Posted on 03/16/2011 8:53:58 AM PDT by Hojczyk
TALLAHASSEE -- Opponents tried one last time — and failed — to make changes to a bill that would dramatically reform the way public school teachers are evaluated, paid and hired. Now the fast-track legislation is one step away from the desk of Gov. Rick Scott, who has indicated he will sign it.
The Florida House moved along Senate Bill 736, which would tie teacher pay to student test scores, eliminate so-called tenure for new hires as of July 1 and end layoffs based on seniority. The chamber will take a vote on the proposal Wednesday afternoon.
“There is one thing that is conclusive on all sides of all educational research, and that is that teacher effectiveness is the most influential school-level variable that determines student learning,” said Rep. Erik Fresen, the Miami Republican who pushed for the legislation in the House.
His Democratic colleagues who oppose the proposal questioned how the state would pay for the bill’s provisions, particularly the development of exams and other criteria to evaluate teachers. Fresen said most of the funding would come largely from Race to the Top, the $700 million competitive grant the state won from the federal government last year.
Democrats also said they fear teachers on annual contracts would not have job security even if they receive favorable evaluations. Rep. Rick Kriseman of St. Petersburg suggested an effective teacher whose contract may not be renewed could be “blacklisted” and find it difficult to land another teaching position.
“What’s the actual impact on that teacher for purposes of trying to get a job at another school, at another district?” he asked.
On Tuesday, House leaders set aside nine hours to bring up questions and amendments on the bill, with 12 more hours of debate scheduled for Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Cut their pay, stop taking Fed money, cut taxes and send illegal aliens to Utah. Utah wants them.
Go go Guv Scott and thank you for doing what is best for Fl.
Now another suggestion, CUT TAXES, CUT SPENDING, ELIMINATE PROGRAMS, DEFUND ALL LIBERAL EVERYTHING.
Still off to a much better start than Bohner and the “we just cannot find anything to cut” RINO scum in Washington.
This appears to be a step in the right direction. The real proof will come with the dismissal of ineffective teachers for the coming school year - assuming that teachers can be let go with the same “due process” as any well managed organization would have in place.
I suspect/hope that unexplained teacher absences and dependence on substitutes will begin to decline in the 2012 school year.
If the state refuses the Feds money they can teach whatever they want
(This quote is from the first comment at the article website...almost certainly a teacher)
“The new law allows the principal to not rehire anyone, regardless of test scores or rankings. No explanation is required; there is no recourse for those wrongly terminated, all rights have been stripped away by the legislature. Administrators now decide evaluation ratings. Those ratings are subjective and need not be based on reality.”
Welcome to the way the other 96% of the workforce is forced to live under...
Good news for the Florida ping list!
What a bunch of horse crap. People who do their jobs effectively, and create value, will always be in demand. Thank goodness our side won the election in Florida by big numbers. Scott is off to a great start. I hope the FReepers who threatened to vote against Scott are taking note of all the conservative policy he's putting forward. He's got liberal heads exploding all over this state and it is a pleasure to watch them seethe in anger.
bump
Actually, I think that this might be in error. If this goes through I would think that principals would open themselves to the availability of the wrongful termination lawsuit. Even if they win, they'll still have to defend and that will cost THEM $$$$. It will be individuals on a case by case basis.
“Actually, I think that this might be in error. “
I’m sure you’re right, but what’s a little white lie for a left wing radical?
Teaching doesn't work like that. One of the unfortunate by products of this bill is that it will destroy the inner city schools and a whole LOT of those kids are good honest hard working children who won't have access to the really top flight teachers who will be fleeing to the top rated schools for their bonuses. Those kids are just going to be screwed.
Worse, for the riff raff who MIGHT have been able to make something of themselves with a good role model, they'll just hit the streets. Watch the crime rate skyrocket. Me? I carry all the time when I'm not at work. No sweat for ME. But what if my mom were still alive? If she were, she'd be 95 now. A ripe target for any thug who can hop a train from the north county to the hunting grounds of the lush south.
A few years ago I had a kid who I would have sworn was going to be dead inside of a year even IF he graduated. Ran with a gang. Bad one, too. He was ALWAYS in my class, though and good. He did real well with me and he even graduated. Then he dropped out of sight, totally. I thought he was dead. Next thing I know he's walking into my class and he's wearing a uniform and the badges all scream Special Operations. He's looking at my slack jaw and he burst out laughing. He said: "Why are you so surprised? YOU DID IT! Your stories from active duty days, you're my role model. It's all I could think about."
He shook my hand and walked out. I transferred to a much tougher inner city school and never saw him again, but I wonder about all the others who never came back to show me how I might have changed their lives... And now a lot of that is going to be gone. I'm almost ready to retire. So I think this stuff isn't going to hit me. I hope anyway.
I used to get all the discipline problems because I could deal with them. Somehow you reach an understanding with kids that works for both of you. It isn't measured in test scores, but develops mutual respect and performs a valuble service for the school, As your story shows, it can offer possibilities for non-scholastic type kids.
Why would anyone want to teach anything other than honors classes under thie system described in this article.
It also seems like there is an assumption here that all administrators and school board members are ethical. Wisdom is also not an characteristic that automatically emerges when one garners those aforementioned positions, at least in my experience.
I agree with you, a mass exodus of teachers from lower performing schools or lower performing classes.
‘I agree with you, a mass exodus of teachers from lower performing schools or lower performing classes.’
Don’t know about Florida, but in most of the country inner-city schools pay higher salaries. Also in the case of this law, I believe that evaluations will be based on the performance of the teacher’s student, not the performance of the school (they are doing that now).
Good teachers aren't in demand? Then there's more wrong with our educational system than I thought.
One of the unfortunate by products of this bill is that it will destroy the inner city schools
If a teacher leaves the inner city for higher paying district and a top rated school, whose place will they take? And what will happen to the teacher that is replaced?
I agree that this plan, from I read on what's available on the subject, doesn't do enough to compensate for socio-economic conditions and many other challenges that come with the poorly performing schools. It's hard to find anything but union opinions on this bill. Finding an reply from the proponents of this bill answering this obvious challenge is impossible. I'm sure one exists, but all I can find are union driven responses.
The system needs teachers willing to do what you do. I refuse to believe that Scott and his team don't also recognize this.
That aside, there are an incredible number of bad and tired teachers out there who are simply riding the rail. You cannot force people to care. That has to stop and we need to encourage young, energetic and enthusiastic teachers to enter the profession. The policies as they currently stand serve as a strong deterrent to that happening.
Teachers and their union have blocked every major reform that will improve education: merit based pay, ending tenure, seniority policy and vouchers. I have no sympathy for the fact that the taxpayers are working to hold them accountable. For 40 years now they've been able, along with the corrupt administrators, to make the schools work for their benefit rather than the students.
I hope all this additional testing forces huge amounts of unfunded mandates on the systems and the taxpayers tell them that they're not going to give them more money. Finally, they may actually have to remove some of the massive amounts of administrative layers of fat that have developed over the decades.
The school systems are filled with redundant staff that the school boards and school administrators have convinced themselves they need. You've got four people doing the job that one person would do in the private sector.
I look at my public school system and I marvel at the number of people they have on staff. Assitant Superintendents, Principals, Assistant Principals, Associate Principals, Guidance Counselors, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Grief and Esteem Counselors, Dieticians, Nutritional Educators, Nutritional Counselors, and on and on and on. I marvel at the superintendent when she claims that her staff has so much on their plates already that they couldn't possibly add more responsibilities. However, if you need something, be sure to only call them between 9 am and noon and 1 pm and 4:15 pm. Yeah, they must be overwhelmed. Meanwhile, the schmucks in the private sector are working 60 hours a week to keep their heads above water and pay for these "overwhelmed" public servants.
The Foods and Nutrition Department in Sarasota County has more managers and staff than most private sector restaurant companies that serve 10 times more meals. But visit them and they'll tell you just how overwhelmed they are. Don't expect a reply if you email them. Don't bother calling as they don't have a voice mail system. You can always go to the school board to complain. They'll listen politely. Be sure to notice their new $10 million dollar buidling. They only spent $120 million on the new high school. What the hell, it's only OPM. It's a frickin joke. These people wouldn't last a week in the private sector.
All these bureaucrats could be terminated tomorrow and our schools would be much better off. Much more authority and responsibility could be pushed down to the teachers and the systems would have the money to pay them for the additional workload, while saving huge amounts of taxpayers money. But that's not what happens when you don't have any competition and don't have to serve your customers. You become a bloated and inefficient behemoth incapable of accomplishing much. Just try as a parent to offer your input on what your child should learn and how they should be treated. The school systems today treat parents in an elitist and condescending manner. They know what's best for our kids so STHU and pay your taxes.
The teachers, especially the ones who care and make a real difference, take it on the chin while the dead-weight cruises along in an ignorant state of bliss. Meanwhile, the taxpayers watch helplessly, unable to do anything to change the situation, while their blood boils. I hope Wisconsin and Florida are just the start. I have two kids just getting started in public schools and I am so livid at what I've witnessed so far that I will enthusiastically support anything that pisses off the teacher's unions and makes these useless and fat assed administrators howl.
We owe it to the kids whose parents cant afford or just wont put their kids in private schools to make sure they get a proper education, the marxists have been running the show for too long, with the predictable dismal results.
Our society needs educated effective productive citizens, not brainwashed imbeciles.
Heck, even that jug eared communist Kenyan Obama was down in Dade county the other day talking bout how much things have improved.
Nice knife in the back to your comrades in the teachers union Barry!
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