education for two online universities (Walden U out of Minneapolis and National U out of San Diego which allow me “academic freedom” ) I have been grieving for the plight of teachers and public education, especially in FL. You put it all together in a nutshell. I am going to try to share your article as much as possible (somehow excluding all of the ads) perhaps through the Phoenix? I only use Facebook (yes, I’m old) but I’d love to see it this article summarized with “bulleted” main ideas supported by citations (and references) for the reported data. For example, what source did you use to support your statement that FL is now 50th in teacher’s salaries? In that way we can more easily share it and get the main points across, “smoother, easier, faster”. I’d also like to condense the main points to use for protest signs as we march to support public education.
I have been following your superb writing for years and I love reading your writing! Keep writing, please–especially on this topic.
Deborah Coffey says
You go, Barbara! I’m a 28-year retired high school math teacher and Assistant Principal. Unfortunately, the disrespect for teachers began decades ago and may well be the very reason that our democracy is in critical distress.
Not under the liberal media spell says
You’ve got that backwards. Lack of respect for teachers is a direct result of lax discipline because woke trends are afraid to hurt anyone’s feelings or fear of being “discriminatory”in the application of rules so discipline has become lax. Lax rules and laws are why our cities are in chaos just like the schools are in chaos.
Pierre Tristam says
Yeah, teaching the whole child with love and compassion in a rich, diverse environment is a real bitch. Really, we should replace teachers with “guardians,” preferably armed with studded paddles on one hip and a gun on the other. That should show the little monsters who’s in charge. (I’m surprised the spell-bound commenter who surely traces his lineage to Cotton Mather didn’t also blame desegregation and lack of prayers in the morning.)
Deborah Coffey says
Bravo, Pierre! You nailed that response.
Ken says
Keep crying till your PRIDE FLAGS fall of the wall !!
Atwp says
Good job Desantis and Florida. Continue to make it hard for teachers. Pay them less than Mississippi pay their teachers. What a shame. O Florida is a Republican state, why I’m not surprised about the pay. People continue to vote for a party that will die for Trump but starve the the people who cast their votes for the Repubs. What a shame.
Nutty Professor says
I’ve been teaching in Flagler County for 19 years. I have yet to hit 60k a year in salary. There are plenty of people in administration making 100k+ that have zero contact with actual students. Most of them I’ve never met and have no idea what they actually do.
I have a wife that works as a teacher in the county as well. Our insurance is so expensive that I have never been able to put my two young boys on the district insurance plan. That would cost me about one paycheck per month, which is ridiculous.
I teach because I want to make sure our future generations are prepared to be good citizens that can contribute to our society in a positive manner. I take care of my kids and make sure that they get the best version of me every day. They deserve it.
So, I don’t believe that teachers in Florida are valued for what they do. Sometimes were mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, counselor, mentor… I could go on and on, but what’s the point. No one outside of education (and some inside) will never understand what a teacher does on a regular basis. None of us are in it for the “vacation.”
I have a couple side gigs outside of school that help my family stay afloat, and could probably do them full time. I choose not to because I actually care about the kids here in Flagler. I’ve taught thousands of them over the past two decades and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Just pay us what we’re worth.
Laurel says
Thank you!
Deborah Coffey says
Thank you, Professor. Most of us are extremely grateful.