The State Board of Education met today, drawing criticism from the Florida Education Association (FEA) for what it described as a continued focus on politics over substantive investment in public schools. According to the FEA, Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas used the meeting to misrepresent events at an Alachua County School Board meeting and to place blame on educators for issues stemming from underfunding.
The FEA stated that Commissioner Kamoutsas “spread misinformation about an Alachua County School Board meeting, blamed educators for the state’s failure to invest in public education, and used political motivations to intimidate educators both in Brevard and around the state.” The organization further alleged that these actions occurred while “blaming the very educators who are showing up for their students and communities every single day.”
A particular point of concern for the FEA was a comment by Commissioner Kamoutsas regarding community members exercising free speech at a recent Alachua County meeting. The commissioner reportedly said that the “culture” in Alachua County “needs to change,” adding that the state would intervene if necessary. The FEA characterized this as a threat to those who disagree with current state policies, stating: “Such comments reveal a clear and direct threat to educators and entire communities who dare to disagree with the Governor’s agenda. The Governor and his allies have made deliberate attempts to silence dissent and hand over local control of our schools to politicians. In Florida, the freedoms of educators, elected school boards, and communities must be protected, not eroded in service of political power.”
The association also highlighted ongoing challenges facing Florida’s public schools. It cited budget shortfalls worsened by delayed federal funding, infrastructure problems such as mold and broken air conditioning units, low teacher pay—placing Florida last nationally—and thousands of classrooms without certified teachers at the start of this school year.
The FEA argued that these issues have contributed to overcrowded classrooms and declining student performance on standardized tests. It criticized what it sees as selective support for parental rights: “The Governor’s playbook was in full display today when the school board discussed protecting parents’ rights, but in practice, are only concerned about the rights of those who agree with them. There’s no better example of that than the Florida Department of Education’s effort to ban books, censor learning, and dictate whose voices and stories are allowed in our schools.”
Regarding teacher compensation proposals included in this year’s Legislative Budget Request (LBR), the FEA noted: “Despite claims about supporting student learning and educators, the LBR actively undermines that goal. The proposed $145 million for teacher pay averages out to about $708 (pre-tax) per teacher—less than $30 per paycheck before taxes, far from what’s needed to keep pace with rising inflation.” The organization said it will continue monitoring budget requests.
The press release concluded with a call for less politicization in education policy: “As members of the State Board of Education themselves so eloquently put it, student achievement isn’t a partisan ideal. Every child—not just a select few—deserves a rich and diverse education that allows them to see themselves in their learning and challenges them to think for themselves. It’s time to stop weaponizing our classrooms and ensure every child has access to the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.”
The Florida Education Association represents more than 120,000 members across PreK-12 teachers, higher education faculty, educational staff professionals, aspiring teachers at colleges and universities, as well as retired employees.
