Despite a vaunted investment of more than $4 billion to increase educators’ salaries since 2020, the state is now almost dead last in state-by-state comparisons of average teacher pay, according to the National Education Association.
The Florida Education Association (FEA) highlighted the new rankings Tuesday, from a National Education Association (NEA) report earlier this month. It shows Florida’s average public school teacher pay dropped from No. 48 nationally to No. 50 among states and Washington, D.C. Only West Virginia ranked lower than the Sunshine State, the report says.
The report shows that while Florida’s average starting teacher salary is16th among the 50 states and Washington at $47,178, the average teacher salary is not nearly above average nationally. The report shows overall average teacher salaries clock in at $53,100, with the average teacher pay overall just shy of $6,000 more than new teachers.
“Once again, despite a thriving economy, Florida is failing to prioritize the needs of students by not fairly compensating teachers and staff,” FEA President Andrew Spar said in a news release. “Time and time again, anti-education politicians say they support teachers — but the proof is undeniable: in the past five and a half years since Gov. Ron DeSantis took office, Florida’s public-school teachers have experienced a stagnant and declining average salary.”
Nationally, teacher pay increases have lagged behind inflation over the last decade, the report says.
Neither officials from the state Department of Education (DOE) nor the Governor’s Office were immediately available to comment on the rankings, which are typically released this time of year.
In December, however, DeSantis’ budget impact on teacher pay increases brought praise from state Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., who said DeSantis was cementing the state’s status as “the Education State.”
“Florida is ranked as the No. 1 state in the nation for education because we invest in our future,” Diaz said in a December news release after the budget was announced. “By continuing to prioritize workforce education, ensuring we have high-quality teachers, providing choice for all students and making record investments in our students, Florida will no doubt remain No. 1 in education for years to come.”
The DOE and the state’s largest teachers’ union have disagreed on data before.
At the beginning of the school year, last August, the DOE said the number of teacher vacancies dropped by 10% since the previous year. But the FEA said teacher vacancies are at a record high. The state has been working on new pathways for teachers to get in front of a class.
“It is unacceptable that Florida ranks so close to last in the nation for teacher pay and that the teacher shortage crisis is still not being addressed,” Spar said. “Every student in Florida deserves a world class education. Every educator deserves the ability to create a better life for themselves and their loved ones.”