How do parents & teachers feel about this bill?

[LisaR]

The Florida Senate just passed Senate Bill 6 in a 21-17 vote.

The controversial bill, which would tie teacher pay to student performance and penalize school districts who failed to adopt pay based on that with mandatory millage rate increases, was passed at 11:20 p.m. Eastern time.

It still has to make it through the house but it is stirring quite the controversy here in FL today. Curious how Dis'ers feel.

 

[harleyquinn]

I think thank goodness I don't live in Florida. But I'm very curious to see how it plays out.

 

[SpecialK]

It ignores the fact that parental involvement is the biggest indicator of student success. If education isn't stressed and valued at home, it's rare that a student will be enough of a self-starter to succeed.

It also ignores the fact that a lot of kids are coming to school hungry and tired. Teachers can only do so much. We'd be better off addressing hunger and poverty if we want to effect student success.

 

[Pixiedust34]

 

[golfgal]

It ignores the fact that parental involvement is the biggest indicator of student success. If education isn't stressed and valued at home, it's rare that a student will be enough of a self-starter to succeed.

It also ignores the fact that a lot of kids are coming to school hungry and tired. Teachers can only do so much. We'd be better off addressing hunger and poverty if we want to affect student success.

 

[harleyquinn]

It ignores the fact that parental involvement is the biggest indicator of student success. If education isn't stressed and valued at home, it's rare that a student will be enough of a self-starter to succeed.

It also ignores the fact that a lot of kids are coming to school hungry and tired. Teachers can only do so much. We'd be better off addressing hunger and poverty if we want to affect student success.

Yep yep.

I think it will further destroy urban and low income districts. All the good teachers will move to the "good" districts where kids have better home lives. Or more teachers will move into other careers.

 

[OceanAnnie]

It ignores the fact that parental involvement is the biggest indicator of student success. If education isn't stressed and valued at home, it's rare that a student will be enough of a self-starter to succeed.

It also ignores the fact that a lot of kids are coming to school hungry and tired. Teachers can only do so much. We'd be better off addressing hunger and poverty if we want to affect student success.

I agree. There are too many variables outside the teacher's control to enforce such a thing. That bill is holds no clear cut measure by any means.

 

[Rora]

As a Florida teacher, I am NOT happy. I don't think I've spoke to a single teacher who thinks this is a good idea...

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'd have to read through the whole bill, but it seems short sited to me if it assumes that the only indicator of student performance is teacher performance.

 

[castleview]

Here's the problem:

The best teachers are given the worst behaved kids because they are "good with them." The kid might not learn, but the teacher can keep him from misbehaving and dominating the class.

Also, can you say corruption, grade changing, dumbing down tests?

 

[OceanAnnie]

It sounds like a big knotted mess.

 

[daughtersrus]

The Florida Senate just passed Senate Bill 6 in a 21-17 vote.

The controversial bill, which would tie teacher pay to student performance and penalize school districts who failed to adopt pay based on that with mandatory millage rate increases, was passed at 11:20 p.m. Eastern time.

It still has to make it through the house but it is stirring quite the controversy here in FL today. Curious how Dis'ers feel.

I think that it's a horrible idea.

No matter how hard my DD's teachers try to teach her, there is no way that she will ever be close to be on target.

What is going to happen to teachers that are in self-contained special ed classes? Are they going to "dummy down" the child's IEP goals so that they don't have to worry about not getting their raise?

 

[wdwfan16]

It ignores the fact that parental involvement is the biggest indicator of student success. If education isn't stressed and valued at home, it's rare that a student will be enough of a self-starter to succeed.

It also ignores the fact that a lot of kids are coming to school hungry and tired. Teachers can only do so much. We'd be better off addressing hunger and poverty if we want to affect student success.

If this is all true the kids will fail no matter how much or little money they get.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

As long as it is based on how the students perform against expectations based on those students prior performance, I'm all for merit based teacher pay. Obviously, you can't compare a teacher with a bunch of bright, motivated kids from good home environments to a teach with a bunch of illiterate kids with no parental support. You can, however, compare how a teacher's students performed relative to how they were performing before they entered that teacher's classroom.

If you do that, it should help attract and retain better teachers. They'll make more money than they do in a simple seniority pay system. Every private company I've ever worked for pays based on market value and rewards its better performers. They also fire their underperformers. The practice works well for them. I don't see why it wouldn't work for schools.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Just when I thought that NCLB was the worst educational idea conceived, they come up with this. I hope this doesn't trickle on up to Georgia.

 

[punkin]

Also, can you say corruption, grade changing, dumbing down tests?

Yup!
I do not live in Florida and I am not a teacher, but I think this is the stupidest idea. Already much of "education" is nothing but test prep. Can you imagine what would happen if money was involved? I shudder to think.

 

[Brit17]

The Florida Senate just passed Senate Bill 6 in a 21-17 vote.

The controversial bill, which would tie teacher pay to student performance and penalize school districts who failed to adopt pay based on that with mandatory millage rate increases, was passed at 11:20 p.m. Eastern time.

It still has to make it through the house but it is stirring quite the controversy here in FL today. Curious how Dis'ers feel.

I bet this has something to do with the US Department of Education's "Race To The Top Fund":

http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2010/03/03042010.html

In NJ, the NJEA is not supporting it ...

http://www.njea.org/page.aspx?a=4417&z=1&pz=

 

[wdwfan16]

As long as it is based on how the students perform against expectations based on those students prior performance, I'm all for merit based teacher pay. Obviously, you can't compare a teacher with a bunch of bright, motivated kids from good home environments to a teach with a bunch of illiterate kids with no parental support. You can, however, compare how a teacher's students performed relative to how they were performing before they entered that teacher's classroom.

If you do that, it should help attract and retain better teachers. They'll make more money than they do in a simple seniority pay system. Every private company I've ever worked for pays based on market value and rewards its better performers. They also fire their underperformers. The practice works well for them. I don't see why it wouldn't work for schools.

The union will never allow this.

 

[krcit]

Yup!
I do not live in Florida and I am not a teacher, but I think this is the stupidest idea. Already much of "education" is nothing but test prep. Can you imagine what would happen if money was involved? I shudder to think.

I agree.

 

[okeydokey]

I live in FL and I think it's a terrible idea. Doesn't surprise me with our current legislative body though. They think the FCAT will fix everything.