Crist: Opposition to teacher pay bill making a ‘fairly significant impression’
by Michael C. Bender | April 12th, 2010
Miami high school student Michelle Ruiz tells Gov. Charlie Crist today why he should veto a controversial bill to overhaul the way teacher contracts and raises are negotiated. Bender/Post
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist is hearing from opponents of the proposal to end teacher tenure everywhere he goes. Even tonight at a children’s advocacy dinner, a Miami high school senior ran up to Crist.
“I know I want to be a chemical engineer because of my chemistry teacher,” said Michelle Ruiz, who is heading to Carnegie Melon next year. “He’s so passionate about what he teaches and it’s because he loves it. And it’s because he’s not stressed out about all these different situations.”
The conversation was about 10 minutes long. That’s about 10 minutes longer than Republican legislative leaders have spent with Crist since the controversial bill passed Friday morning.
“The more you hear, the more of an impression it makes,” Crist said after talking with Ruiz. “I’m a human being. It continues to make a fairly significant impression.
“If I hadn’t waited and had a predisposition before today, I wouldn’t have heard from her. And if I had gone the other way, shame on me. Let all the jury speak. Let all the voices be heard.”
Here’s a new story about Crist’s dilemma. And keep reading for more from Crist
Some scribbles after talking with Crist tonight:
1) He has no real interest in a so-called glitch bill. “I have two choices now before me thanks to what the legislature gave me. And I’ll make one of those two choices.”
2) Crist says he gave no guarantees to Sen. John Thrasher, the state Republican Party chairman sponsoring the bill who said Crist “told me he’s going to sign it.” Says Crist: “No. I said I like what he was talking about, what he was trying to do. I’ve always supported merit pay and accountability as education commissioner, as a state senator. That’s what I told him: That I like what you’re doing I think it’s going in a good direction.”
3.) Crist said he’s not considering implications for his U.S. Senate race, despite claims from state lawmakers, and warned against “over-reading.” “I always try to listen to the people, regardless. If they can’t respect that, tough.”
“For me, honest to God, its whatever I think is best for the people of Florida,” he said. “A lot of people can’t think it’s that simple, but it is.”
4.) Crist believes he’s heard from as many Republicans opposing the bill as Democrats, citing a stop in The Villages over the weekend where he was inundated by residents there urging a veto.
“It’s pervasive like that, like no other issue I’ve seen before,” he said. “Even more so than the Schiavo thing. It touches so many people in such a significant way and their family members. Everywhere I go that’s all I hear. It’s all I hear.”
5.) On a somewhat unrelated topic, Crist was asked about former Gov. Jeb Bush calling Crist’s support of the stimulus “unforgivable.”
“It’s unfortunate. The fundamental fairness of it wasn’t right,” Crist said. “I think it’s unforgivable if somebody kills somebody or something. Unforgivable? Walk in my shoes now.”
Tags: Charlie Crist, merit pay
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April 12th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
If Crist vetoes this bill I will vote for him in his Senate bid. If he signs it then teachers must go on strike. This would be the only way for teachers to have any real power. Working to contract and writing emails are weak forms of protest.
April 12th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
The lawmakers responsible for this bill should spend a week in the classroom to wake them up. Our teachers are underpaid and underappreciated. If the lawmakers had paid more attention to their teahcers in school perhaps they would have been able to write a better bill.
April 12th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
If the Gov vetos this bill he is a wuss. The people crying did not vote for him in the first place. They massed a group against him for gov and now they want him to help them. Screw them all.Contrary to the union/teachers you do not have to spend a day in the classroom to know right form wrong. Less than 1/3 can read on level, less than 70% graduate. All teachers? NO!
April 12th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
He has my support also if he does what is right for our children– veto the bill!!!!!
April 12th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
This is $$ grab by the republican leadership and big business in Florida. They have been trying for years to figure a way to get that traditionally untouchable education dollar. The real stinker bill is the one that allows businesses to donate money to a voucher fund and then deduct it from their corporate taxes. This will put more pressure on home and land owners to fund education.
April 12th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Governor Crist should not give-in to special interest group pressure! He should SIGN THIS BILL INTO LAW, as it represents the opinion of the majority here in the Sunshine State!
It is time for Floridians to hold school teachers accountable for educating our youth!
Many in our profession have become complacent and consider teaching just a day-to-day job, now thinking they can rest on their laurels until retirement because they have achieved tenure. Sadly, YOU are the only ones who fear this Bill because you know there are ample teaching professionals who will gladly fill the voids left in your very own classrooms!
April 13th, 2010 at 9:05 am
Once the bill passes and the teachers learn what’s in it, they will love it.
Pass it.
The wisdom of the bill’s opponents has already given us a failed school system.
April 13th, 2010 at 9:30 am
What we’ve been doing for the past fifty years isn’t working. US students fall in bottom of the top thirty developed nations in math and science. How long do we want to continue with our failing education system?
April 13th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Aaron Sharockman on PolitiFact says that a Pinellas teacher with a master’s degree and 10 years experiences earns $44,325 in Orange and $43,010 in Pinellas. If they transfer in out of state the local district will decide on their starting salary. Under the new system, teachers would no longer be slotted into a pay scale based on experience or degree.
I’m a Connecticut special education teacher, working in a ‘failing’ urban school with 12 years experience and a Master’s degree. I make over $70,000.
Just in reading the blogs and papers the last few days I’ve seen low starting salaries, the possibility of no tenure, no specific criteria for evaluation and salary increases, no credit for graduate credits, no school-based observational and portfolio evaluations…..
The chances of any young person going into the education field with aspirations towards a Master’s degree – or an outsider coming in with significant training, education and expertise willing to work here?
Forget about it, Floridians.
April 14th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Robert – I’ve READ the bill – have you? There is nothing to “love” in that bill. Go look up Diane Ravitch’s work… That shows a great deal of what is wrong with this bill.
April 14th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
I have one question for all of you in favor of SB6. Are you willing to have your taxes raised to pay the $900,000,000 needed for teacher salaries? Oh, you haven’t thought about that yet…
April 15th, 2010 at 9:59 am
Remington – if you can read this, you know who to thank.
April 15th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Sue,
My point is that everyone who is in favor of SB6 hasn’t thought it through. The $$ isn’t going to fall from the sky. YOUR taxes WILL be raised to pay for the salaries!! They sing a different tune when you bring up the money issue up. This is just ANOTHER unfunded mandate…