Florida Teachers Express Opposition To Senate Bill 6 Options

[Chris Spiliotis]

Florida Teachers Express Opposition To Senate Bill 6

The bill threatens to push experienced teachers out of the classroom and place students in classrooms with teachers of little experience.

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Read the piece and post a comment on feaweb.org.
http://feaweb.org/florida-teachers-express...o-senate-bill-6

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Letter to Members of the Florida Senate

SB - 6 Analysis

Current Law Has the Fix

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Teachers from throughout Florida spoke today of their opposition to the provisions in a broad and harsh proposal unveiled last week by Republican leaders in the Florida Senate.

Senate Bill 6 (SB 6), which is scheduled to be heard this week in the Senate PreK-12 Committee, has 38 sections that would do everything from crippling the idea of community control of public schools to no longer considering a teacher’s experience or advanced degrees in salaries to foisting even more standardized tests on our schools. The bill threatens to push experienced teachers out of the classroom and place students in classrooms with teachers of little experience.

The 61-page bill would:

• Decrease the ability of local school boards and school districts to make a wide array of decisions having an impact on local schools and replacing them with a one-size-fits-all approach mandated from Tallahassee.

• Require that all teachers be retained, certified and compensated based on student test scores on standardized tests -- not years of experience or degrees held.

• Penalize school districts that even consider length of service or degrees held when determining compensation or reductions in force.

• Order that teachers be issued probationary contracts for up to five years; then an annual contract every year after that … eliminating due process.

• Mandate more standardized testing for students (end of course exams for all subjects) and for teachers (additional certification requirements).

• Exclude the salary schedule as a subject of collective bargaining. The state will decide what categories of differentiated pay will be provided for.

• The state will have a much greater hand in appraisals.

• Abolish an effective and popular program that rewards those who become National Board Certified Teachers, a rigorous national program that awards certification after a yearlong, independent review of a teacher’s work in the classroom and knowledge of their field.

“In recent years, we’ve been told Florida’s made great strides to improve the quality of education and raise student achievement,” said FEA President Andy Ford.” Last year, when a record number of ‘A’ grades were achieved in our public schools, Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith said, ‘These are tremendous results for our schools, and every teacher, student, parent and administrator should be proud of the work they’ve done this year.’ Governor Charlie Crist said, ‘Florida is truly blessed to have such high quality teachers who have made our education system one of the best in the nation.’ SB 6 punishes the teachers who delivered these stunning educational gains. It lashes out at the teachers who have made Florida schools a model for the nation, the same teachers Governor Crist says we’re ‘blessed’ to have in our classrooms. Well, if SB 6 passes, they won’t be in our classrooms much longer.”

Tom Lentz, a National Board Certified English teacher at Ridge Community High School in Polk County, related his thoughts about what political leaders should do.

“If you want to thank teachers here are some things you can put a number on: more planning time so that we plan the lessons your students deserve; fewer students so we can give them the individualized attention they need; and pay us for our experience, education and skills we bring to the classroom every day.” Lentz said. “Don’t punish us with Senate Bill 6.”

The Florida Education Association is the state’s largest association of professional employees, with more than 140,000 members. FEA represents pre K-12 teachers, higher education faculty, educational support professionals, students at our colleges and universities preparing to become teachers and retired education employees.