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Andrew Spar is president of the Florida Education Association. (courtesy, Andrew Spar)<\/p>\nThe first day of school is always filled with smiles, introductions and hope for the year ahead. Like every year, Florida\u2019s public-school teachers, staff and administrators are focused on ensuring that every child is welcomed with open arms and genuine care.<\/p>\n
Yet, despite educators\u2019 best efforts, as hundreds of thousands of children return to their neighborhood public schools, too many will enter classrooms without a permanent, fully certified teacher. This year, public schools across the state will start the school year without enough bus drivers, paraprofessionals, ESE aides, custodial staff, cafeteria workers, nurses and other essential educators who keep students healthy and safe in school.<\/p>\n
Andrew Spar is president of the Florida Education Association. (courtesy, Andrew Spar)<\/p>\n
In the first week of August, Florida districts reported over 3,000 instructional vacancies<\/a>. When combined with the more than 2,300 support staff vacancies, the total number of unfilled positions is even higher than the year before. These persistent vacancies don\u2019t just signal a problem; they reveal a deepening funding crisis that continues to disrupt student learning and undermine the promise of public education.<\/p>\n Amid disheartening and disruptive school closures and thousands of position cuts districts have been forced to implement due to million-dollar budget shortfalls, vacancies have continued to climb. Years of underfunding have led to a 12.4% drop in average teacher salary (when adjusted for inflation) over the last decade. This year\u2019s budget includes less than a 2% increase to the base per-student funding, which is nowhere near enough to keep up with inflation and rising costs.<\/p>\n This same deliberate underfunding has led Florida educators to be ranked 50th in average pay nationally<\/a> for three years running, pushing many educators out of the profession or the state altogether. Adding to this burden are out-of-control healthcare costs that have forced many educators to choose between their family\u2019s health and their profession. As the educator shortage worsens, lawmakers have authorized billions to flow into an unaccountable voucher program devoid of meaningful safeguards, even as Florida ranks 41st in per-pupil spending<\/a>.<\/p>\n