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Five Things To Know About Florida’s New Education Requirements
The new teacher evaluations and merit pay plans school districts are rolling out this year that StateImpact Florida reported yesterday are just a portion of a broad education reform package lawmakers approved last spring. Here’s what to know about the Student Success Act, also known as Senate bill 736:
SB 736 – The Student Success Act Outlines How Florida Teachers Get Paid
The first bill Gov. Rick Scott signed into law, SB 736 rewrote how teachers are paid and retained across the state. The Florida Education Association has filed a lawsuit challenging the law, arguing the law unconstitutionally strips teachers or their ability to negotiate pay. The bill makes a number of sweeping, statewide changes including: Rating […]
Is Pinellas Superintendent on Her Way Out?
Pinellas County school board members are trying to move up a hearing on Superintendent Julie Janssen’s future with the district, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Board members declined to say whether they would support Janssen staying on at the proposed Aug. 23rd meeting. “‘We need to have, I don’t want to say closure, but […]
Merit Pay Could Mean Big Rewards for Florida Teachers
The best Miami-Dade teachers could buy a new car with their bonuses this year while most of their colleagues may only be able to replace an alternator with their bonuses. The difference in the size of those checks is an attempt to pay teachers based on their performance and that of their students, also known […]
Jeb Bush Offers a Solution in No Child Left Behind Dispute: Look at Florida
Congress needs to reauthorize federal No Child Left Behind education standards, but President Barack Obama is growing tired of waiting. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said a month ago that the agency planned to issue waivers to exempt some states from NCLB requirements as many states claim a high percentage of their schools will fail […]
No Papers, No Scholarship: Undocumented Students Could Lose Out
Florida students unable to document citizenship for themselves or their parents may lose their Bright Futures college scholarships because of a new paperwork requirement. Due to a change in the law, students who qualify for the lottery-funded merit scholarship must now fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Most students complete […]
Will Florida Cheat Too?
Florida is tempting cheating by basing teacher salaries on the results of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, Fred Grimm opines in the Miami Herald today. Lawmakers required school districts create pay-for-performance systems where at least half a teacher’s evaluation is determined by an FCAT score. That sets Florida up for the same type of systematic […]
Can Schools Depend on Teacher Evaluations?
Amanda Moreno at The Huffington Post attempts to peel apart the arguments used by the education reform advocates against those who oppose high-stakes student testing, performance pay and other measures states are adopting across the country. Moreno’s piece is sure to provoke an argument, but one section seems worthy of discussion. Moreno notes that a […]
New FCAT Writing Grades Target “Coached” Essays
The state is stepping up its standards on the written portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test to prepare for coming tougher national standards and to weed out essays that seem coached for better scores, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Finally, the department doesn’t want to see evidence that students have memorized phrases to use […]
Was Bill Gates’ $5 Billion Worth It?
That’s the question the Wall Street Journal asks in their weekend interview with the Microsoft founder and education philanthropist. Gates admits a $100 million program to create smaller high schools did not work as well as hoped: “But the overall impact of the intervention, particularly the measure we care most about—whether you go to college—it […]