Lee County teachers prepare for new school year with $10K incentive for high-risk schools

Lee County teachers returned on Monday to prepare their classrooms for the new academic year, which begins Aug. 11, as discussions continue about incentive pay for educators teaching in high-risk schools. Kevin Daly, president of the Teachers Association of Lee County, said, "We're not against kind of this incentivized pay format. What we're against and what we kind of challenged the district on last year was their ability to do it unilaterally." Daly, who has long fought for teachers' and school staff's rights and higher pay, will retire at the end of this school year. Last week, Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin announced that teachers who choose to work at high-risk schools will receive an incentive pay of $10,000. Karen Doscher, a teacher with 11 years of experience, is starting her first year at Edgewood Academy in Fort Myers. She said, "We don't do it for the money, but it is in a special high-needs area for very difficult schools or difficult subjects." Doscher added, "We do spend a lot of money on our children and that money will also help me better my classroom and will help my students as well." Tonisha Anthony, a fourth-grade math teacher at Edgewood Academy, was once a student at the same school. Reflecting on her impact as an educator, Anthony said, "The beauty of being a teacher is, for example, two years ago, I had two seniors write me a letter that I taught in third grade." She continued, "I did not realize it was that much. But the fact that they took the time and they remember who I was, and they wrote me a letter of thanks." DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.