The Richter campaign agrees with the Florida Education Association …….
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Increase the recurring general revenue base. The state cannot continue its dependence on nonrecurring revenue sources and an aging tax system. Evaluation of the countless sales tax exemptions and corporate tax exemptions followed by the elimination of non-vital exemptions should be a top priority.
Reduce the level of spending for the Florida School Recognition Program.
Allow local school boards authority to utilize local 2-mill capital outlay funds to pay for property and casualty insurance premiums.
Reevaluate the funding model for exceptional student education. (ESE)
Expand teacher lead funding to include all full-time instructional personnel and pro-rata funding for part-time instructional personnel.
Provide free tuition or loan forgiveness scholarships to ESP for coursework to become certified teachers in critical shortage areas.
Reject simplistic schemes like the 65% “solution” that seek only to shift school funding without examining the needs of students, school employees, schools and school districts.
Examine Florida’s corporate tax policy and associated business tax breaks and the real economic benefit to Florida.
FACTS:
Pay teachers and other public school employees a competitive wage.
Experts agree that a highly qualified teacher in every classroom is critical to providing our children with the best education possible. But in Florida, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to recruit and retain quality teachers.
The teaching shortage is real.
Florida must recruit many new teachers each year and faces strong competition from other states and other professions. The average Florida teacher salary is $6,200 below the national average. Education support personnel such as counselors, nurses, and reading coaches are just as vital to our schools and must also make a living wage.
Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72
