Rick Scott to seek pay raise for Florida teachers
Source: Tampa Bay Times
TALLAHASSEE With Florida anticipating its first budget surplus in five years, Gov. Rick Scott will seek an across-the-board pay raise for public school teachers in the budget he will send to the Legislature next week.
Scott is expected to unveil the proposal on Wednesday when he visits a middle school in suburban Orlando. The amount of the pay increase is not yet known.
According to a state-by-state survey by the National Education Association, average teacher salaries in Florida are among the lowest in the country. A survey for the 2010-11 year showed the average salary in Florida was $45,732, which ranked 45th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Average salaries were highest in New York, at $72,708 a year.
Scott began his term as governor two years ago on the outs with many teachers and their union, the Florida Education Association, which strongly backed Scott's Democratic opponent, Alex Sink. But Scott who's seeking re-election in 2014 has held highly publicized meetings with teachers around the state, invited FEA President Andy Ford to the Governor's Mansion, and called for $250 debit cards for all teachers to help cover the costs of out-of-pocket classroom expenses.
Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/rick-scott-to-seek-pay-raise-for-florida-teachers/1271735
csziggy
(34,139 posts)I'd think Florida teachers would be too smart to fall for that.
tinymontgomery
(2,584 posts)buying votes.
teach1st
(5,935 posts)csziggy
(34,139 posts)Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)spartan61
(2,091 posts)to get a raise in pay but I have a question for Scott. What is your motive for this? Are you afraid you won't win re-election and are bribing the teachers o vote for you? I would take the raise but sure as hell not vote for this POS.
elleng
(131,193 posts)Budget surplus???
okwmember
(345 posts)You're still not getting reelected.
Sancho
(9,070 posts)RantinRavin
(507 posts)When he's been in office for 2?
Fuddnik
(8,846 posts)Unless he has a time machine.
Sancho
(9,070 posts)most state employees haven't had a raise in 3-6 years. Scott cut our pay 3% to 6% to add to "retirement". Other benefits that were decades old, like life insurance for state employees was reduced or eliminated.
Some raises were expected or built into contracts. Scott "took back" previously negotiated pay and benefits. The Florida Supreme Court has been split on the legality of some items, and still hasn't ruled on all of them.
Blue Idaho
(5,060 posts)judesedit
(4,443 posts)alp227
(32,065 posts)Someone else brought up that florida teachers got a pay cut a few years back and nothing for years until this surplus.
and-justice-for-all
(14,765 posts)Joel thakkar
(363 posts)i hope he loses the election