ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Fewer people want to become teachers these days, and Orange County Board of Education Chair Teresa Jacobs suggests pay is a big factor in that. One of her district’s teachers is floating an idea to help solve the problem: teachers should be exempt from federal income tax, to allow them to actually bring home more of what they make, says history teacher Kyle Johnson.

Nationally, “you’re seeing an erosion of people that want to get into teaching, and pay is certainly a part of it,” Jacobs admits. Her district needs 61 teachers.

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is studying the hissue. It is finding a big drop in enrollment in teaching programs across the country. 

Here in Florida, 4,400 teacher positions are open, according to the Florida Department of Educations. That is an increase of 800 from the last school year.

The biggest need is in Osceola County and Brevard County, as both need more than 100 teachers.

Johnson’s idea for a big tax break for teachers comes as he’s hoping more young people will want to get into the teaching profession. It would really help out his family of five, too. Johnson and his wife, who’s also a teacher, have three sons.  

Johnson has calculated his family would benefit about $300 more per month without that federal income tax being held out.  

That could mean easier budgeting, less stress, and the list of perks goes on. Johnson sometimes spends afternoons throwing the football with his two eldest sons, Jack, 11, and Max, 7, as a stress reliever.

“Playing with the kids, you get to go back in time and be a kid a little bit yourself, you know,” he grins.

He’s been a teacher for about nine years. While teaching is hard, he admits, so is parenting: “You know, being a teacher is difficult, but being a parent is the most difficult job.”

Johnson says he feels many parents who are teachers, like he is, can likely relate to the benefits being paid more could have in the home; however, there’s often much discussion and disagreement on how to really pay teachers more, in Florida and in Orange County. There’s a lot of “red tape,” he explains.

“This solution does give teachers a raise without the government spending more money,” he argues.

“If teachers were exempt from paying federal income taxes, that would be a raise for every single teacher, and I feel like with everything that teachers have gone through, I feel like this would be an appropriate benefit,” he continues.

So far, Jacobs seems supportive. Johnson reached out to her, for help contacting his elected congressional leaders.

“I think that makes all the sense in the world because the teaching profession is underpaid not just here but throughout the nation,” Jacobs told Spectrum News 13.

He’s contacted U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Orlando), U.S. Rep. Val Demings (D-Orlando) and U.S. Rep. Darren Soto (D-Kissimmee).

In a letter responding to Johnson, Murphy wrote in part: “I am happy to study this proposal more closely, and I recognize and respect the intent behind it. I hope you know how much I value the incredible — and incredibly difficult — work you and other teachers do, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Johnson says he does not feel it’s very promising but hopes his idea will be considered. While others leave teaching for other careers, he won’t consider it an option for himself.

“Personally, I honestly feel that teaching is my purpose in life. It’s what I’m supposed to do,” he’s sure.

Soto’s office replied to Johnson, stating, "We’re working on getting in touch with the constituent to speak further about his suggestions."

Currently, in his district, Orange County’s starting salary for teachers is about $48,000. The average salary for teachers in the county is $52,000 to  $53,000.

According to business.org, Florida ranked No. 47 out of 50 states in average teacher pay for 2019-20. The U.S. national average was $63,645 during that same period. According to that report, Florida was one of seven states (when the District of Columbia is included) in which teacher salaries ranked below the state's average salary.