You may have received this informational notice from the Seminole Education Association. In case you missed it, here it is.

Although provided to SEA members, feel free to share it with potential (non) members to make them aware of how your local Association keeps you informed and how our affiliated state association is fighting on our behalf.

-----

HOT Topics Affecting Teachers

In the past legislative session, Florida politicians made a number of significant changes to public education, passing laws that will affect teachers, students, and schools adversely. The following HOT TOPICS are generating much discussion by all who are involved in public education. Below, read the facts about each issue to help you understand what has happened, and what will be happening in the near future.

New Teacher Evaluation Form

- Last year’s evaluation forms will not be used anymore.

- The District Teacher Evaluation Committee, comprised in large part of 32 teachers chosen by the SEA, conducted the preliminary work to line up the new form with the state-mandated model.

- Although the form has been developed, the District and the SEA must bargain over issues affected by the change in format. The new system cannot be implemented until this step is completed. Until then, administrators still have the authority to conduct observations and walkthroughs.

- There will be only one evaluation form for all teachers (no short form and no long form).

- Every teacher will be evaluated every year. Teachers new to SCPS will be evaluated twice in the first year.

- The District will provide training for the administrators regarding the new system.

- The District also is hiring a principal-on-assignment and a teacher-on-assignment who will develop the training and professional development opportunities for teachers to learn about the new system.

Merit Pay

- There will be not be a Merit Pay scale until 2014-15 school year.

- When a Merit Pay scale is negotiated, those teachers who were in the system prior to July 1, 2011 will be grandfathered onto the traditional scale but can choose to be paid on the Merit Pay scale, but at a certain price (see Contract Status below for more).

- There is no money set aside to fund Merit Pay increases and there is also no money allocated to construct the merit pay system.

Advanced Degrees

- All teachers who were paid an advanced supplement lane in 2010-11 will not suffer any loss in pay.

- In order to be paid an advanced degree supplement, the advanced degree area of study must also be an area of certification designated by the FLDOE. Said teacher is not required to be working in the same content area as the advanced degree area.

- Teachers with advanced degrees in Ed Leadership are eligible for an advanced degree supplement, provided that the teacher also possesses an Ed Leadership certificate.

- While advanced degrees for Curriculum and Instruction exist, there is no similar area of certification, thus a teacher hired after July 1, 2011 cannot earn an advanced degree supplement under these conditions.

3% FRS Contributions

- All participants in the FRS, except those in DROP, will be paying 3% of earnings, on a pre-tax basis, into retirement beginning July 1, 2011.

- Over the summer, FEA filed a lawsuit asserting that the enacted legislation was unconstitutional when they required the 3% salary cut. The lawsuit further contends that the actions by the Legislature to reduce the cost-of-living benefits of those employees were also unconstitutional.

- The contributions will continue while this case goes thru the courts.

Contract Status

- Teachers with Professional Services Contracts (PSC) as of July 1, 2011 will keep their contractual status, unless they:

- Take a job outside the district where they currently teach;

- Take an unapproved leave;

- Have 2 consecutive years of unsatisfactory ratings, 2 unsatisfactory ratings within a 3-year period, or 3 consecutive ratings of needs improvement or combination of needs improvement and unsatisfactory;

- Choose to move from the “grandfathered pay schedule” to the “performance pay schedule”

- Teachers hired July 1, 2011 will serve a one-year probation and then may be granted annual contracts. They will never be eligible for PSC.

- Even high performing teachers who are annual contract can be let go without cause at the end of the year.

- Teachers who are rated “unsatisfactory” two consecutive- or two out of three years will be placed on an annual contract, then terminated if there is no improvement.

Our state affiliate, the Florida Education Association (FEA), is monitoring the developments regarding each of these hot topics. In a number of instances, the FEA has filed lawsuits (and will be filing more) to challenge the lack of fairness associated with these changes. All of the new legislation is undergoing implementation at this time, as legislative rulemaking, collective bargaining, FEA lawsuits, and questions/concerns from Districts all around Florida are shaping the education “reform” dictated by non-educators in Tallahassee.

Time will tell how each of these issues will play out, but it is incumbent upon members to stay informed about the changes, remain involved in the implementation process, and be prepared to engage in the fight for what’s right – for our schools, for our students, and for our profession.