Released by Governor Ron DeSantis’ Office …
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Northwest Florida residents Lindsay Beam and Bryon Hughes, accompanied by his wife Cori, attended the 2020 State of the State address as guests of Governor Ron DeSantis. The State of the State is an annual address the Governor of Florida delivers to a joint session of Florida’s legislature that outlines the Governor’s vision and priorities for the State of Florida.
Lindsay Beam
Lindsay Beam is a teacher at Blountstown Middle School, where she teaches both 6th and 8th grade. Lindsay is a recipient of the Dr. Brian Dassler Award, which was established in honor of the late educator and awarded to those who are passionate about teaching. Governor DeSantis has proposed raising the minimum starting salary for teachers across Florida to $47,500, which will benefit Lindsey and teachers alike.
In his State of the State address, Governor DeSantis said, “I am recommending we take a bold step of setting a minimum salary for public school teachers at $47,500, bringing Florida from the bottom half of states to number two in the nation. My plan will lead to a substantial pay increase for over 100,000 current teachers throughout the state.
“Lindsay Beam, a 6th grade math teacher at Blountstown Middle School and Melissa Pappas, a teacher at Brookshire elementary in Orange County who works with autistic students, are both highly effective, award-winning teachers who will see salary increases of between $5,000 and $10,000.
“As teachers we must develop a classroom culture of high expectations,” said Lindsay Beam. “This culture drives student achievement and fosters student success. Our classrooms must create opportunities for students to develop that “successful” mindset. When a child finds success, they will continue to seek success.”
Bryon Hughes
Bryon Hughes is a firefighter with the Mexico Beach Fire Department. Bryon and his wife, Cori, a detective with the Panama City Police Department, were married two weeks after Hurricane Michael, standing on top of a mountain of rubble that Michael left in its wake. In September, Governor DeSantis announced $1.1 million in grant funding to Mexico Beach to support fire department and law enforcement operations.
In his State of the State address, Governor DeSantis said, “Last year, the Legislature approved a $25 million Hurricane Michael grant program for assisting with the recovery in Northwest Florida. This has been effective and has allowed us to address local needs in a nimble and targeted fashion. Sheriff Morris Young from Gadsden County and Bryon Hughes from the Mexico Beach Fire Department are in the gallery. We were able to help these areas and many others by using the grant program.
“Hurricane Michael was a catastrophic storm and while great progress has been made, this is a long-term effort. I ask the Legislature to renew this grant program for another year.”
Bryon Hughes said, “The grant program will make a huge difference for our department, as we got totally wiped out in the storm. We’ve finally broke ground on our temporary building while we wait for the new station is built. This money is huge for us and our community.”