School voucher program: State education leaders, teachers unions differ on state of education system

MIAMI, Fla. - With the school year in the rearview, state education leaders and Florida's largest teachers’ union took vastly differing opinions Wednesday on the current state of the education system in the Sunshine State.

During a Florida Board of Education meeting in Miami, the state's education commissioner, Manny Diaz, celebrated the state's education system, saying it's better than ever, thanks in large part to Florida's school choice options.

"For a second year in a row, we have been ranked number one in the nation for education by U.S. News and World Report," Diaz said. "Parents have the opportunity to choose the best setting for their child and, whether that be magnet school, district neighborhood school, a charter school, or our scholarship program, they are the ones in command."

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The state's school voucher program has been increasingly popular, the board pointed out, with applications already having doubled compared to last year.

Moments after the meeting ended, however, the Florida Education System, which represents the largest number of teachers in the state, argued state leaders are ripping money from public schools and underpaying educators, leading to the highest number of vacancies in the country.

"Florida right now ranks 50th in the nation in average teacher pay – 50th, which should be an embarrassment in the nation," said Andrew Spar, FEA president.

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The state recently called that ranking a lie. The Department of Education has said Governor Ron DeSantis has helped pass $4 billion in teacher raises while in office and that unions are to blame for holding up raises.

Spar, however, said they just want fair pay.

"The commissioner of education today once again shifted blame to what's going on in our public schools onto the teachers and staff in our public schools," Spar said. "The governor the other day did the same thing, blaming teachers and staff for the low ranking and for the audacity of standing up and saying that we want to be treated better."

Spar also criticized the use of public funds for families whose children are homeschooled or going to private school, which is allowed through the voucher program.

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"We're also concerned about the constant underfunding and undermining of our public schools’ dollars being shifted away from the classroom time and time again," Spar said.

FOX 13 spoke with two teachers who are part of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association who said the impacts will trickle down to students.

"In a public education, you know 100% that the person in front of your child is qualified to teach them, they are licensed to teach, they are certified to teach the subject area that they are teaching," said Tracy McConnell, the PCTA union president and a teacher. "You don't know that in a private school or in a homeschool situation."

These teachers also said public schools have more resources for a range of students, so many times when a family is given a voucher and attends a private school, they are transferred back to public during the school year, but the public schools don’t see that money.

"The school district, they're going to lose around 9% of their budget, is going to be gone. So they're going to have to work on that deficit of 9% in the next four or five years. And that's going to be everything from, you know, equipment and things for the classroom to students, resources to pay for teachers," said Jamie Beck of PTCA. 

"I think sometimes there's a narrative that somehow, we're abandoning public education or that we're not putting, prioritizing it," said Ben Gibson, the chair of the Florida Board of Education, as he pushed back against the union's criticism. "I think really the way to think about it is we're prioritizing all forms of education."

The school voucher program by DeSantis is already influencing other states, many of which are also pursuing similar voucher programs.

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