HIALEAH, Fla. — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced a "major investment" to teacher pay raises in the state budget Monday.
The state has allocated a record $1.25 billion for teacher salary increases, which is close to a quarter of a billion dollar increase in teacher funding from the year before, DeSantis said.
"This categorical can only be used to increase salaries for teachers," DeSantis said emphatically.
The governor proceeded to call out the United Teachers of Dade president, Karla Hernandez-Mats, who he claims makes nearly $300,000 per year.
"I don't want it going to the head of the teacher union," DeSantis said. "I want it to go to the teachers."
The governor said this is the most money the state has ever set aside in the budget for teacher salaries. Since 2019, the state has invested over $4 billion in teacher salary bumps, and has raised starting teacher pay by nearly $10,000.
Today, Florida's average starting teacher salary is over $48,000, according to the governor's office. The National Education Association listed Florida at 16th in the nation in 2022-2023 with a $47,178 average starting salary.
Additionally, NEA said Florida ranked 50th in the nation in 2022-2023 with an average overall salary of $53,098. The governor's office says the average teacher salary today exceeds $54,000.
"We're not going to take our foot off the gas pedal one bit," DeSantis concluded.