Fla. Governor Rick Scott Signs Teacher Merit Pay, Tenure Bill

Miami Herald:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Far-reaching but divisive legislation that creates a merit pay plan tied to student test scores for Florida teachers while ending tenure for new hires became law Thursday with Gov. Rick Scott's signature.

Read the whole story: Miami Herald

Comments

[Rileyman]

10:34 AM on 04/04/2011

On The Neil Cavuto Show on Fox News when aksed about the reaction of teachers to this Rick Scott boldly stated that "Teachers across the state support this plan." Amazing..I can't find one who does...

[perlin]

04:00 PM on 04/16/2011

FOX lies.

[xmaskarol]

06:40 PM on 03/29/2011

wow this guy needs to be recalled

[xmaskarol]

06:39 PM on 03/29/2011

This clown needs to be recalled...his ideas arent fit for todays society!!

[arlandbaee]

03:52 AM on 03/29/2011

This bill is horrendous. It makes it nearly impossible for public school teachers to survive in low income neighborhoods.

Republicans will do anything to privatize public education and steal those tax dollars.

This is almost criminal.

[Angela Atwell]

12:16 PM on 05/01/2011

As an education major, whos main focus in on beginning my career serving in a low income neighborhood, working on closing the achievement gap, I could not agree more. I believe this bill is only going to widen the achievemnt gap in America. When pay is based upon test scores, who is going to want to serve in a classroom full of below level students? I believe all children are capable and can achieve great things, but I fear this bill will deter many future educators from trying to implement this ideal in a low income classroom.

[Sean Taylor Teacher]

01:41 AM on 03/28/2011

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE SMOKE "And, not surprisingly, the Bush legislation has ardent supporters in the testing and textbook publishing industries. ...an executive for publishing giant NCS Pearson addressed a Waldorf ballroom filled with Wall Street analysts. According to Education Week, the executive displayed a quote from President-elect Bush calling for state testing and school-by-school report cards, and announced, "This almost reads like our business plan." The bill has allotted $387 million to get states up to speed; the National Association of State Boards of Education estimates that properly funding the testing mandate could cost anywhere from $2.7 billion to $7 billion. The bottom line? "This promises to be a bonanza for the testing companies," says Monte Neill of FairTest, a Boston-based nonprofit. "Fifteen states now test in all the grades Bush wants. All the rest are going to have to increase the amount of testing they do." Testing was already big business: According to Peter Sacks, author of Standardized Minds: The High Price of America's Testing Culture and What We Can Do to Change It, between 1960 and 1989 sales of standardized tests to public schools more than doubled, while enrollment increased only 15 percent. Over the past five years alone, state testing expenditures have almost tripled, from $141 million to $390 million, according to Achieve Inc., a standards-movement group formed by governors and CEOs. Reading Between the Lines by Stephen Metcalf " TESTING KIDS IS BIG $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ MONEY!

[medic628]

08:01 PM on 03/27/2011

Busting the union and money, that is what this is all about. Where and and to whom is the money going to go?

[obama20082012]

03:35 PM on 03/27/2011

When will some parents be fired? When are they held accountable?

[AmigaMan]

06:01 PM on 03/27/2011

Hell yes!

[Phong Le]

08:53 PM on 03/29/2011

Parents tax dollars pays teachers salaries. Teachers demanding that parents get fired is like politicians impeaching their constituents.

[M4dwoman]

03:11 PM on 03/27/2011

So the teachers at the failing schools, the underprivileged schools in Florida, will be terminated because their under-performing students can't pass the FCAT.
The students will be given tax-payer supported vouchers to go to private or charter schools.
Schools that have uncertified teachers so as to avoid teaching the state curriculum.
Schools that have failed and closed due to financial malfeasance.
The losers here aren't just the teachers.

[obama20082012]

02:39 PM on 03/27/2011

How do you base merit pay for a gym teacher? Or a music teacher? Just another example of the one size fits all mentality the GOTP exhibits.

[AmigaMan]

06:02 PM on 03/27/2011

LOL Exactly. Merit pay is a stupid argument for the bashing of teachers in America.

[veteran teacher]

07:29 PM on 03/28/2011

Our merit pay will be based on the school's reading scores. It is a simplistic, moronic idea. Our legislature is crazy.

[xmaskarol]

06:42 PM on 03/29/2011

thats what the defination of republican is...crazy

[TedEjr]

09:28 PM on 03/26/2011

From the main article---Scott, is a proponent of charter schools like the KIPP Middle School he chose for the signing ceremony. It's run by the Knowledge is Power Program, a national charter school organization.---AND---The evaluation system used to determine which teachers get merit raises and those who may face dismissal will be based at least half on how much their students improve on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and other exams over a three year period. (End)

So, more corpratocracy enters into lives. Let's turn our education over to a group which we will have absolutely no control over. Is that what the TP wants? No input into how our children are educated? Well, hells bells, if the charter system starts to educate the kids on socialism, and to promote it, that should make the TP happy, right? After all, corporate CEOs know best.

About point two, it is not hard to determine what will happen here. Kids will be taught to the test. Forget base education and reasoning. Let's teach them how to score well, so that we can get our raise.

[teacher39years]

11:28 AM on 03/27/2011

Fanned and Faved, Ted. Rick Scott has appointed Michelle Rhee to lead his Educational Transition Team and last week Eric Smith , Florida's Educational Commissioner, stepped down to allow Scott carry out " his vision for Education". He is actually being mentored by Jeb Bush behind the scenes. Believe me. This is about money, not children. It's the same thing that's happening in Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Education will be the next Medicare for Scott.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/12/rick-scott-florida-education-jeb-bush

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/rick-scott-florida-medicaid-solantic

[TedEjr]

11:50 AM on 03/27/2011

Former Florida native and State Employee here. I didn't plan on leaving the job, or the State. But, call it God, Divine Providence, damned good timing, or whatever you care to select, I truly believe that my departure was well timed.

[MrGaughran]

08:35 PM on 03/26/2011

And, like everything else he's "done" so far, this was one of those things that no one asked for, and that no one wants. But, like the rest of the GOP, he doesn't actually care what the people of state think.

[teacher39years]

11:30 AM on 03/27/2011

The Tea Party is just a little more sloppy than the usual Republicans, but they're all owned by the same corporations.

[DeweyJ]

07:57 PM on 03/26/2011

Rick Scott "was forced to resign as Chief Executive of Columbia/HCH in 1997 amid a scandal over the company's business and medicare billing practices; the company ultimately admitted to 14 felonies and agreed to pay the federal government over $600 million."

This man should have served time in jail, and now he is the governor of Florida! What does this say about "us" when "we" vote folks who are very likely crooks in to public office? Would you trust the man who condoned, and may have sanctioned, felonious and unethical business practices?

[teacher39years]

11:35 AM on 03/27/2011

Did you see how he just "Reformed" Medicare and ordered manditory drug testing for all state employees and welfare recipients ? He did this a week after he signed his chain of "Walk-In Drug Testing Clinics over to his wife. He also won't use email while Governor because that's how he got caught before.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/rick-scott-florida-medicaid-solantic

[Sean Taylor Teacher]

02:00 AM on 03/28/2011

Keeping them honest one blog at a time! Thanks teacher for always providing great information and superb links to facts that truly matter. Sean

[DeweyJ]

03:27 PM on 03/28/2011

Thanks, I did see that, and clearly he is still up to the same shenanigans. Scott is a state employee.

[medic628]

10:51 AM on 03/26/2011

When the gov. does not do his job will you stop paying him??

[teacher39years]

11:37 AM on 03/27/2011

He spent over $20 million dollars of his own money on his campaign and changed his salary to one dollar. He must be anticipating lots of graft and corruption.

[LarryOak]

07:41 PM on 03/25/2011

the guy is a crook

[teacher39years]

10:00 AM on 03/26/2011

So true. He won't use email because he was that's what convicted him for Medicare Fraud under the Freedom of Information Act." He's up to the same old thing in Florida. He signed over his "Healthcare Clinics " and then "Reformed Medicaid." the next week. I'm sure he considers the $22.6 million cost of his campaign money well spent.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/rick-scott-florida-medicaid-solantic

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/rick-scott-florida-medicaid-solantic

[teacher39years]

07:38 PM on 03/25/2011

There's a push to place an item on the ballot giving Floridians the ability to recall Rick Scott.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Recall-Rick-Scott/171429109550308