House ready for marathon debate on teacher pay
by John Kennedy | March 16th, 2011The Florida House is poised today to approve legislation ending tenure and tying teacher pay to how much students improve in their classes.
The bill also will be chalked up as a major victory for ruling Republican lawmakers over the state teachers’ union, which has been a huge supplier of campaign cash and activists to Democratic political campaigns.
Democrats, outnumbered more than two-to-one in the House, have been pushing back, and a vote isn’t expected until early evening. House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, already having set aside six hours for debate on the measure.
March 16th, 2011 at 9:13 am
Our elected representatives are busy working for The Will of The People. This is democracy at its best.
We The People gave our elected representatives a mandate: smaller government, lower taxes, reduced government spending, and less regulation.
And rather than shirking their duties, they are working night and day to accomplish them.
It’s time for a rejuvenated Florida to emerge!
March 16th, 2011 at 9:43 am
My question that has never been answered is if teachers are to be evaluated on the previous years student performance, can a teacher have legal recourse to sue an inadequate teacher for non performance of a student from a previous year? It was not addressed in the legislation.
March 16th, 2011 at 9:52 am
There is no money for merit pay.
They’d have to raise taxes to come up with it.
It’s a scam to weaken the working person.
PS…It’s funny how so many Tea drinkers have drank the Kool Aid.
March 16th, 2011 at 10:26 am
State Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, the sponsor of the House version of the bill, said the measure isn’t telling school districts when they have to give raises. The evaluation and salary schedule must be in place, but raises are subject to available funds. “We’re not saying how much,” Fresen said during House debate on the proposal Tuesday. “We’re not even saying when.” This sums it up perfectly, merit pay will never be funded, better teachers will never be paid more, the true purpose of this bill is to strip teachers of their right to ‘do process’ so they can be fired at will with no reason given.
March 16th, 2011 at 10:37 am
“House Bill 7019 requires that all new teachers work on one year annual contracts. No teacher, even one rated as highly effective would be assured of a job after a one year contract is complete.” I’m no genius, but even I can see this plan will not attract high quality teachers into the profession.
March 16th, 2011 at 11:17 am
After today the only profession with tenure will be….. politicians.
March 16th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
More money to teachers has never improved student performance. Maybe if they can fire the bad ones and reward the good ones it might help. It works in private business.