In recognition of National Teacher Day, a group of parents, teachers and pro-public education organizations have planned a protest outside Republican Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes's St. Petersburg office this afternoon, Tuesday, May 8 at 4:30 p.m.
For Our Future Florida, Fired Up Pinellas, Indivisible FL-13 and local citizens are aligning themselves with #REDforED — a grassroots movement supporting teachers and public education that coalesced publicly around last week's teachers' strike in Arizona, and whose followers wear red T-shirts to express their solidarity — to express their frustration with legislation passed by Brandes and other Republicans that they see as gutting Florida's educational system.
"Over the past two years, Brandes has consistently rubber-stamped dangerous, poorly vetted education bills that funnel millions out of public schools, setting up taxpayer slush funds for charter school corporations," read a For Our Future press release circulated today.
The release name-checked the controversial House Bill 7069, which in part allows for the privatization of poorly performing public schools, and bemoans the fact that despite the fact that the Florida legislature recently passed the largest state budget in its history, public education in Florida remains woefully underfunded.
"Added up, it's no surprise that thanks to politicians like Jeff Brandes, Florida ranks one of the worst states for teachers," read the release.
Senator Brandes's district office is located at 9800 4th St. N., Suite 200 in St. Pete.
This article appears in May 3-10, 2018.
