Florida Department of Education details subject areas most in need of teachers in new report
Florida report details subject areas in need of teachers
The new 'High Demand Teacher Needs Areas' report details critical teacher shortages in Florida by subject. The report was approved by the State Board of Education on Wednesday. FOX 13's Danielle Zulkosky reports.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The new 'High Demand Teacher Needs Areas' report details critical teacher shortages in Florida by subject. The report was approved by the State Board of Education on Wednesday.
Officials with the State Department of Education said this does not mean the state has a teacher shortage but points to where the state needs to fill the gaps, especially in certain subjects, including:
- Exceptional Student Education (ESE)
- Technology Education
- English
- Math
- Science-General
- Science-Physical
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
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Dr. Josey McDaniel, the deputy chancellor for educator quality with the Florida Department of Education, said this data is a way for the state to determine where to put more resources.
"Florida continues to lead the nation in strengthening the teacher workforce through intentional investments and targeted recruitment and preparation initiatives," McDaniels said. "Programs such as the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation."
The other side:
The Florida Education Association (FEA) said the issues with Florida schools run deeper than that. Florida ranks 50th in the nation for average teacher pay with only Mississippi sitting below the Sunshine State.
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"The $44 a month historic raise that we were offered is not enough to stop our critical shortage of teachers," said Christy Kirkland, a Polk County Schools' teacher.
"We know that teachers with experience have been negatively impacted by laws here in Florida which intentionally drive money away from teachers with experience, making it harder for teachers to be able to stay in the profession," said Andrew Spar, the president of the Florida Education Association.
Dig deeper:
McDaniel, though, said this report does not mean that Florida has an educator shortage.
"The purpose is to ensure that our recruitment, preparation and incentive efforts remain targeted and aligned with student demand," McDaniels said.
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The FEA said another big issue is using long-term subs or teachers who are outside their specialty. Twice a year, this group tracks vacancies by counting the number of available jobs in each county.
"January, when we did that report again, a slight increase in the number of vacancies and typically between August and January you expect to see a significant decrease in the number of vacancies," Spar said.
The state releases its own vacancy report in the summer with data it gathers directly from superintendents.
What Teachers' Are Saying:
Multiple people spoke during public comment with the main issues being pay, classroom and over regulation.
"This is the education law book from 1998. It had about 680 pages of laws that public schools must follow. This is The Education Law Book today. It has 1,408 pages," Spar said.
Carole Gauronskas is the Vice President of the Florida Education Association and an ESE Paraprofessional in St. John's County.
"The regulations for charter schools is 69 pages," Gauronskas said. "And for voucher schools, there are 19 pages. Let's either remove some of the regulations or make it an even playing field for all of Florida's children."
The Source: Information in this story comes from interviews done by Fox 13's Danielle Zulkosky.