ORLANDO, Fla. — The union representing thousands of Orange County teachers met with school board members and state leaders during a weekend forum to discuss teacher housing, school funding and more ahead of the Aug. 11 start of classes.
The Orange County Classroom Teachers Association said the forum brought together its board members, Orange County school board members and other leaders.
The association said about 2,000 teachers live outside Orange County because they cannot afford to live in the county. Leaders discussed possible solutions aimed at helping more teachers live in the communities where they work.
Microschools were also part of the discussion. OCPS Board Member Angie Gallo said the schools could help keep campuses with lower enrollment open, rather than putting them at risk of closure.
The microschools would still be operated by OCPS and staffed by OCPS teachers, according to the discussion.
Leaders at the meeting said the forum was intended to bring together people with both agreeing and differing viewpoints to share ideas and discuss possible solutions.
“We hear things that maybe the school board members do not, and commissioners do not, and our state leaders do not. So as we get that feedback… we are the in-between. We are the mediator (in) this fight,” said Ladara Royal, secretary of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association.
Leaders also discussed Tourist Development Tax funds and whether some of that revenue could help provide additional funding for public schools.