Today in Orlando, State Senator Victor Torres, State Representative Amy Mercado, State Representative Carlos G. Smith, and Orange County Classroom Teachers Association President Wendy Doromal held a press conference to discuss Rick Scott’s horrible record on K-12 education.

Specifically, they highlighted Rick Scott’s cuts to public school funding, how teacher pay in almost $10,000 below the national average, and how Scott drained millions of dollars from public schools to give to private corporations that want to profit off children’s education.

State Senator Victor Torres: “Rick Scott has imposed immense hardships on our public schools for the past eight years. Republican budget deals under Rick Scott were giveaways to charter schools at the expense of the public school system. Thanks to Rick Scott and Republican legislators, public schools have had to contend with underfunding year after year. We need a change, and Rick Scott is not the answer.”

State Representative Amy Mercado: “As a proud mom of six children, I am disgusted by Rick Scott’s neglect towards our public schools. Rick Scott and the Republican-led legislature continue to attack and abuse our state education system. They inappropriately fund public schools while openly funneling money to private corporations under the guise of school choice. We must stop this insanity.”

State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith: “Rick Scott has been horrible for our public school system. In his first year as governor, Scott rolled out a proposal that would’ve cut our schools by billions of dollars. Even Republicans in the legislature thought Rick Scott’s public education cuts were too cruel to our public schools. Florida under Scott has systematically moved us towards a universal voucher system, and now, we are spending huge amounts of taxpayer money to move resources into private schools. Why, because Rick Scott wants give even more money to people like Betsy DeVos who continue to profit off our education system. And our teachers and public school students are paying the price.”

Orange County Classroom Teachers Association President Wendy Doromal: “Rick Scott deserves an F on education issues. Since he was elected, Rick Scott has headed a campaign to dismantle Florida’s public education system brick by brick. He has done incredible harm to students, teachers, and public education as a whole. Florida has one of the highest rates of teacher turnover in the nation. We cannot recruit or retain enough qualified teachers under these conditions. Under Scott, Florida’s public schools are underfunded, over regulated, and set up for failure.”