Ron DeSantis made one promise to teachers that will have the education establishment fuming

Florida’s education warriors just got blindsided by an unexpected ally.

The teachers’ union bosses thought they had Governor DeSantis painted into a corner on salary issues.

But Ron DeSantis made one promise to teachers that will have the education establishment fuming.

DeSantis delivers crushing blow to union talking points with massive teacher pay push

The political chess match over teacher compensation in Florida just took a dramatic turn that nobody in the education establishment saw coming.

Governor Ron DeSantis stood before a packed room of educators Thursday morning and dropped a bombshell that completely destroys the narrative his critics have been peddling for months.

The Governor didn’t just talk about supporting teachers – he put his money where his mouth is with a staggering financial commitment that left education bureaucrats scrambling for new attack lines.

“I think we can do better next year, so we’ll be pushing for that, and just make sure you tell your state Representatives to get with the program here,” DeSantis declared to thunderous applause.¹

https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1945841973400846526

This wasn’t some empty campaign promise or political theater – DeSantis revealed he’s already locked in approximately $1.36 billion exclusively for teacher salaries in the state budget.

But here’s the kicker that really has the education establishment in panic mode: he’s promising to fight for even more money next year.

The Governor pulled back the curtain on the brutal legislative negotiations that secured this funding, exposing just how hard he had to battle his own party to get teachers the raises they deserve.

Behind-the-scenes political warfare exposes who really supports teachers

The real story of how this teacher pay victory happened reveals the ugly truth about who’s actually fighting for educators in Tallahassee.

DeSantis and the Senate wanted to allocate $1.5 billion for teacher salaries, but they ran into a brick wall from House Republicans who didn’t want to spend anything on teacher raises.

Think about that for a moment – while union bosses were busy attacking DeSantis in the media, he was actually fighting his own party leadership to get teachers more money.

The $1.36 billion that made it into the final budget represents a hard-fought compromise where DeSantis had to twist arms and spend political capital to secure every dollar.

Meanwhile, the education establishment was too busy playing politics to notice that their supposed enemy was actually their biggest advocate in the room where it mattered.

This behind-the-scenes reality completely shreds the narrative that DeSantis is somehow anti-teacher or hostile to public education.

The Governor didn’t stop with just securing the funding – he dramatically increased the recognition awards for Florida’s top educators.

Each of the five Teacher of the Year finalists walked away with $20,000 checks, while the overall winner takes home $50,000 total.

“We’ve upped the amount of the checks over the years, and that’s, I think, appropriate. Also, with all the inflation, I know you kind of have to do it to make it bite,” DeSantis explained.²

https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1945903468629434546

Florida’s education success story leaves critics eating their words

While the education establishment was busy manufacturing outrage over book policies and curriculum changes, something remarkable was happening in Florida’s classrooms.

The state’s school performance ratings just delivered a knockout punch to every critic who claimed DeSantis’s reforms would harm student achievement.

A stunning 71% of all graded schools in Florida now earn “A” or “B” ratings – a massive jump from 64% the previous year.

Those aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet – they represent real improvements in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Florida students.

“That is great progress, and part of what has helped facilitate that is our movement away from the high-stakes end of year test,” DeSantis stated. “Now with progress monitoring, you’re able to do assessments throughout the school year and then have remediation.”³

This strategic shift from high-stakes testing to continuous progress monitoring represents exactly the kind of practical reform that teachers have been demanding for years.

But instead of giving DeSantis credit for listening to educator concerns, the establishment continues to attack him while he delivers the results they claim to want.

The cognitive dissonance is staggering – DeSantis is improving test scores, increasing teacher pay, and reducing bureaucratic testing burdens, yet somehow he’s still the villain in their narrative.

Real teachers getting real recognition while establishment plays politics

The Thursday morning ceremony in Orlando showcased exactly what’s right about Florida’s approach to education – celebrating excellence and rewarding achievement.

Five exceptional educators emerged from a field of 76 district-level winners to compete for the state’s highest teaching honor.

Brandy Nicole Anderson brings 16 years of experience teaching civics and social studies to seventh-graders in Flagler County, representing the kind of dedicated professional DeSantis is working to support.

Autumn Crabtree teaches culinary arts at the high school level in Citrus County, while Mark Harrison instructs economics and American government students in Union County.

Shelly Teel works with third-graders in Columbia County, and Katy Jo Harrison teaches first grade in Liberty County.

These aren’t political activists or union representatives – they’re classroom teachers who were nominated by their colleagues for exceptional service to students.

“I’m really excited to be able to recognize the educators,” DeSantis said. “In the room today are the 76 districts’ Teachers of the Year who were nominated by their colleagues and their individual districts for exceptional service to their students.”⁴

Every single one of those 76 district winners received $10,000 bonuses for their outstanding work – real money that goes directly to teachers rather than bureaucrats.

Strategic vision puts DeSantis miles ahead of establishment critics

The education establishment’s biggest fear is becoming reality before their eyes – a conservative governor who’s actually delivering better results for students and teachers than their failed policies ever achieved.

DeSantis has systematically dismantled every excuse the establishment used to justify mediocre performance and bloated bureaucracy.

They claimed more money was needed for teacher salaries – he delivered $1.36 billion and promised more.

They complained about high-stakes testing – he shifted to progress monitoring that actually helps students.

They demanded recognition for excellent teachers – he tripled the award money and celebrated 76 district winners.

New Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas perfectly captured what’s happening in Florida schools under DeSantis’s leadership.

“Under Gov. DeSantis’ bold leadership, Florida has risen to the top in education, and it’s because of teachers like you,” Kamoutsas told the assembled educators.⁵

The Commissioner highlighted the innovation, dedication, and passion he’s witnessed from Florida’s Teacher of the Year finalists – exactly the qualities that DeSantis’s reforms are designed to support and reward.

Political earthquake reshapes education landscape nationwide

What’s happening in Florida represents a seismic shift that threatens everything the education establishment has built their power on.

For decades, they’ve controlled the narrative by claiming that conservative policies hurt teachers and students while liberal policies help them.

DeSantis just shattered that narrative with cold, hard facts that can’t be spun or explained away.

Florida’s schools are improving, teachers are getting raises, and students are achieving better outcomes – all under conservative leadership that the establishment claimed would destroy public education.

The 105-day legislative session that produced this teacher pay victory was marked by Republican infighting and budget delays, yet DeSantis still managed to secure massive funding increases.

His promise to push for even more money next year signals that this isn’t a one-time political stunt – it’s a sustained commitment to supporting Florida’s educators.

The education establishment built their entire political strategy around attacking DeSantis while ignoring the results he’s delivering.

Now they’re facing the nightmare scenario of a conservative governor who’s actually more effective at helping teachers and students than their preferred liberal politicians.

The ripple effects of Florida’s success will spread to other states where conservative governors are watching DeSantis’s playbook and preparing to implement similar reforms.

The education establishment’s worst fear is becoming reality – proof that conservative policies can deliver better results than their failed liberal alternatives.

¹ Gabrielle Russon, “Gov. DeSantis vows to fight for more teacher raises as he celebrates Florida’s top teachers,” Orlando Sentinel, July 17, 2025.

² Mark Harper, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis introduces Teacher of the Year finalists,” Daytona Beach News-Journal, July 17, 2025.

³ Gabrielle Russon, “Gov. DeSantis vows to fight for more teacher raises as he celebrates Florida’s top teachers,” Orlando Sentinel, July 17, 2025.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Mark Harper, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis introduces Teacher of the Year finalists,” Daytona Beach News-Journal, July 17, 2025.