Tallahassee, Fla., July 16, 2019 – Following Governor Ron DeSantis’ directive to recruit and maintain high quality teachers in areas of critical concern to our students, Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran today announced that the Florida Department of Education allocated $15.8 million in federal funds to incentivize teachers with proven records of success to serve at Florida’s most fragile “D” or “F” schools. Eligible teachers will receive as much as $15,000 in supplements.

Governor Ron DeSantis said, “I’m proud of our accomplishments this legislative session to make historic investments in our schools. These additional federal dollars will help ensure that Florida not only retains and rewards good teachers but incentivizes a new group of talented individuals to enter the teaching profession, especially into areas of critical need. All Florida students, regardless of income or zip code, deserve the chance to receive a world-class education. This investment will support our efforts to provide a quality education for our students at Florida’s most struggling schools by recruiting and retaining talented individuals.”

Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran said, “High-quality teachers are the most important contributing factor to student success. Every Florida student, regardless of their background or their family’s income, deserves great teachers who empower them to break down any impediments that encumber their life’s freedom. This is another way we are leveling the playing field for all Floridians, and we are thrilled for the opportunity to reward our state’s hard-working teachers in the process.”

• Eligible teachers are those who have earned a highly effective or effective rating based on the state’s value-added model calculation (when aggregated over 3 years) and teach at a Title 1 school with a 2019 school grade of “D” or “F” as of August 30, 2019.
• Such teachers, who are rated highly effective in their VAM calculation, will receive up to a $15,000 supplement, and those teachers rated effective in their VAM calculation will receive up to a $7,500 supplement.
• The Department is allocating these funds from the federal Unified School Improvement Grant (UniSIG) allocation, which is provided to states annually for the purpose of providing adequate resources to substantially raise the achievement of students in the lowest-performing schools.

“We must constantly challenge ourselves to find ways to more effectively spend our resources on what matters the most, getting every student in front of a great teacher and implementing ideas that drive great outcomes for our students,” said Commissioner Corcoran.