Advocate reveals Florida teachers don't get a raise for 10 years and it's mindboggling

Teachers are an integral part of our society. Without good teachers and educators, our society could easily crumble within a few years. It is teachers who put their minds and hearts into their job because being good at it demands it. If a job is this crucial, it undoubtedly deserves to be paid well. However, that's not how it is, at least not in Florida, as per an educator, advocate and union president on TikTok. In a video posted by K–who goes by @teacherpaywithk on the platform–she spoke about how nothing had changed in a year of how teachers were getting paid in Florida.

In the first frame of the video, she is replying to a comment posted on one of her previous videos where a teacher highlights how little educators get in Florida. The comment posted by @dianalynn2.0 says, "1st year and year 9 teachers in Hillsborough, County, Florida, make the same amount. There is no step up for 10 years." The teacher begins the video by saying that while she did completely believe the comment left by the woman, she still needed to see it for herself. And that's what she did as she opened the official Hillsborough School's website. 

The teacher, K, opened the website and started reading the salary schedule of teachers, which surprised her unpleasantly. As per the schedule, new teachers begin with a pay of $47,501 that does not increase for about 8 years. After toiling hard and teaching as if their lives depended on it, teachers get nothing until they finish 9 years in the same place for the same pay. The first monetary promotion teachers at Hillsborough County, Florida, get is after working at the same institution for nine years straight. But that's not even the most shocking part.

She says, "So, 9 years in and even then, it is only a $500 increase for the year." Every year after that, there is a subsequent increase in the yearly salary, which ranges from $3000 to $500, until people finally reach $60,000. K mentions how she feels about this situation and says, "You can't raise step 0 to $60,000 without adjusting steps zero through 17." But then this raises the age-old question who has the money to do any of this? Well, the answer is simple. As K says, "It's not these cities, it's not locals and sometimes it's not even a State. The Federal Government has to come in with that funding."

The comments section of this video was as shocked as she was. @heather_k2 said, "Hillsborough Community College starts faculty with a doctorate at $55k. So, it's not just k-12." @patten_teapot_0p added, "In my kid's school district, teachers make over $115,000 a year at step 25 BA + 75 and they don't need a master." @2ndgradefun said, "Florida teacher and our pay scale is ridiculous. Our step raises are $50-100. Honestly, doesn't make a difference." @edwinjlopez90 shared, "I live in Texas. In my first year, I was offered $58,700. Three years later, I am at $70K with my bilingual stipend and working summer school."