Dressed in red, nearly 100 Collier County teachers rallied outside the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Administrative Center on Apri 27, undeterred by the last‑minute cancellation of a critical school board hearing on pay.
The Collier County School Board postponed the legislative hearing — originally scheduled for 4:30 p.m. April 27 — that was set to finalize teacher salaries for the 2025-26 school year, citing a medical emergency involving one member.
Already frustrated by an eight‑month contract negotiation impasse, teachers turned out anyway, turning the planned hearing into a rally to demand higher base pay and what they describe as a livable wage.
The district notified staff and parents shortly before the meeting was set to start.
“Due to a medical emergency involving a CCPS School Board member, the Board has postponed today’s Special Legislative Session/Public Hearing, which was scheduled to address the current impasse with the Collier County Education Association,” the district wrote in a statement. “It is important that all five Board members have the opportunity to deliberate on this matter.”
The district announced the rescheduled hearing will take place 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 1.
Teachers union questions cancellation
Collier County Education Association (CCEA) leadership questioned the necessity of the cancellation, noting that the board has previously held meetings with only four members present.
Ken Mouton, CCEA president, described the move as a delay tactic during the rally.
“Today’s meeting was canceled because a single board member was too ill to show up for today,” Mouton said, adding that he wished the member well. “But they have had board meetings with four board members. This is a five-seat board, and they have a quorum with four people.”
He continued, “This is the most important meeting for the largest number of employees in the entire district. They couldn’t find a way to have the meeting that they scheduled. This meeting has been on the books for a month and a half.”
How are teachers faring?
The conflict in Collier County reflects a broader economic crisis for teachers across the state.
For the third year in a row, Florida has ranked 50th in the nation for average teacher pay, according to newly released data from the National Education Association (NEA).
“When public dollars are diverted away from public schools, and teachers can’t afford to stay in the profession, it’s students who lose,” Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, said in a statement. “Public schools have been forced to cut essential services, lay off teachers and staff, and increase class sizes, all of which put students last.”
Many Collier teachers said they cannot afford to live in the areas where they teach. Some commute from neighboring Lee County to save on housing costs.
During the rally, one teacher asked how many teachers work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Dozens raised their hands.
Samantha Ehl, a Collier teacher and mother of three, said she and her husband work at a bar after school hours to cover expenses.
“I cannot afford to live here,” Ehl said. “I live in Lee County and drive into Collier County just to be here. I get home at 10:30, 11 o’clock at night, and I am still in my classroom the next morning busting my rear, following their curriculum maps. I want my highly effective pay.”
Other teachers echoed similar concerns. Ana María Gilliam, who has been teaching in the district for 45 years, spoke about rising living costs.
“They need to pay up what we’re owed. We put in the time, we put in the effort,” Gilliam said. “Our rent is going up, food is going up, everything.”
What is the district’s stance on pay?
The CCEA represents roughly 3,200 educators currently working under a contract that expired in 2025. The union is seeking a $3,290 increase to the current $57,000 base salary.
A Special Magistrate previously reviewed the evidence and recommended salary increases that included roughly $1 million more for grandfathered teachers than the district’s initial proposal.
However, Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli rejected the Special Magistrate’s recommendations April 10, triggering the requirement for a legislative hearing where the school board makes the final decision.
The district maintains that it has demonstrated a commitment to compensation by raising starting teacher pay from $41,280 in the 2016-17 school year to $57,000 in 2024-25.
Why is administrative pay a point of contention?
Teachers at the rally also criticized administrative salary increases, which they said were approved quickly with little debate. On April 14, the board approved raises of 3.25% for effective administrators and 3.75% for highly effective administrators as part of a consent agenda.
“The administrators receive the cost-of-living adjustment. What about the teachers?” One speaker said, “We show up for them, and now we need the district to show up for us.”
What happens next?
For the rescheduled hearing set for 4:30 p.m. May 1, teachers said they plan to return for the rescheduled meeting and continue their fight.
Karl Williams, a 78-year-old math teacher who’s been with the district for nine years, addressed the crowd via megaphone about the need for community support at the ballot box.
“They keep saying they don’t have enough money. There are things they can do,” he said, adding that Miami-Dade and Broward counties both put teacher pay increases on a voter referendum.
Mouton seconded that idea, also reminding the crowd that three board members are up for reelection this year: Jerry Rutherford, Kelly Mason and Tim Moshier.
“We need that referendum on the ballot,” he said, “and if they don’t want to support them, we got to put people on there that will.”
“Collier County Public Schools, you are delinquent on your account,” teachers chanted, joining Mouton in a call to action. “Pay your debt. Show the teachers the money.”
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Mickenzie Hannon is a watchdog reporter for The News-Press and Naples Daily News, covering Collier and Lee counties. Contact her at 239-435-3423 or mhannon@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: ‘Pay your debt’: Collier teachers protest after canceled pay vote
Reporting by Mickenzie Hannon, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
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