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Union leaders urge respect and action on teacher pay as board conducts organizational business
Summary
Representatives from the Association of Bay County Educators and BESPA told the board they will press for more engagement on teacher salary and job stability; board members thanked speakers but took no immediate salary action at the meeting.
Union representatives used the public‑comment portion of the Nov. 18 Bay County School Board organizational meeting to press for more district engagement on compensation and respect for educators.
Alexis Underwood, speaking for the Association of Bay County Educators, said teachers are not receiving the respect they deserve and asked members and supporters to "wear black in mourning for the lack of respect their profession receives." She urged greater union involvement in the budget process, said the union will be "at the bargaining table immediately after spring break," and called for organized advocacy in Tallahassee.
Carol Croom, president of the Bay Educational Support Personnel Association (BESPA), echoed Underwood’s concerns about stability for support staff, saying employees "leave in the summer not knowing if they have a position next year" and that staff want "a career not a job."
Board members acknowledged the comments: Jerry Register thanked Underwood for her passion; Winston Chester said he agreed with going to Tallahassee; other members noted school visits and community events. The board did not adopt any salary or compensation changes during the meeting; the minutes show the board recessed to an executive session on union information later in the agenda.
Why it matters: Teacher and support‑staff pay and job stability affect staffing, continuity of services for students, and bargaining dynamics. The union’s notice of planned action and a scheduled return to bargaining signal issues likely to reappear in future board meetings.
Next step: The minutes note the board recessed to an executive session focused on union information; no public vote on compensation was recorded at this meeting.
