Republican gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantis speaks with reporters at his Election Day rally after declaring victory over his democratic opponent Andrew Gillum. Credit: Photo by Joey Roulette
On Thursday, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his teacher pay proposal plan that includes a $422 million compensation increase and a “bad actor” list for failed charter schools.

“I’m proud to announce a renewed investment to recruit and retain the best, most dedicated educators for Florida schools,” DeSantis said on Twitter.

DeSantis’ proposals include:

  • More than $422 million for compensation increases.
  • A bonus plan that rewards the most “effective” teachers with bonuses of $9,000 or more in schools that improved by at least 1 percent in overall school grading.
  • A $10 million teacher recruitment program that includes tuition forgiveness for as many as 1,700 new teachers a year who commit to working in Florida’s education system for at least five years.
  • A “bad actor” list that will seek to prevent school operators who are sanctioned or shut down from reopening their school with a new name or through another individual.
  • Principals could get $6,500 bonuses.
  • Bonuses granted under the Best & Brightest would no longer hinge on college entrance exam scores, such as the SAT and ACT.
  • The percentage of African American teachers would increase from 1 percent to 9.8 percent.
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This article appears in Feb 6-12, 2019.