Enough is Enough - Stop Cheating Our Children!

January 14, 2016

OCCTA, OESPA and OCCTA-Retired members say,
"Stop cheating our children -enough is enough!"

An estimated 3,000 teachers, community members, parents and union brothers and sisters protested at the state Capitol to send a message to state policy makers. Chants of "Enough is enough!", "Vote them out!" and "We will remember in November" could be heard from the courtyard to the offices of the state's legislators.

Our legislators and governor need to understand that teachers' working conditions determine students' learning conditions!

Some major issues that must be addressed:

Students, teachers and all instructional personnel are people, not test scores. High stakes testing and  inconsistent evaluation systems are not valid measurement of learning or teaching and should not be used to grade students, teachers or schools.

Teachers and instructional personnel should be treated as professionals. Educators should have a seat at the table with the policymakers who make decisions about their profession.

The "Best and Brightest" Florida teachers cannot be determined by absurd criteria such as their high school test scores.

Our public schools need proper funding to provide the quality education that our students deserve. 

Teacher autonomy must be respected so that teachers can best ensure that their individual students can reach their highest potential.

Teachers deserve fair pay and benefits, including retirement security.

OCCTA members and supporters traveled on two buses to the rally to raise their voices for Florida public schools, educators and students.

FEA Video:

Enough is Enough Rally from Nozo Media on Vimeo.

Some photos: