Good Morning, Sunland
It's Tuesday! and I want you to know, I see every single message, every single one. And I want to be honest, I can't respond to every single one, but I so so want to, and I'm working on that. Recently though I've been getting a lot of messages around community support for our youth sports locally, also big student achievements that happen, along with so many more small stories that I love, but I currently don't see where I can fit them into the newsletter. This has me thinking that maybe once a month, we have a bit of a community board of sorts, a place where moments like this can live. What do you think about this idea?
🎤 Calling All Performers: Fort Pierce, it's that time. We're looking for singers, rappers, bands, dancers, spoken word artists, and DJs to take the stage for this year's Juneteenth Celebration. This is more than a performance. This is culture. This is community. This is impact. Apply now.
Ja'Min Devon
Founder, Sunland News
🟠 Main Squeeze: Florida teacher pay stays last
Florida's average teacher salary is $56,663, ranking 50th out of 50 states and Washington D.C., according to new data from the National Education Association 📉.
The numbers 📋:
🔴 Average teacher salary: $56,663, dead last in the country
🟡 Average starting salary: $49,435, 19th nationally
🟢 Year over year increase: 3.3%
Why it matters: Florida ranks 19th for starting pay but dead last for overall average salary, a gap that raises questions about whether experienced teachers are being retained and compensated competitively over time 👀.
What teachers are saying 🗣️: Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar said "In the past five years, my daughter has had her full roster of teachers for an entire school year only once. These incidents are a disruption to her learning and, unfortunately, they've become the norm for far too many students across Florida."
The trend 📈: Florida has held this ranking for years, coming in 48th in 2023 before dropping to 50th in 2024 and staying there through 2025 and 2026.
Worth noting: Florida experienced one of the biggest drops in public school enrollment between 2024 and 2025, more than doubling the national decrease 🏫.
What the state says 🏛️: The Florida Department of Education pointed to $1.36 billion allocated for teacher salaries this year, noting the average minimum salary statewide in 2023 to 2024 was $49,444, an increase of roughly $9,400 since 2020.
For comparison 🌍:
💰 California average: $103,552
💰 New York: second highest
💰 Washington state: third highest
💰 National average: $74,495
📊 Teachers earn 24% more on average in states with collective bargaining rights
🥳 Out-of-Towner: May 5 - May 11
Wednesday, May 6
💜 Derek Mack's Tribute to Prince – Sweet Desires Dessert Lounge, 44 Royal Palm Pointe, Vero Beach. | 7 PM | Details
Friday, May 8
🐾 Olive Branch Petting Zoo at The Market – 3750 NE Indian River Dr, Jensen Beach. | 4 PM | Details
Saturday, May 9
Sunday, May 10
Send More Events Here
💧 The Last Drop: Spirit Airlines Shutdown, Beach Erosion, Jobs Report, and Cursive Writing
📉 Florida unemployment ticks up seventh straight month – March jobless rate hit 4.7%, 523,000 out of work. State shed 22,400 jobs over past year. Biggest losses: 12,300 federal jobs, 13,700 restaurant and hotel positions. South Florida lowest at 3.7%. Unemployment report
✈️ Spirit Airlines shuts down, all flights canceled – Dania Beach carrier ended 34 years of operations Saturday after government bailout talks failed. 17,000 employees out of work. Fort Lauderdale airport had 85 of 277 canceled flights. Frontier, JetBlue, United offering rescue fares for stranded passengers. Spirit shutdown
✍️ New Florida law strengthens cursive writing in schools – Students must show proficiency by fifth grade starting July 1. Law codifies letter formation, spacing, alignment, complete sentences. Broward already teaching cursive, no major changes expected. Cursive law
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