GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Clay County Education Association is heading to Tallahassee next year to push for funding the future of public education.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in October plans to hike teacher salaries across the state, citing a teacher shortage felt throughout Florida. The National Education Association reported earlier this year that Florida ranked fourth-lowest in average teacher salaries in the country. It ranked only above New Mexico, West Virginia and Mississippi. CCEA President Rena Lee Paiva and dozens others in proximity to or directly in education in the Clay County School District are heading to the state capital in January to let their voices be heard.

“We are the third biggest economy in the United States and the state of Florida,” Paiva said. “Florida has billions in reserves and they have to start funding education or the state of Florida is going to be in serious trouble.”

Paiva describes the current teacher shortage across the state as a silent strike and she hopes to end this shortage by going straight to legislators in Tallahassee. The last time CCEA did something like this, they sent one bus full of teachers, parents and like, according to Paiva. CCEA is hoping to send four buses this year full of teachers, parent groups and administrators.

“This isn’t a political move,” Paiva said. “This is about funding our future. When did things like funding public education...cease becoming American values?”

Paiva said she’s concerned that the American public has forgotten that public education is a value of America.

Signs that say “Fund Public Education” will be carried by the participants in Tallahassee and they hope legislators that determine where funding for education goes receive the message loud and clear.

“‘Fund Public Education’ isn’t political,” Paiva said. “Public education is the great equalizer. John Kennedy said that and Eisenhower said that.”

Paiva hopes the Clay County School Board will join CCEA in Tallahassee on Jan. 13 and that Superintendent Addison Davis allows principals who would otherwise have to work to attend as well.

“We hope to have 50,000 teachers and advocates of public educators to be marching in Tallahassee,” Paiva said. “That’s 15% of every teaching body in every county in the state of Florida.”

“That’s the goal. It’s very ambitious but that’s out goal.”

Paiva said this march is public education’s last stand, citing certain bills that have come across Florida legislator desks that seek to remove certified teachers altogether and use adjunct teachers instead.

“We’ll never come back from that road,” Paiva said. “You won’t have to worry about school boards or who is what on it because it won’t matter anymore. You won’t have public education.”