Florida Communities Support Pro-Public Education School Board Candidates

“Voters want to elect leaders who will ensure that every child in Florida has a free and world class public education,” said Andrew Spar, President of the Florida Education Association. “They are tired of hearing promises made to them about public education and then having to deal with the real life consequences of schools closing down in favor of exclusionary corporate schools, public school funds being siphoned away from our classrooms and students toward those same corporate run schools, teachers who are ranked #50 in the nation in average teacher pay, education staff professionals who are not paid enough to live where they work, and policies that force educators to spend more time figuring out laws instead of advocating for their students. We have seen how Governor DeSantis has focused on pouring political bias into school board races across the state, turning school board meetings into political debate stages instead of places where communities can focus on creating schools that allow our students to learn and grow. Teachers, parents, students and communities need more.”

The FEA is dedicated to strengthening the professions and careers of our members. We endorse candidates who support policies that enhance public education, including fully funding our schools. We also endorse candidates who respect our union's right to collective bargaining, allowing teachers and education staff professionals to negotiate for better salaries and working conditions. Equally important, we endorse candidates who are committed to reducing the disparities in education. Additionally, we endorse candidates who prioritize the health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff. Having a safe school environment is paramount.

The Florida Education Association makes candidate endorsements through a thorough process that includes research, local input, and democratic decision-making. This process ensures that our endorsements are based on education issues and a commitment to our neighborhood public schools, colleges, universities, students, and the people who work in public education.

“Unlike the anti-public education politicians in Florida who are making endorsements based on what benefits them the most, the FEA and local union endorsements are nonpartisan,” said Spar. “Excellent public schools and supporting teachers, education staff professionals, and students can be achieved through bipartisan efforts. We don’t endorse candidates simply because they have an (R) or (D) next to their name but instead, endorse candidates who will champion our students and educators.”

FEA and local union school board endorsements by county include:

ALACHUA: Thomas Vu (District 2), Leanetta McNealy (District 4)

BREVARD: John Thomas (District 3), Matt Susin (District 4)

BROWARD: Debra Hixon (At-Large District), John Christopher Canter (District 1), Rebecca Lynne Larew Thompson (District 2), Sarah Margaret Kreuz Leonardi (District 3), Jeff Holness (District 5)

CLAY: James "Jim" Hughes (District 2)

COLLIER: Stephanie Lucarelli (District 2), Erick Carter (District 4)

DUVAL: Nadine Ebri (District 1), Cindy Pearson (District 3), Hank Rogers (District 5), Sarah Mannion (District 7)

HERNANDO: Kayce Hawkins (District 2; Elected without opposition), Gregg Laskoski (District 4)

HILLSBOROUGH: Nadia Combs (District 1), Jessica Vaughn (District 3), Henry ‘Shake’ Washington (District 5), Lynn Gray and Johnny Bush (District 7)

INDIAN RIVER: Peggy Jones (District 3), David Dyer (District 5)

LEON: Rosanne Wood (District 2), Jeremy Rogers (District 4)

MIAMI-DADE: Joe Geller (District 3), Maxeme "Max" Tuchman (District 7), Luisa Santos (District 9)

MONROE: Yvette Mira-Talbott (District 2)

ORANGE: Jake Petroski (District 4), Vicki-Elaine Felder (District 5, Elected without opposition), Stephanie Vanos (District 6), Melissa Mitchell Byrd (District 7, Elected without opposition)

PALM BEACH: Matthew Jay Lane (District 1), Virginia Savietto (District 2, Elected without opposition), Mindy Koch (District 5)

PINELLAS: Laura Hine (District 1), Eileen M. Long (District 4), Brad DeCorte (District 5)

POLK: Marcus Wright Jr. (District 2), Sarah Beth Renyolds Wyatt (District 4)

SEMINOLE: Abby Sanchez (District 3), Robin G. Dehlinger (District 4)

ST. LUCIE: Nate Spera (District 4)

VOLUSIA: Cassandra Gonyer (District 2)

FEA is proud to stand with these dedicated individuals supporting public education. To learn more about other Florida Senate and House of Representatives endorsements, visit: https://FEAweb.org/elections