The union representing Florida teachers lashed out Monday at a bill that would allow teachers hired after July 1 to function under a different set of rules.
Union spokespersons, defending the status quo, said they oppose basing 50 percent of a new teacher's salary on student performance and, in today's workplace, making a teacher's contract in the initial years subject to annual job performance reviews.
Instead, the union wants to continue the practice of giving new teachers three-year contracts, followed by annual reviews in the fourth year and beyond.
Supporters of the bill see it as a way to attract "the best and brightest" new teachers using, among other incentives, the offer of more money to those who teach in low-income schools or in difficult subject areas.
"The union's teachers have jobs for life and merely want to protect the status quo," said Gabe Sheheane, a lobbyist for the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
"Our organization is focused on putting students first," he said. "Teacher evaluations should be focused on developing the best young talent our state has to offer and keeping it here. That's exactly what this bill does."
But Andy Ford, president of the Florida Education Association, disagreed Monday. He said the bill will "lash out at teachers who work hard to make the Florida schools a model for the nation."
Florida last year counted 1,822 public schools among those that achieved the highest standards, an increase of 237 schools over the previous year.
Education Week recently ranked Florida No. 8 in quality of education, though the state ranks No. 32 in funding, he said.
Supporters of the legislation say that by adopting the new standards under SB 6, the state also stands a better chance of qualifying for some of the $4.3 billion earmarked for education improvements offered by the Obama administration as part of its "Race to the Top" grant program. Florida is among 16 states named as finalists for the money.
Patricia Levesque, executive director of the Foundation for Florida's Future points out that meeting the "Race to the Top" requirements can translate into significant rewards. "President Obama has established education as a top priority of his administration and has put a lot of grant money into his Race for the Top program. This bill meets all of the standards for that grant."
The union also objects to the bill because it would impose new standards on school districts. For example, districts that refused to put the pay for performance measures in place would be denied state money and would have to make up the difference with local property taxes. At present, districts also are free to devise their own annual teacher evaluations.
Nothing would change for existing teachers. The legislation would not affect the 170,000 teachers currently teaching in Florida classrooms, only those hired after July 1.
"We have to base teachers' evaluations on students' progress," Levesque said. "Currently, 60 percent of students at the secondary level, 40 percent at the middle school level and 30 percent at the elementary school level can't read at their proficiency standard. It's critical that they do better than that."
"There are much better measuring sticks like retention rates and graduation rates for evaluating our teachers," Ford said.
"Lawmakers want to quantify everything," said Sharai Lynn Gewanter, an elementary school teacher form Tallahassee. "And, you can't do that with education. Teachers have special skills that can't be measured by test scores."
