Central Florida public, private schools differ in criteria, education, compensation for teachers
With the increasing participation in the Step Up Voucher program in Florida, the number and scope of private, religious and independent schools have grown, too.
That means more teachers are needed for the students, and there are some differences in what the public and private schools look for in these educators.
The start of the public school year is just days away, and by mid-July, Orange County Public Schools had filled 99% of their teaching vacancies.
OCPS is the fourth-largest school district in Florida and the eighth-largest in the country, with more than 200 schools and over 200,000 students.
Bonnie Toffoli, part of the talent acquisition team for the district, said OCPS annually needs to hire plenty of first-time teachers to help round out the district's 13,000-member teaching staff.
“Every year we have a high number of interns, so future graduates of the College of Education,” Toffoli said. “Usually somewhere between 250 and 300.”
The district wants and needs teachers who believe in the mission of public education, according to Toffoli, a former school teacher.
“You have to want to be here, want to inspire youth, and want to look toward the future, and be able to provide that opportunity,” Toffoli said. “Every child, every student, needs to have someone that believes in them and is passionate about education, and believes in our future.”
Every public school teacher must have a bachelor’s degree, complete a state-approved teacher program, pass the state-required teacher certification examinations and undergo a background check.
The beginning salary for an OCPS teacher is $49,475. The average teacher's salary in the district is $54,830 — with opportunities to earn extra pay by tutoring after school, overseeing extracurricular activities or working at select targeted schools. The district also offers opportunities for growth at the school or at the district level.
By comparison, for example, is The Geneva School, which is a private Classical Christian day school that is tucked away in Casselberry in Seminole County.
The Geneva School has 739 students, ranging from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
All teachers in the lower school, which is pre-K to sixth grade, have a bachelor's degree in early childhood or elementary education, a certification through the state of Florida, or have both a degree and a certification.
The Geneva School does not require an education degree or state certification for teachers in grades seven through 12, but it does require teachers to be considered "masters" in their fields or subject matters, according to Russ Kapusinski, the assistant head of school. All teachers must also follow the school curriculum of being a place of Classical Christian learning.
“It puts Christianity at the center of all things,” Kapusinski said. “We believe Christianity is the true story of the world. So that aspect of it touches our entire curriculum, but the classical component taps in to this ancient world of how people were educated for years and centuries.”
One of the criteria for employment at The Geneva School is being Christian.
“There are not a lot of teachers who have been trained in a Christian Classical school," Kapusinski said. "We realize we have to have a robust onboarding process. There are certain groups around the country now, there are certain agencies with the Society of Classical Learning, Association for Classical Christian Schools — there are all these other agencies that are helping support this movement.”
As for teacher pay and compensation, The Geneva School does not have a pension plan like government schools offer, but salaries track with public schools, and it offers other competitive terms for teacher salaries.
The school wants parents to know that its teachers are vetted, are experts in their subject, and the majority of their teachers have advanced degrees in their subject areas.
“We dignify the craft of teaching, and when you dignify the craft of teaching, the best teachers continue to be the lifelong learners,” Kapusinski said. “I think teachers long and love to be in an environment where they can continue to grow and learn."
Of the 45 faculty serving the Upper School at The Geneva School, 42 have degrees, and three are professionals in their fields, Kapusinski said. Twenty-six have earned one or more master's degrees, and four have earned their doctorates.
While public school is free, aside from taxpayer contributions, the cost to attend The Geneva School ranges between $17,000 and $22,000 for tuition, based upon the grade level.
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