BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — With a vote of 5-0, the Brevard County School Board approved a teacher contract that includes raises and improved working conditions for the 2019-2020 school year.

The announcement came in a news release by the school board on Tuesday evening.

In a video that appeared on the Brevard Federation of Teachers' Facebook page, union president Anthony Colucci is shown telling the school board on Tuesday night that Brevard County teachers voted 3,273-65 in favor of the 2019-2020 contract.

In addition, 68.7 percent of teachers voted on the contract, said Colucci.

"We have not seen such a positive response to a contract in a decade," he told the school board.

The school board released the following information about contract:

  • "$2,000 for the 4,149 teachers rated "highly effective" in 2018-2019. That equates to a 4.1 percent raise for a teacher earning the average BPS salary of $48,634."

  • "$1,500 for the 314 teachers rated "effective" — a 3 percent raise, on average."

  • "An additional $1,200 pay raise for 2,416 teachers with 12 or more years' experience with BPS."

Colucci asked the school board to stand with the union and teachers as the Brevard Federation of Teachers is preparing to ask the Florida state legislature that "after a decade of neglect, it is time for a decade of progress. They must fund our future."

The union president pointed out that Florida ranks 43 in the nation in student funding and 46 in average teacher pay.

Colucci said that next year the state legislature must put $2.4 billion into public education "so we can begin the correct the disinvestment that has plagued public education in our state."

On January 13, 2020, public school advocates will rally in Tallahassee to tell the state lawmakers to invest in public education, to not interfere with local-control schools and to stop over-testing students, Colucci told the school board.