Candi Churchill

“I hope we reset the conversation around democracy and education, such that the people are put before profits. We need to fund our schools, but we also need to have a state where we the people are pushing things forward; it’s not about corporations or a certain political stance so that it’s what is best for all of us. [Lawmakers] need to fund education in public schools and not charter schools and private schools, they need to fund what’s best for every zip code, every child.”

Tina Barbee- 2nd grade science teacher in Polk County :

“Our school is unique in the area in which we’re at but I have been in many schools, I have been in the district level as a coach, and I can tell you that there are a lot of teachers coming up with their own money because students can’t even come with the proper equipment or supplies, or they’re not coming with food and they’re hungry. We’re having to supply those things for them.”

Sara Srebnik- technology teacher in Broward County

“I hope that this will lead to the elected officials paying attention, that they will start funding education and will stop making mandates that teachers have to do without giving us the funding to do them. It’s very inspiring to see so many teachers from so many different county’s, especially Polk County where they have a superintendent and the DOE was trying to intimidate them not to come. To see them show up, to see all these people gather for a common cause, that’s very inspiring to me.”

LottieGrace Snow- 7th grade student in Hillsborough County

“My mom is a media specialist, she’s been doing it for 16 years, and she told me about it. How they were going to take away funding and stuff. I hope teachers get more money than they do now. Lawmakers need to raise the funds that teachers get and give the teachers the money they need to do what they need to. I thought the whole Polk County email thing was just stupid, I mean why would you fire them if they wanted to come and make a stance for what they want and believe in.”

Kim Hanshaw- 6th grade science in Hardee County

“I’ve seen such a decline in funding and by now we’ve lost three teachers. Last year I had seven class periods, I had three minutes between one set of students coming in and the other. I had three minutes to change out my labs and god forbid if I had to go to the restroom. It’s all because they have not enough money for teachers. We need to have high expectations, not just only for our teachers but for our legislatures, and most important our funding. Let’s put our money where our mouth is.”

Jurge Salemron- high school teacher

“The reason I am here is to voice out our opinions. We obviously need more funding, teachers need to be supported and our voices need to be heard. That way our kids, our students can see a better future and obviously can have a greater education like everyone else. We need to put our kids first, our education first and it’s already time. They need to focus their efforts in schools and make better lives for the students.”

Joe Scott- teacher in River County

“Well, I think that the state of Florida needs to be made aware that the kids in our state are being short-changed. The only way you can really make an impression with our legislation is to have large numbers of people saying there’s a problem.”

“I think [the email to the Polk County teachers] was absurd. This is America, this is not the Soviet Union or Russia, yet, we still have freedom of speech and people should still have the right to assemble, those are constitutional guarantees. For a public official to make that kind of comment, it’s not only absurd but it’s reprehensible.”

Jim Palmer- 4th grade teacher in Polk County

“All of Polk County is in support of the teachers; there are businesses that are offering discounts today, there’s a printing company that offered to have people bring in red t-shirts and they were going to print out ‘Red 4 Ed’, there’s a bunch of parent support. I’ve seen emails this morning where parents are saying they’re taking their own children out to have a personal day, and that they are supporting the teachers and the staff of Polk County. This afternoon there’s going to be a rally in Lakeland, a lot of people are going to that: parents, teachers and support staff. I hope [the rally] brings a coming together, I mean what happened this weekend in Polk County was almost a falling apart and it’s shameful that our district leadership can’t realize that this could be an opportunity that could bring us all together.”