Florida Senate Bill 6–innocuously titled Relating to Education Personnel–is the type of legislation that if passed, is a voter coalition-builder of the Most Certain to Vote: Florida’s educators.
As summarized by Florida Today , the bill is “…a measure that would gradually do away with tenure and eventually put teachers on an annual contract that would not be automatically renewed. The legislation would create an evaluation system that would tie teacher pay to gains in student test scores.”
Teaching Moment #1: What do teacher tenure and the dodo bird have in common?
Here in Brevard County, new Florida teachers are contracted annually for the first three years of employment. A professional contract is subsequently offered and is subject to review every two years. Professional contract holders cannot work towards continuing contract. Continuing contract–commonly referred to as tenure and tossed about as a code word by many a state legislator, guaranteed to get the goat of those who feel educators have a cushy, part-time, guarantee of a job–has not been offered to educators for many years and is fast going the way of the dodo bird, as those who hold such contracts age out and retire from the profession. It is most neatly and completely extinct.
Which could prove a similar fate to those state legislators who voted yea to SB-6. Here at home, those state Senators include Mike Haridopolos (R-District 26) and Thad Altman (R-District 24). (Peruse the March 24 Roll Call vote here).
Teaching Moment #2: Who is the head Dodo in charge?
John Thrasher (R-District Eight) is the chair of the Florida Republican Party. (Say it with me class: CONFLICT OF INTEREST. Thrasher IS a sitting Republican state Senator AND heads his state’s party). Thrasher is also the sponsor of SB-6. (Read the legislation here).
Thrasher was heavily supported for the GOP leadership position by former Florida governor, Jeb Bush, who appointed Mr. Thrasher to the Clay County Board of County Commissioners, year 2007-2008. Mr. Bush–who appears to be holding true to his intent to shadow our state government, although at this point, it borders more on infiltration–chairs the “think tank” Foundation for Florida’s Future. In a recent interview regarding SB-6, Mr. Bush promised “… a lot more testing that measures not just reading and math but other classes as well in the future, which he welcomes.”
Brother Neil Bush financially benefited through legislation championed by his brother while governor that resulted in the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, an annual assessment of students grades 3-11. He co-founded a company called Ignite! Learning that created software used in Florida for FCAT. (The Washington Post gives more on this story).
I’ll leave you, dear reader, to to sharpen your Number 2 pencils and connect the follow-the-money dots.
My guess is the complete picture will reveal one very large Raphus cucullatus.
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Ask anyone who knows me, I'd stop St. Peter's roll call to start a conversation. I'm Sheree Shatsky, a longtime Florida resident blessed with the gift of gab. This Florida Today blogger (and member of the Florida Progressive Coalition) invites you to get settled behind your keyboard and join the conversation.
Before we go and say this is a bad idea, lets look at what we could do to expand this line of thought into something useful. Results based pay? Not to bad if we can aim it where it would do the most good. Are the state legislators failing to balance the budget? If yes, then a pay cut for them could automatically kick in. Maybe we could get a bipartisan group of folks together once a year and give each legislator a report card? Based on their report card would be their compensation package, or maybe even their expulsion from school?
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I am a math teacher and have been dealing with the pressures of FCAT for as long as I can remember. I teach 2 sections of high performing students and 4 sections of low performing students. In any given year, approximately 85% of my students make learning gains (which is a very good percentage). If there is anyone out there who actually thinks this bill is a good idea, please consider the following question. What is the difference between the 85% who “learn” and the 15% that do not? ALL of my students have received the same lesson delivery, the same assignments, the same activities, the same asseessments, the same projects, the same (free) tutoring opportunities, the same classroom atmosphere, the same EVERYTHING. The difference you ask? These students CHOOSE to not to attend school, CHOOSE not to complete any of their assignments and CHOOSE to spend all of their time at school causing disruptions for their classmates. Their parents CHOOSE to ignore my phone calls and REFUSE to attend conferences. They CHOOSE to hold neither themselves nor their children accountable for any part of their child’s education. These are things that are totally beyond a teacher’s control. How can you say that I am failing to do my job with these students and penalize my salary accordingly? Any good, qualified teacher will leave the state at the first opportunity.
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How do parents figure into your premise? What accountability do they hold regarding–at the very minimum–sending their child/children to school prepared for the day?
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Sheree, I really hope that you are being sarcastic! If not, you really are a prime example of the main problem facing education today. I see your child 45 minutes per day. I cannot follow them home to ensure that they do their homework. That is YOUR job. I cannot make them stay before/after school for additional help if they are struggling. That is YOUR job. I actually had a parent ask me what I expected her to do about it. She told me that she could not make her 12 year old son stay after school for tutoring (free transportation home is provided). Are you kidding me? I cannot ensure that students get to bed at a reasonable hour. Students fall asleep in class because they were up until 2 am on Facebook. I sit with my 2 children every night going over their assignments and talking to them about their day. I assist them with homework that they do not understand and I read to them each night. That is MY job as their parent. You had the kids, take some responsibility in educating them.
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Lisa,
My question regarding holding parents accountable was directed to Daniel.
I feel your pain. I too, am an educator.
What I have also noticed over the last 25 years is an increasing number of parents who immediately side with their child, especially during disciplinary actions. In my day, my parents supported the teacher first, myself and my brothers a far second. We learned very quickly what was expected of us and sadly, I’m very certain that the same cannot be said for many of today’s students.
But out there, somewhere is the student in our classroom or school who will beat the odds of the circumstances from which they hail because of education. It’s these students who keep you and I on the job.
Thanks for your comments, Lisa. Keep up the good work.
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In a huge surprise, Florida did not win a massive federal education grant that would have pushed school districts to change how they pay and evaluate teachers and turn around struggling schools.
Florida was widely considered a leading contender for a share of the $4.35 billion Race to the Top fund, the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s education agenda.
But on Monday, the U.S. Department of Education announced only two first-round winners: Delaware and Tennessee.
Florida — which asked for more than $1 billion — finished fourth, behind Georgia.
“This would be the biggest shock of my professional career,” Florida Board of Education chairman T. Willard Fair told the St. Petersburg Times.
Florida will apply for a second round of Race to the Top grants, which will be announced this fall. And supporters vowed to push the changes listed in Florida’s application whether Florida lands one of the coveted grants or not.
Indeed, many of the biggest changes are contained in SB 6, a lightning-rod bill now racing through the Florida Legislature over teacher objections.
Monday’s news gave opponents of SB 6 hope that the Obama administration may be a brake on Republican efforts to accelerate its vision of school reform. Until now, the president has disappointed many teachers in Florida, even though teachers unions are a pillar of the Democratic Party.
“It’s about time they (Republicans) put good public policy over politics,” said Rep. Marty Kiar, a Democrat who sits on the House PreK-12 Policy Committee. “This is the total fault of the majority party for pushing through bad policies.”
Florida’s application was hurt, in part, by a lack of support from teachers unions.
Most of the state’s 67 school districts signed on to the application, but only five of 67 local unions did so. Both Delaware and Tennessee had strong union support for their applications — a fact highlighted by federal officials.
Read the article in entirety here:
In stunner, Florida doesn’t win Race to the Top education grant
St. Pete Times (3/30/2010)
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/in-stunner-florida-doesnt-win-race-to-the-top-education-grant/1083596
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Florida lost out big on Race to the Top grant funding, cited by the feds for lack of stakeholder buy-in, i.e. teacher unions. Only 5 unions of Florida’s 67 county districts signed on approval in support of the state’s application.
Hopefully, this will provide the Gov. Charlie Crist–who previously indicated he would sign the legislation into law–good reason to veto this bill if SB-6 reaches his desk. If not for that, perhaps for more selfish reasons.
In the fight of his political life against former House Speaker Marco Rubio for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, Crist could use the votes from appreciative educators.
Read more here.
In stunner, Florida doesn’t win Race to the Top education grant
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/in-stunner-florida-doesnt-win-race-to-the-top-education-grant/1083596
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[...] use the full 7-day maximum period to review what should officially be called the education “dodo bill.” Share this [...]
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