ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The average salary of a St. Johns County teacher was $46,632 last school year.
That’s nearly $2,000 less than the state average despite it being the top rated district in Florida.
“St. Johns County is growing and it’s becoming more expensive to live here, so it does become a real world struggle of, ‘Can I afford a mortgage here?’ and ‘Can I stay in this community?’” Michelle Dillon said.
Dillon is president of the county's teacher union, St. Johns Education Association.
Through their annual negotiations with the district, St. Johns County Schools has agreed to pour $4.8 million into teacher salaries this year.
Who gets raises is determined by student test scores.
Teachers rated “highly effective” last year will see a $2,051 raise.
Teachers rated “effective” will get an additional $1,520, with $1,519 going to long-time teachers who score either of the above.
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While well-performing St. Johns County teachers could start taking home more money, the district and union couldn’t come to terms on more paid planning time for teachers.
“Our teachers work long after the contractual day ends and every single weekend,” Dillon said. "We find that the individual planning time in the classroom, to grade papers to take care of the little things that need to be done are being chipped away."
She said as the state faces a teacher shortage, funding better pay and benefits will be key to recruiting and retaining top-notch educators.
The base pay for associate teachers will increase from $26,600 to $30,000, and teachers who are new to the district will get another $1,000 added to their base pay as part of the increases this year.
Teachers and the school board still have to vote on the $4.8 million deal. Dillon hopes the raises will be in effect come November.
You can see average teacher salaries for every county in Florida here.
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