TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Some upset Brevard County teachers, parents and students staged a "walk-in for education" before school Friday morning.
About 50 people gathered at the intersection of Singleton Avenue and Dairy Road in Titusville about 6 a.m. and walked about a third of a mile to Oak Park Elementary School. Other walked to Madison Middle School.
The group chanted, "We're tired of talking, so now we're walking," as they marched to the school.
"I'm out here today because teachers are overwhelmed," said teacher Anthony Colucci. "We're underpaid, unappreciated and working for a district that's not keeping its word."
Representatives from the Brevard Federation of Teachers said they recently helped district officials get a one-half cent sales tax passed, but that district officials have not done enough to help teachers.
"We just feel like we need to be heard," said kindergarten teacher Kara Floyd. "If they want us to do the quality job that we do then we should get benefits for that."
Brevard Public Schools teachers did get performance-based raises in July ranging from $700-$900, but many said the district simply isn't keeping pace with rising health insurance and other costs.
"We've had a huge loss of veteran teachers who are the glue that any campus depends on," said Richard Smith, president of the Brevard Federation of Teachers.
The group said they decided to hold a walk-in because they said they would never walk out on their students.
The Brevard Federation of Teachers said teachers are upset that salary negotiations were not re-opened this winter after the half-cent sales tax passed in November.
But the district told Channel 9 no such promise was made.
However, both sides did agree to come back to the table for further discussion. The district said that happened in December and again earlier this month when the district's chief negotiator explained that with no "new money" coming in at this time, there was no basis to reopen the contract.
Protestors told Channel 9 they're going to stay in the fight until things improve.
WFTV
