Florida Teacher Vacancies Drop 30% Over Two Years Despite Last-Place National Pay Ranking
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Florida reduced teacher vacancies 30% from 2023’s peak, but continues ranking 50th nationally in average teacher compensation, raising questions about workforce sustainability.
Vacancy Reductions Show Progress Amid Compensation Challenges
Florida has achieved a 30% reduction in teacher vacancies over two years, with the Florida Department of Education announcing vacancies for the 2025-26 school year are down 17.7% compared to the previous year. The state declined from over 7,000 vacancies in 2023 to approximately 3,000 by early 2025, marking measurable progress in addressing one of the nation’s most acute teacher shortages.
Yet these gains occur against a backdrop of persistent challenges. Florida ranks 50th in the nation for average teacher salary for the second consecutive year, with teachers earning an average of $54,875 annually – below the state’s living wage benchmark of $61,002. When adjusted for inflation, average teacher salaries have fallen 12.9% from 2014-15 to 2023-24, according to National Education Association data.
Governor Ron DeSantis announced the vacancy improvements at a July 30 education roundtable in Tampa, crediting $5.9 billion in teacher pay investments since he took office, alternative certification pathways, and improved working conditions. Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas emphasized Florida’s success attracting teaching talent through raised pay, empowered teachers, and new certification pathways.
Florida has launched two programs to address the teacher pipeline crisis. The Teacher Apprenticeship Program provides on-the-job training from veteran teachers while candidates pursue certification, currently serving more than 80 individuals with nearly 500 total applicants. The Military Veterans Certification Pathway allows veterans to begin teaching through temporary certificates while completing requirements, with more than 100 veterans starting careers and nearly 700 applying.
However, the Florida Education Association disputes the state’s funding calculations. FEA officials call the $5.9 billion figure “fuzzy math,” estimating the actual teacher-specific investment at closer to $1.3 billion based on state department records. The 2025 budget includes $1.3 billion for educator pay raises, translating to approximately $20 per paycheck per teacher.
FEA President Andrew Spar challenged the administration’s narrative: “Once again, despite a thriving economy, Florida is failing to prioritize the needs of students by not fairly compensating teachers and staff. Time and time again, anti-education politicians say they support teachers — but the proof is undeniable.”
While state officials tout alternative certification programs as successes, the Florida Education Association warns that many classrooms still lack certified permanent teachers. The union attributes vacancy decline partly to budget cuts and increased reliance on uncertified educators – raising questions about whether Florida is truly attracting qualified professionals for long-term careers or simply filling vacant slots with whoever is available.
Author Quote"
Florida’s experience reveals a critical lesson: you cannot build a sustainable teaching workforce by focusing only on starting salaries while neglecting the compensation of experienced educators. The 16th-place ranking for beginning teachers paired with a 50th-place average salary creates a revolving door that undermines instructional quality.
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How the MSM Has Misled
Florida Department of Education: "Florida continues to attract the best teaching talent because we have raised teacher pay" — This statement omits the critical context that Florida ranks 50th in the nation for average teacher salary for two consecutive years and that average pay has fallen 12.9% when adjusted for inflation. Claiming to attract the "best talent" contradicts the state's bottom-tier compensation ranking.
State Officials: Presented "$5.9 billion towards teacher and other instructional personnel pay increases" without clarifying that the Florida Education Association calls this "fuzzy math," with their analysis showing the real teacher-specific figure is closer to $1.3 billion. The inflated number creates a misleading impression of investment levels.
Commissioner Kamoutsas: Claimed "teacher vacancies have decreased by nearly 30% over the last two years" without providing the absolute numbers showing thousands of positions still unfilled. The percentage-based framing makes the improvement sound more complete than the reality of approximately 3,000 remaining vacancies.
Multiple Sources: Emphasized vacancy reductions while systematically omitting Florida's last-place national ranking in teacher pay. Readers received progress reports without the essential context that fundamental compensation challenges persist, creating an incomplete picture of the state's teacher workforce situation.
Pay Paradox: Strong Starting Salaries, Weak Average Compensation
Florida’s compensation picture reveals a stark paradox. The state ranks 16th nationally for starting teacher salary at approximately $49,000, up from $39,000 four or five years ago. Yet Florida ranks last for average teacher pay, suggesting that while the state can attract new teachers with competitive entry salaries, it struggles to retain and properly compensate experienced educators.
DeSantis acknowledged the compensation challenges: “I think [the average starting salary] was like $39,000 four or five years ago, and now that’s up closer to $50,000, which is helpful. I mean, it’s not nearly enough, obviously, for how much costs have gone up for people in a high inflation economy.”
This compensation structure creates what education policy experts call a “revolving door” – attracting new teachers while failing to build an experienced, stable workforce. Teachers with years of classroom experience see minimal salary growth, making long-term careers in Florida education financially unsustainable.
Teacher vacancies have been a nationwide challenge since around 2017, with dramatic acceleration following the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, 86% of public schools struggle to hire educators. Florida’s multi-pronged approach offers potential lessons for other states facing similar challenges, though the state’s experience also demonstrates the limitations of addressing only starting salaries while neglecting average compensation.
Key Takeaways:
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30% vacancy reduction: Florida declined from over 7,000 teacher vacancies in 2023 to approximately 3,000 by early 2025
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Last-place pay ranking: Florida ranks 50th nationally in average teacher salary at $54,875, below the state's living wage benchmark of $61,002
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Alternative certification growth: More than 80 teacher apprentices and 100 military veterans have entered classrooms through new pathways, with nearly 1,200 total applicants
Sustainability Questions Remain Unresolved
Florida’s 30% vacancy reduction represents meaningful progress from the pandemic-era crisis. Approximately 3,000 teaching positions now remain unfilled – a substantial improvement from 7,000+ vacancies two years ago. The state has demonstrated that targeted salary increases for new teachers combined with alternative pathways can reduce acute shortages.
Yet fundamental questions remain about sustainability. Can Florida build a stable, experienced teaching workforce while ranking last in average teacher compensation? Will alternatively certified teachers remain in the profession long-term? And can the state close the gap between its 16th-place starting salaries and 50th-place average pay?
DeSantis indicated he will fight for additional teacher salary funding in next year’s budget, though specific proposals remain unclear. The Florida Education Association continues calling for $2.5 billion in additional annual education funding for seven years to address not just pay but also mental health specialists and other student support services.
For now, Florida has made measurable progress on a critical challenge while leaving the hardest work ahead: transforming temporary vacancy reductions into long-term professional stability for the state’s 180,000+ public school teachers. The tension between state officials emphasizing progress and teachers unions highlighting inadequate investment reflects a national debate about education funding priorities that will shape educator recruitment strategies for years to come.
Author Quote"
Alternative certification pathways can address immediate staffing emergencies, but they’re not a substitute for attracting traditionally certified professionals who view teaching as a long-term career. When thousands of classrooms rely on provisionally certified teachers, we must ask whether we’re solving the right problem.
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Florida’s vacancy reductions demonstrate that targeted interventions can address acute shortages – but they also reveal the limitations of crisis management without systemic reform. Alternative certification pathways and entry-level salary improvements provide temporary relief while fundamental compensation inadequacies remain unaddressed. Districts nationwide should study Florida’s multi-pronged approach while recognizing that sustainable educator recruitment requires competitive pay throughout entire careers, not just at entry points. For comprehensive strategies on building strong teaching workforces and addressing educator retention challenges, explore our All Access Program.
