SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — The Leon Classroom Teachers Association and the Leon County School District have signed off on this year's state-mandated teacher pay increase, but leaders say they are still fighting for the majority of educators who won't benefit from it.
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Under state law, the district and the teachers' association had until July 30 to reach an agreement on this year's teacher salary increase allocation, which takes effect immediately.
The estimated $1.5 million increase will only go to eligible full-time teachers with 10 or more years of service in Florida's public school system.
Scott Mazer, president of the Leon Classroom Teachers Association, said the union is pushing for a broader solution.
"What we're trying to do is get a comprehensive salary package put together... so that everyone could be seen as well as the millage increase memorandum of understanding so people understood if you vote for the millage increase, this is what it means for our educators."
While the teacher salary agreement has been signed, the two sides did not reach an agreement on a memorandum of understanding for a proposed millage increase. The union says that agreement would help provide a path to future pay increases for the remaining 58% of instructional staff.
Superintendent Rocky Hanna says he supports the association's goals and will take the memorandum of understanding to the school board during an executive session on Aug. 10. The association is expected to consider it the following day.
"I'm very hopeful and optimistic when I go back to the school board with the memorandum of understanding when it comes to the tax increase, and how those resources and proceeds will be distributed that I can make a case that's equitable and fair to our teachers and our support staff," Hanna said.
For educators like Sarah Flammer, reaching a long-term agreement is about more than a paycheck. The speech-language pathologist says it's about keeping experienced teachers in local classrooms.
"We already have a shortage of individuals coming into our classrooms and staying in our classrooms... We want to be in our schools. We love the kids in our community. But at the end of the day, we have to pay our bills," Flammer said.
Mazer says the association decided to sign the state-mandated pay agreement because a survey of union members showed teachers wanted their state-mandated pay increase to take effect immediately. The school board's final budget vote is set for Sept. 8.
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