Teachers union raises issues with Lee County School District after arbitration

Being a teacher is just like any other profession. Teachers need to take days off, get sick, and sometimes cover for co-workers.

There are 131 open instructional positions in Lee County right now, but the kids still have to learn, and that has turned into a money battle.

Imagine taking on more students and classes and not getting paid. The Teachers Association of Lee County took up the fight against the Lee County School District. In July, an arbiter ruled the school district had to pay $5.5 million.

The district also created a list of who would get paid, and the union claims that not all teachers received the money they deserved.

$5.5 million has gone to Lee County teachers for working overtime, covering other teachers’ classrooms, and filling in, but the money is almost gone. About $500,000 remain.

“I think it speaks to a larger issue: we have a massive teacher shortage in the school district of Lee County. Because of that, teachers have to agree either to take on at the secondary level, teach seven of seven without any planning, or split up class at the elementary school level, where, you know, the teachers are not in for the day, so they take the 25 or 30 kids and disperse them over three or four teachers,” said Kevin Daly, the President of the Teacher’s Association of Lee County.

Daly said the money isn’t enough, but it’s a start. It was a start for many, but others didn’t get a piece of the pie.

“We will fight, you know, people got paid, and we will fight for the people who were underpaid or neglected at all, or as I said, we’re in an eligible position the year of coverage and are no longer in an eligible position now, but should have gotten paid because they were. That’s why we’re here. And so the frustration level is high,” Daly said.

The school district told WINK News that it filled 98% of the daily openings caused by vacancies, illness, appointments, and other absences with subs last week. That other 2% is filled by however the school chooses – which could be another teacher.

Kelly Services provides the district with guest teachers and has more than 1,800 people who have registered to work.

“We are the lowest starting salary in Southwest Florida, with, you know, probably the second highest cost of living, just behind Collier County. The district needs to start paying attention to if we’re going to beat the trend and get as many highly qualified teachers as we can here in Lee County,” Daly said.

The school district only has to pay the $5.5 million, no less and no more.

The teachers union and school district plan to meet soon to discuss the remaining teachers not given money.