Democrats Doubt DeSantis' Promise to Increase Teachers’ Pay

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DeSantis has been dominating the news cycle.

Governor Ron DeSantis's proposal of increasing educators' pay and boosting teacher "empowerment" is antagonized by the Democrats as a mere political stunt.

House Democratic leader Fentrice Driskell from Tampa said, "This is a political move from a man who wants to run for President and distract from the abortion discussion."

Expanding the budget like a Democrat

Some say this was long overdue. Others believe we shouldn't hand out money.

In a strangely liberal way, DeSantis sent a message of rewarding public workers with better pay.

DeSantis announced that he would add a $200 million budget to the state's education to increase the average teacher salary in Florida, which presently is about $48,000 a year. That makes a total of $1 billion for teacher pay in the governor's recommended budget for the following year.

The governor also suggested establishing a new initiative he called "teacher empowerment," likening it to a bill of rights for educators.

His proposal includes a procedure for reporting a violation of a teacher's rights, protecting teachers who are "often judged unfairly for maintaining order and safety in their classrooms," and allowing civil lawsuits for educators "punished by their employers for standing up for what is right."

Additionally, he stated that the state is seeking to develop new programs to safeguard teachers' compensation by fostering greater responsibility and openness for public sector unions.

One idea would be to raise the minimum representation percentage needed before unions form from 50% to 60%.

DeSantis also suggests allowing state investigations into unions "suspected of fraud, waste, and abuse" and mandating yearly liquidation and financial disclosure from all school unions.

He also said that 12 years might be too long for a term limit for school board members.

"I think it should be eight-year term limits," DeSantis said. "The fact of the matter is you get in there, you have ideas. Eight years is enough to get your ideas in and see some of the successes or maybe things you want to change."

What do you think about DeSantis's move to increase teachers' pay?

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