FL ranks 49th in teacher pay. There are over 5,000 teacher openings right now. [View all]
We have reached crisis level in FL education. I can’t advise any young person to go into the profession. DeSantis is killing education.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/os-ne-florida-teacher-shortage-2023-20230113-gtotfwmxdralnjsw65ynv4dhae-story.html
Florida’s public schools posted help-wanted signs for nearly 5,300 teachers this month, more than double the vacancies they needed to fill two years ago and another alarming sign of an ongoing teacher shortage, the state’s teachers union said.
The Florida Education Association, which counts teacher vacancies posted on Florida school district websites, said the January 2023 vacancies — a total of 5,294 — represented a steep rise from five years ago when 1,492 openings were counted.
The number of teacher openings counted combined with another 4,600 openings for teachers aides and other school employees pose a serious problem for Florida’s schools, the union said. By its estimates, more than 100,000 students are now missing out on a full-time teacher, as classes are filled by substitutes, covered by other instructional staff or shared by remaining teachers.
“This is the most pressing issue facing the education of Florida’s students. It is time to #FixTheTeacherShortage” tweeted Andrew Spar, the association’s president, on Thursday.