Collier teachers ask district for salary increase; parents agree

Reporter: Michelle Alvarez
Published: Updated:

Collier teachers presented a counteroffer to the district Wednesday on what they believe they deserve to get paid. The district’s initial salary proposal for this coming school year represented an 8% increase for union teachers, but they said that’s not enough.

The average salary for a Collier County teacher is around $69,000, yet the base salary starts at $54,000. The district also said they’re hiring and have at least 60 classroom teacher vacancies, but the union said more and more teachers are leaving the state.

WINK News talked with Alethea Shapiro and her daughter Haley who went to Barron Collier High School.

“I am absolutely horrified to find out what the starting salary is for teachers in America in Collier. It’s so insulting to the people who we entrust our children with who we are investing in our future. It’s just very backwards,” said Alethea.

“The teachers that mean the most for us, our club leaders, our, for example, Spanish teachers, that runs the biggest Spanish program at our school with, like, almost 100% pass rate, she was laid off,” said her daughter Haley.

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