Florida teachers union doesn’t support student walkouts

The Florida Education Association (FEA) shot down rumors the teachers union supports student walkouts over any political issue.

“Unfortunately, some individuals have circulated inaccurate and misleading claims about the work of Florida educators,” said FEA President Andrew Spar in a video press conference.

“Let me be clear and restate my prior public comments. The Florida Education Association has never encouraged or organized, and would never encourage or organize, students to walk out or miss class.”

That followed a prior press conference where activist Zander Moricz, a former Pine View School valedictorian who now works with Social Equity Through Education, controversially made remarks about protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“Florida students are confronted with video of ICE raids, of families being torn apart, and of Americans being murdered for using their constitutional rights,” Moricz said on Feb. 5.

“They respond, they organize and they speak out. And they do what American students have always done in moments of injustice. They stand together and demand safety for their peers, their families and themselves. And that response, while framed by some politicians as radical, is rather reasonable. It’s rational, and in a moment like this, it is required.”

Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas heavily criticized the remarks and said student walkouts won’t be allowed in Florida schools.

“Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida does not and will not allow school officials to encourage students to ‘walk-out’ or protest,” he posted. “If a parent has any evidence of this happening, they can contact our office and we will immediately take action.”

Spar said teachers will not encourage such demonstrations. Moreover, he stressed that Florida educators represent a range of political views.

“For the past several years, at the direction of our more than 120,000 members, the FEA has worked with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to strengthen Florida’s public schools,” Spar said in the more recent press conference.

“Whenever possible, I and the leaders and members of FEA have sought to find common ground and identify education policy that policymakers from both sides of the aisle can agree on.”

He said political voices working counter to that have launched a misinformation campaign to distract from the union’s push for fair pay and an environment where professional educators can afford to live in the state.

“This social media campaign appears to be a highly coordinated effort to paint Florida’s educators in a negative light and to convince lawmakers to support anti-worker anti-freedom bills such as House Bill 995 and Senate Bill 1296,” Spar said.

Those bills have been heavily criticized by public employee advocates as union-busting bills.

The House bill is carried by Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, one of the Republican lawmakers who spotlighted the Moricz comments and shared them online.

“Unacceptable!” Persona-Mulicka posted, along with video of Moricz’s remarks. “I see two Lee County teacher union members standing there, nodding heads as student walkouts are encouraged. This is exactly why we need more accountability for these unions — they have lost their focus on advocating for teachers and instead prioritize pushing woke policies.”

But Spar’s press conference featured several Republican public employees concerned about the affordability of the state.

“I’m a proud Floridian. I’m a proudly registered Republican and I’m the father of two wonderful children that I work hard to provide for,” said Ron Webb, who works for Coral Gables’ solid waste division.

“Every single day at work, I’m operating heavy machinery, which can put me and others in danger. This is why my main focus is safety. My colleagues and I work hard to make sure that our city continues to grow and prosper for our future. I love my city and I love my state and I want to make sure that our future is strong.”

Leann Pedraja, a Washington County middle school teacher, also said she was a lifelong Republican. But she said it was critical she also has the support of a union.

“I moved into this profession as my second career in order to help serve my community,” Pedraja said.

“Coming from the private sector, I was able to negotiate my salary going in. It quickly became apparent I had little to no voice in advocating for my annual merit-based pay increases. I knew being a highly effective teacher would motivate me to work harder for that incremental pay increase to help support my growing family. Without my fellow educators to collectively voice our concerns to our district leaders, I know my lone voice will essentially go unheard.”

The video conference also featured Martha Baker, a registered nurse at a public hospital that treats burn victims from throughout Florida and the Caribbean.

“It’s a true honor to take care of our patients and to train others to do the same,” she said.

“I am counting on all lawmakers in Tallahassee to stand up and take care of all nurses and health care professionals in Florida so we can continue to stand up for the patients, your families, and our families. I can’t imagine that our lawmakers would ever pass any legislation that undermines the quality of care we so proudly deliver to your families and take away our nurse voice and expertise.”