LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — The Pasco County School District is looking at ways to increase teacher's pay.
The Superintendent, Kurt Browning, discussed an idea where teachers would work an extra 30 minutes each day in exchange for an additional $3,300 for the 2019-2020 school year. The Superintendent shared this idea in a video on YouTube.
"While we are sharing information and ideas, today. I am not saying that any of these ideas will be proposed or that they will occur," said Browning in the video.
The district is discussing these ideas after teachers have left Pasco County to teach in Hillsborough County where the pay is higher.
"My workload is excessive. I work from 6:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. and probably do another hour at home and I work about 5 hours on the weekend," said Lori Lovetere, an English/Language Arts teacher in Pasco County.
Under this idea, teachers would teach one more class period with students. The president of the teachers union, The United School Employees of Pasco, worries this could impact student learning.
"Certainly, that's going to impact student learning and when student learning suffers, their scores suffer, I think it's the wrong thing to do," said Don Peace, President of The United School Employees of Pasco.
The Pasco County School District sent a survey to teachers asking them four questions.
The questions included, "How would having an additional class period of students impact your day?" and "What, if anything, do you see as the positive(s) for this option?"
Teachers emailed Superintendent Browning.
One teacher wrote, "As a secondary teacher, I am 110% in support of this proposal."
Another teacher emailed the Superintendent saying, "I think this is a great idea. I worked this kind of day for 15 years in California and I loved the fact that it offered our Title 1 students more opportunities for electives that they might not have without it."
Another teacher wrote, "As a newer teacher, I can assure you, teaching another class would force me to leave Pasco County."
School district officials said this idea is being discussed and it would require approval from the teachers union.
