Barry Dubin | Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association

Here are the facts about placement; ignore the rumors

Apr 11, 2026

I want to give everyone an update on the surplussing situation for the coming school year and attempt to tamper down the untrue rumors that are just adding to employee anxiety.

This year, we are facing a record number of surplussed staff, especially on the teacher side of the house. Classified staffing is heavier than normal, but we have far more positions than employees to place. That said, lining up employees with openings is always a challenge. Classified placement will occur this week.

We have 136 teachers presently unassigned: 37 annual contract teachers (those with more than a year of seniority), and 99 probationary (first year) teachers.

Under Florida statute, first-year teachers have probationary status, with no expectation of continued employment. Positions held by probationary teachers were considered vacant for placement purposes. Contractually, they presently have no right to a position for next school year.

Teachers were placed into vacant positions, including those positions currently held by probationary teachers, on a seniority basis — assuming the teacher to be placed possessed all the necessary certifications for the position in question. This is how we have always placed employees.

In some cases, that may lead to confusing outcomes. For example, a more senior elementary education teacher might be passed up for an elementary teaching assignment, if that teacher lacks reading endorsement or certification and the position in question requires it.

During difficult periods, rumors spread and increase anxiety unnecessarily. There was a rumor circulating that employees in DROP would be required to retire this year. That is completely untrue.

We hope to see the number of unassigned teachers decrease by at least half over the months ahead. We remain committed to doing everything in our power to find a place for all of this year’s members of our employee family. All teachers and classified staff members have equal value to us, and we certainly don’t want to lose a whole generation of teachers.

If you hear a rumor that has you alarmed, please feel free to write to me so we can make sure that everyone has accurate information. You can reach me at unionguy@comcast.net.

Sides hammer out financial impact agreement

Feb 27, 2026

The district administration and the SC/TA agreed to a tentative settlement of the recent financial impact bargaining, thus avoiding what could have become the unilateral imposition of a financial settlement of the School Board’s choosing.

The tentative agreement preserves two fully board-paid health insurance options (HMO and PPO) and will allow employees to participate in a richer benefit PPO at a cost of $200.92 per month. Deductibles will rise under the fully board-paid plans but will still not exceed those benchmarked in similar districts.

Supplements for ESE and Title 1 teachers will continue, but at a lower rate. Next school year’s supplement will be $1,200 for each. An ESE teacher who teaches at a Title 1 school will receive $1,500.

The original, higher supplements were paid for under ESSER funds, which no longer exist. We negotiated retaining the supplements at the reduced rate, going forward. Those supplements have always been subject to yearly renegotiation.

This proposed agreement also includes an increase in the instructional salary cap of 5% from $600 per day to $630.

This round of bargaining does not include bargaining for the cost-of-living raise for the 2026-27 school year. That bargaining will begin after the current legislative session ends.

I will forward the proposed settlement as soon as management signs off on the agreed-upon language. There will be a ratification vote at the various worksites on March 10 and 11.

District notifies SC/TA of financial emergency

Feb 23, 2026

Last week, the SC/TA received official notification from the superintendent that the school district was in the midst of a “financial urgency requiring immediate Action.”

Under Florida Statute 447, the state collective bargaining laws, the public agency (our school district) may advise the local union of a financial crisis and demand bargaining for a period not to exceed 14 days — after which, if not resolved, the impasse would proceed to the more lengthy statutory impasse proceedings, where the district could ultimately impose any settlement of their liking on the employees.

The superintendent’s letter states the following:

“Accordingly, the District intends to negotiate over the impact of the following:

1. Medical plan design, including contribution structures, coverage options, and cost-containment.

2. The structure, eligibility criteria, and funding level of needs-based (ESE, Title I) supplements.

There are many factors that have brought us to where we are today. Perhaps the most significant is the constant loss of students to now publicly funded options, like charter schools and private and home school vouchers.

During the 2016-17 school year, our district enrolled 36,699 students. For the 2026-27 school year, we are projected to have 36,648 students enrolled, or slightly fewer than 10 years ago!

In spite of that, the district’s total staffing has gone from 5,370 to 5,853, a 9% increase in the face of no student growth. Needless to say, our salaries have increased during that period as well. For that, we do not apologize.

We know our members want us to maintain district-paid health insurance options that are of no cost to the employee. That will be our primary goal in this round of impact bargaining.

This benefit is becoming rarer around the state. We also want to make sure any changes in the ESE and Title supplements are not effective this school year, as those staff members have already been promised those supplements for this school year.

We have cleared our schedules for next week so that we can get this bargaining done as quickly as possible and not to let it drag on. Whatever agreement we reach will be voted on by the members of the instructional and classified bargaining units, just as with any contract ratification.

The way the statute is constructed, we are bargaining under duress. But I still remain hopeful we can find a satisfactory resolution that will allow us to move into the future and retain our place as the highest paid staff in the state.

Remembering a pioneer for public education

Apr 23, 2025

My good friend and mentor, Dwight Logan, died yesterday.

No one who remains in the Sarasota district schools will remember Dwight as he retired in the early 1980’s and died at age 95. But we are all greatly indebted to him.

Dwight led the Sarasota administrators and teachers out on strike as part of the 1968 statewide teacher strike in Florida. Yes, that is right: in 1968, teachers and administrators around the state walked out in strike in protest of what they thought were abominable conditions in the state’s classrooms.

Dwight hailed from Appleton, Wis., and began teaching at Phillippi Shores Elementary School in the early 1960’s. At that time, I was still a student in the Brooklyn Technical High School, still many years removed from my own 43-year tenure (and still counting) in Sarasota.

At the time of the strike, Dwight was the principal of Southside Elementary School. While the teachers and principals struck together, the teachers were eventually returned to duty, while the principals were terminated.

Dwight bore no malice to the administration for firing him for leading the strike. He said he expected to be fired due to being an administrator, and led the strike knowing that.

Dwight went on to lead the SC/TA for many years and to help reform the Florida Education Association with a progressive movement that returned the power of the Association to the elected leadership where it belonged. He was also instrumental in adding the classified employees to our union, and incorporating them as equal members with a unified structure rather than the many different unions found in other counties.

Dwight was a true believer in the power of teachers and their right to be treated with respect and dignity. He was one of the many things that made Sarasota a special little oasis in the state of Florida, where our staff was treated far better than those in surrounding counties.

Several years ago, Dwight and his wife Barabra returned to Sarasota County. Even late in his life, he sat behind the SC/TA team at the bargaining table as former superintendent Todd Bowden and his henchmen tried to strip our entire contract. We fought off that attempt, and Dwight was there by our side.

While I know none of you may have known Dwight, we were all very lucky he preceded us. He fought battles so we wouldn’t have to. We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

Remembering a pioneering advocate for public schools

Apr 23, 2025

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My good friend and mentor, Dwight Logan, died yesterday. No one who remains in the Sarasota district schools will remember Dwight as he retired in the early 1980’s and died at age 95. But we are all greatly indebted to him. Dwight led the Sarasota administrators and teachers out on strike as part of the 1968 statewide teacher strike in Florida. Yes, that is right in 1968, teachers and administrators around the state walked out in strike in protest of what they thought were abominable conditions in the state’s classrooms.

Dwight hailed from Appleton, Wisconsin and began teaching at Phillippi Shores Elementary School in the early 1960’s. At that time, I was still a student in the Brooklyn Technical High School, still many years removed from my own 43-year tenure (and still counting) in Sarasota.

At the time of the strike, Dwight was the principal of Southside Elementary School. While the teachers and principals struck together, the teachers were eventually returned to duty while the principals were terminated. Dwight bore no malice to the administration for firing him for leading the strike. He said he expected to be fired due to being an administrator and led the strike knowing that.

Dwight went on to lead the SC/TA for many years and to help reform the Florida Education Association with a progressive movement that returned the power of the Association to the elected leadership where it belonged. He was also instrumental in adding the classified employees to our union and incorporating them as equal members with a unified structure rather than the many different unions found in other counties.

Dwight was a true believer in the power of teachers and their right to be treated with respect and dignity. He was one of the many things that made Sarasota a special little oasis in the state of Florida where our staff was treated far better than those in surrounding counties.

Several years ago, Dwight and his wife Barabra returned to Sarasota County. Even late in his life he sat behind the SC/TA team at the bargaining table as superintendent Todd Bowden and his henchmen tried to strip our entire contract. We fought off that attempt and Dwight was there by our side.

While I know none of you may have known Dwight, we were all very lucky he preceded us. He fought battles so we wouldn’t have to. We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude.