NAPLES, Fla. -- A statewide protest is happening Wednesday where teachers and staff are demanding more funds at public schools in Florida.
Hundreds of schools from Pensacola all the way down to Key West are participating, including several in the Collier County School District.
Before the start of the school day, teachers, parents, staff and community members will get together for about 20 minutes to either pray, picket or have some coffee. Then employees will walk in to school together.
HAPPENING NOW: Statewide walk-in protest to increase funding at public schools. We are LIVE in Collier County talking to parents, teachers and staff participating in this protest. @Fox4Now pic.twitter.com/mGKbwF1057
— Jillian Hartmann (@JHartmann_TV) April 17, 2019
The Florida Education Association put this statewide walk-in protest together.
Officials said Florida ranks among the bottom 10 states in funding their students.
The association also said the average teacher salary in Florida dropped to 46th in the country because many of them are earning below the federal poverty line.
The association said there’s also a desperate need for teachers across the state.
In Southwest Florida, Lee County needs about 100 teachers and Collier County is short about 250 teachers.
They hope the protest will bring attention to state lawmakers on this issue.
They also put a petition together calling on Governor Ron DeSantis and state legislators for more public school funding.
