Please join our letter writing campaign!

Please choose one of the following drafts (or create your own) to send to our legislators in Clay County and the governor of Florida.  It is very important that we make our voices heard!  

Travis Cummings  
Travis.Cummings@myfloridahouse.gov
580 Wells Road, Suite 2
Orange Park, Fl 32073

Rob Bradley  
bradley.rob@flsenate.gov
1279 Kingsley Avenue, Suite 107
Orange Park, Fl 32073

Governor DeSantis 
https://www.flgov.com/email-the-governor/ ​
Office of the Governor Ron DeSantis
State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Fl 32399-0001

Draft #1

To________________
As a public school teacher I understand the issues and decisions that matter most to our public schools and students.  I believe the path to achieving a world-class education system is grounded in the idea that we need to recruit and retain good teachers.  While a large increase in beginning teacher pay will recruit new teachers, it will not retain the great teachers we have here in Clay County.   You must prioritize competitive salaries, benefits, and pay raises that count toward retirement to attract and retain highest quality teachers.  It is also imperative that you oppose short-sighted and discriminatory bonus schemes such as the Best & Brightest scholarship.  Please work on increasing the per pupil funding allocation to at least the national average.  You must fully fund the costs associated with legislative mandates to include eliminating overcrowded classrooms, extended school day and year, school improvement and turnaround efforts, new teacher mentoring and safe transportation.  Public education is not a partisan issue, it is a right afforded to all citizens under our constitution.  As our elected officials, it is your job to ensure that this right is upheld.  
Thank you, ​

Draft #2

To__________________
I am a public school teacher and I am writing to implore you to increase funding levels to the national average for our schools so that districts in Florida will be able to recruit and retain experienced, dedicated professionals in education. Increasing per pupil spending will allow local districts to hire and retain qualified personnel with competitive salaries who will want to invest their talent in the profession of teaching. Our students deserve to be surrounded by caring adults who understand that teaching and serving in public schools means you have a lasting influence on the life of the children you serve.
The fight for public schools should not be a partisan issue. Yet Florida’s schools remain in crisis.  A decade of failed bonus schemes have not helped the expanding vacancies in the classroom. Florida’s children deserve better than funding levels at 47th in the nation.  I urge you to reject another bonus scheme which arbitrarily rewards some while leaving the majority behind. Teachers are not retained or recruited by such schemes. Will you stand for our kids, and chose to adequately fund Florida’s public schools? I believe that public schools can be the great equalizer which give opportunity to all citizens. You have an opportunity to make a real investment in the future of Florida by adequately funding our public schools.  
Sincerely,