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Merit pay plan
Teachers-union ad blitz blasts plan for merit pay
Florida lawmakers change controversial parts of merit-pay plan as Florida Education Association launches ad campaign against measure
By Denise-Marie Balona, Leslie Postal and Dave Weber
10:40 PM EST, March 18, 2010
The state's teachers union and Florida Democratic Party have opened a broadside media attack on Republican lawmakers who are trying to end teacher tenure in favor of a merit-pay system in an effort to beef up school quality without spending more.
"If your child is a student in Florida public schools, brace yourself because Florida politicians are doing real damage," Andy Ford, president of the Florida Education Association, says in a TV and Internet ad. Ford goes on to criticize recent school cuts and then says, "Now some of our best teachers are at risk of losing their jobs."
At the same time, Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman on Thursday sent out an e-mail urging Floridians to contact Sen. John Thrasher, who sponsored the merit-pay legislation, and Senate President Jeff Atwater to tell them to "drop this ridiculous power grab now." ...
A key committee Thursday altered parts of the bill to delete a couple of the most controversial provisions. If the committee approves the legislation today, it would then be sent to the full Senate.
Thrasher and other advocates of the merit-pay plan say it will boost teacher quality by rewarding top-notch instructors and allowing schools to more quickly weed out poor performers.
"We have some outstanding teachers, but we have some who are underperforming who are being paid at the same level as those highly performing," said Thrasher, the new head of the Republican Party of Florida.
His sweeping bill aims to tie teacher pay to student performance. Many teachers fear the plan would slash their pay and put their jobs in jeopardy. Even some school administrators in favor of merit pay said plan would be too costly, too unworkable and too rigidly based on tests -- many of which districts would have to develop. ...
The bill would eliminate tenure for new teachers and move the state to a system where teachers worked on annual contracts, but most of today's work force would keep current job protections. ...
The Senate Ways and Means Committee changed two of the most controversial provisions of Thrasher's bill Thursday.
In one amendment, the committee deleted a provision tying more than 50 percent of a teacher's pay to student test scores. Instead, future raises would be decided on that criterion.
A second amendment would do away with a provision to withhold state money from districts that do not comply with the new merit-pay plan for teachers. Instead the state would require all districts to spend 5 percent of their money on merit pay. ...
Denise-Marie Balona can be reached at dbalona@orlandosentinel.com or 352-742-5928.