| Recent education reforms in the state of | | | | addition, Orange County Schools contributes |
| Florida have shown to be of benefit to the | | | | an average of $11,958 per teacher per year |
| students in Orange County Schools. The | | | | for benefits such as life insurance, health |
| reforms have hit their intended target - | | | | insurance, FICA, and retirement. |
| low-income minority kids. | | | | |
| | | | The United States Department of Education |
| More students than ever are reading at grade | | | | (DOE) announced on May 31, 2007, that Orange |
| level in Orange County Schools. More | | | | County Schools earned a $27.3 million dollar |
| low-income Orange County Schools students are | | | | grant to retain and hire teachers and |
| also enrolling in Advanced Placement classes | | | | administrators at 10 middle (Jones, Evans, |
| and taking the SATs. Once failing inner-city | | | | and Oak Ridge) and high schools (Carver |
| schools are getting As. A recent report on | | | | Memorial, Meadowbrook, Walker, Westridge, |
| the nation's largest urban school districts | | | | Robinswood, and Howard). This teacher |
| gave Orange County Schools high marks for | | | | incentive fund means that teachers at those |
| boosting the performance of kids from all | | | | Orange County Schools can earn up to $4,000 |
| racial and economic backgrounds. | | | | more per year. The bonus is based on |
| | | | increased student achievement levels. In |
| Orange County Schools is the second largest | | | | Florida, Orange County Schools earned the |
| employer in Central Florida. It employs 836 | | | | largest amount of money from the US DOE for |
| administrators, 342 at the district level, | | | | teacher incentive purposes. |
| 454 at the school level and 40 at the | | | | |
| technical level. The system employs 13,107 | | | | Students in Orange County Schools come from |
| instructional faculty, 8,546 classified | | | | 179 different countries and speak 137 |
| employees, and 3,380 part-time positions, | | | | different languages and dialects. The system |
| with a grand total of 25,869. The | | | | currently serves more than 177,000 students, |
| instructional and classified personnel make | | | | in 170 schools. 117 of those schools are |
| up nearly 97% of Orange County Schools | | | | elementary schools, with 82,115 students. |
| workforce. A large percentage of its teachers | | | | There are 32 middle schools with 38,885 |
| - 37% to be exact - have advanced degrees. | | | | students, 17 high schools with 50,169 |
| 34% of those hold Master's Degrees and the | | | | students, 4 exceptional education schools |
| rest hold Specialist's or Doctorate degrees. | | | | with 450 students, and students who attend |
| | | | alternative/charter schools number 5,689. |
| Orange County Schools had 68 teachers who | | | | |
| earned certification last year from the | | | | Orange County Schools boasts a graduation |
| National Board for Professional Teaching | | | | rate of 72.2%, which is above the state |
| Standards (NBPTS), the teaching profession's | | | | average. The dropout rate is 1.9%, well |
| highest credential. Orange County Schools | | | | below the state average of 3.5%. |
| have a total of 537 nationally certified | | | | |
| teachers, one of the highest numbers in the | | | | Over the last three years, Orange County |
| state. The beginning salary for a teacher | | | | Schools have had record numbers of high |
| with a bachelor's degree is $35,895. If that | | | | school students scoring at college level on |
| teacher holds a master's degree, it is | | | | Advanced Placement (AP) exams. AP enrollment |
| $38,399, for a specialist's degree, $39,734, | | | | has increased for all student groups, but |
| and for a doctorate, $40,958. The average pay | | | | especially among African Americans and |
| for teachers is $40,415 per year. In | | | | Hispanics. |