TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Gov. DeSantis announced Monday that he will be recommending the minimum starting salary for all Florida teachers to start at $47,500.
DeSantis made his announcement in Clay County on Monday, where he said the average teacher starting salary is just under $39,000 a year.
If approved next legislative session, DeSantis says that all teachers will start at a minimum salary of $47,500. According to the National Education Association, Florida ranks 26th in the nation for starting teacher pay at $37,636. With this investment of over $600 million, raising the minimum salary to $47,500 will rank Florida 2nd in the nation for starting teacher pay.
His hope is that the proposal will help attract and retain teachers.
“We are experiencing a teacher shortage in Florida,” said Governor DeSantis. “With a strong economy and plenty of jobs available in other fields, unfortunately too many college graduates are unwilling to enter the teaching profession. My proposal to increase the minimum salary for teachers to $47,500 will help alleviate this shortage and elevate the teaching profession to the level of appreciation it deserves. This is long overdue, and I look forward to working with the legislature to make this a reality.”
The governor’s proposed 2020 budget recommendation will include a pay raise for more than 101,000 teachers in Florida.
