(Florida GOP-controlled) Senate gives final okay to teacher pay, tenure bill

[seafan]

Source: St. Petersburg Times

TALLAHASSEE — A sweeping bill that will overhaul how public school teachers are paid, evaluated, hired and fired cleared the Florida Senate on Thursday morning, continuing its speedy passage through the Legislature.

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The teacher pay and tenure legislation, Senate Bill 736, would tie new teachers' pay to evaluations based primarily on student performance on exams; award annual, instead of three-year contracts; and end the practice of basing layoff decisions on seniority.

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Meanwhile, the House Education Committee began final hearings on its version of the bill. The committee's Republican majority voted down a slew of amendments offered by Democrats that would have made the legislation more palatable for groups like the Florida Education Association, the statewide teachers union, that oppose the bill.

Though the committee's hearings were scheduled to last all day, public comment ended after about a dozen people spoke for and against the legislation.

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/article1156411.ece

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Shutting down public comment. Rushing this bill through the Legislature. Dogmatic refusal to allow amendments to the bill.


And 43 minutes ago, Jeb Bush weighed in via Twitter:

# Great to see the Florida Senate passed bill to identify and reward good teachers. Thank you Senator Wise for your leadership! #edreform 43 minutes ago via web

Mr. Obama, you erred egregiously last week in Miami.

[ixion]

1. Tying pay/evaluation to teaching the standarized test: Very, very stupid.

Really, if you thought FL's academic troubles were bad before, just wait.

[Orlandodem]

2. Can someone tell me if this violates our rights to collective bargaining?

Here is SB 736. I am particularly concerned about lines 535-665 as it relates to salary and compensation. Our rights are absolute and they are enshrined in the state constitution. Any Florida labor attorneys out there want to make some money (not a lot, we're "just" teachers, afterall).

http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/0736/Amendment/248470/PDF

[Pacifist Patriot]

3. If there was ever a poorly named Senator.