Broward Educators Are Worth More Than ZERO!

Educators are the lifeblood of Broward County Schools. By the time a Broward student graduates from high school, each one will have spent over 10,000 hours at school being instructed by more than 30 teachers.

But, Broward educators are more than teachers. They are mentors. They are caregivers. They are friends. They are event planners. They are counselors. They are cheerleaders. They are role models.

And, Broward educators do more than grade papers. They instruct. They care for students. They encourage. They communicate with parents. They empathize. They listen. They discipline. They nurture.

Broward educators are professionals. They are part of our community. They pay taxes. They shop in local stores. They have families.

The School Board of Broward County must place the appropriate value on the contribution that educators make to our collective future. The nation is facing a looming teacher shortage. Broward is experiencing historically high turnover rates. Yet, the percent of the budget the School District is spending on educator salaries continues to decrease.

The School Board needs to do everything it can to retain Broward’s current teachers and attract the best in the future. Instead, the Board wants to reduce the salary of high school teachers by not paying them for teaching an extra class. The Board refuses to offer anything to Broward’s most veteran educators, even though their salary has been frozen since 2008.

When the recession hit, Broward educators made huge financial sacrifices to ensure the education of our students wasn’t affected. Now the economy has rebounded, state funding for education is up, and revenue from local property taxes has soared. The School District has more than enough money to give teachers raises.

Instead of recognizing those sacrifices, the School Board is taking advantage of their generosity.

Broward educators deserve a fair raise!

Broward educators are heroes! Broward educators are worth more than ZERO!