MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Thursday was a big day for Miami-Dade County teachers and their pocketbooks.

Teachers voted on a pay raise already approved by the school board and the teachers' union.

Almost everyone agrees teachers are underpaid, and last month, Miami-Dade voters did something about it. They easily approved a small increase in property taxes to hike the pay for teachers and school support staffers.

On Thursday, the teachers voted on whether to accept the pay increases negotiated by their union, and accept they did.

Here's how the new pay formula will work. On Jan. 1, teachers will get a 1 percent pay hike -- money from the state Legislature.

But also on the first, they'll get a 5 percent pay supplement -- money advanced from the November ballot question.

And then, on July 1, the big pay increase kicks in: from $5,000 to $16,000, depending on longevity and teacher ranking.



