The title is a little misleading as Florida teachers are not allowed to strike, yet somehow they have decided to have a...Cough...Sick day on the same day. Teachers throught Miami Dade County Public Schools are Missing in Action from at least 5 confirmed schools,reports of more schools are still unconfirmed.
Teachers are taking this unprecedented step to thwart the Republican plan to destroy education with Florida SB6 and HB 7189,both bills have passed Republican controlled houses, and now goes to the Governor.
What this bill does:
•It requires a 5% "hold back" in funding for schools that goes into effect immediately. This "hold back" for the next three years will be used to develop hundreds of new tests and then used to pay the $900 million "performance fund" in 2014.
•A 5% hold back in some districts means a 9% reduction in available salary dollars.
•Florida already has a differentiated pay system that pays teachers in challenged schools more. Florida statute already requires that performance data be part of every teacher’s evaluation.
•This plan does not only punish "bad teachers", but ALL of Florida’s teachers will be assigned, compensated, certified and terminated based on test scores.
•HB 7189 says that ALL teachers could lose their professional license if their students don’t test well based on a learning gains model that hasn’t been validated, piloted or created.
The bill threatens to push experienced teachers out of the classroom and place students in classrooms with teachers of little experience.
The only hope is that Governor Charlie Crist can be persuaded to not sign this bill, and Veto it.
Hopefully Teachers throught the state will be able to convince the Governor with similar actions.