Keep Orange County's Teachers in the Classroom!

No child should begin the school year without a high-quality teacher and learning conditions that will support their academic journey. But that can only happen if our School Board recognizes the value of our teachers and the need to improve their working conditions. It is time for our experienced teachers to receive the compensation they have earned.

The salaries of our teachers and education professionals have not kept pace with the cost of living in Central Florida. Our experienced teachers have not received a salary increase that reflects their years of service and the value they bring to our schools. Their salary is close to that of a new teacher, and it is time we let them know how much we value their service, knowledge, and commitment to our students by supporting a percentage increase.

It is our students who will ultimately pay the price as more and more teachers are forced out of the classroom to make ends meet. Teacher vacancies in Florida have more than doubled in the past two years alone, and Orange County is no exception.

The Orange County Classroom Teachers Association is currently fighting to make sure our teachers get the raises they need and receive compensatory time for the extra hours of work that sometimes are needed. In addition, we are working on improving working conditions by adding contract language that will ensure classrooms will have the proper temperature, will be clean, and needed repairs will be done and not overlooked. Realizing that students and teachers need a break in the middle of the testing season, we asked the district to provide a professional day (Student Holiday) at the end of April or the beginning of May. It is important for us also that teachers get the space conducive to the service they provide. No student should be receiving services or counseling sessions in a storage room. Extended Wednesdays should be used only when necessary. We proposed that those Wednesdays are only used when they are required by the state. We invite you to read the summary of our proposals at the link below.