This email about actions intended to break some the powerful hold that unions have over the public school system the so long, was forwarded to me by Dr. Jerry Becker. Pending legislation in Florida will be like a breath of fresh air if this bill passes. The Governor says he will sign the bill.
From a JS article, on 12/05/05, titled "Study: Tenure means job security - Illinois teachers rarely fired." Stating that "out of 95,000 tenured teachers employed in the state, only 7% of the states 876 school SYSTEMS have attempted to fire a tenured teacher since the mid-1980's. Many larger school districts like Peoria #150 had not fired a tenured teacher in 18 years, the study showed. The unions say so few are fired because there is no need to fire them."
"Only 2 teachers per year out of this 95,000 are fired for poor performance. Another 5per year are fired for misconduct." Tenure means more than job protection; it means that teachers are promoted over the Peter Principle or beyond their ability. Also, usually, newer, younger or better teachers are laid off while older teachers continue to safely hold their tenured positions and promoted over the more qualified.
I support the private sector that usually does not promote on tenure and does fire workers, I also believe that more than test scores should enter into the teacher evaluation equation.
By all means, the public school system needs re-arranged from the board, to the kids and parents and the community. Breaking the lawmakers and the union hold on tenure would be just a strong beginning.
Merle Widmer
"Florida Senate kills teacher tenure employment and pay system; raises tied to student success on tests."
By Josh Hafenbrack
TALLAHASSEE - In a major shift, the salaries of Florida's 167,000 teachers could soon be tied to student test scores, rather than seniority and education level.
The state Senate on Wednesday approved a controversial bill by a 21-17 vote to dismantle teacher tenure, a decades-old system in which educators' pay is based on years of experience and whether they earn upper-level degrees.
New teachers hired after July 1 would work on one-year contracts and face dismissal if their students did not show learning gains on end-of-year exams for two years in any five-year period. For them, job security would be based soley on two factors: standardized scores and job reviews by principals. Existing teachers would have future pay raises tied to student scores and reviews but would keep their current job security.
"It takes a sledgehammer to the teaching profession," Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, said Wednesday.
Bill sponsor Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, said the bill means teachers who earn high marks will get higher salaries and it "will help put a good teacher in every single classroom."
Despite President Obama pushing merit pay on the federal level, Florida Senate Democrats were unified against the proposal -- and joined by four Republicans in opposition. Still, Republicans, who have a 26-14 majority in the state Senate, had a comfortable margin to push the bill through, which now must be considered by the Republican-controlled House.
Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, indicated he likely would sign the bill into law if it passes the Legislature, as expected.
"Generally, I support that," he said Tuesday. "That's how it is for most of us -- you do well, you keep your job. It seems to me that wouldn't be a bad idea in the area of education, too."
Kevin McDonald, an English teacher at Royal Palm Beach High School, said the proposal has been a topic of conversation and angst at his school.
"Let me ask you: With all the accountability measures being heaped on teachers, what about the parents?" said McDonald, 38, a teacher for eight years. "The best teacher in the world will not see terrific gains if there's hell going on at home."
Based on student test scores and principal reviews, teachers would be ranked in four categories: unsatisfactory, needs improvement, effective and very effective. Beginning in 2014, new teachers hired after this July would have to score "effective" or "highly effective" for four of five years to keep their jobs. Current teachers would need high student scores to get pay raises.
Teachers unions are up in arms about the proposal. Robert Dow, president of the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association, called the new pay plan "draconian and devastating to public education in Florida." The union, he said, has been urging members to tell legislators the bill is "wildly misdirected, cowardly, punitive and vengeful."
Republicans appear unbowed. Thrasher, who doubles as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said the overhaul is about devising a system that eliminates bad teachers and pays good ones.
"Tenure rewards ineffective people. That's the bottom line," Thrasher said. "We have no way of rewarding good people today and that's what our bill goes to."
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Staff Writer Marc Freeman contributed to this story.
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Josh Hafenbrack can be reached at jhafenbrack@SunSentinel.com or 850-224-6214.
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Jerry P. Becker
Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction
Southern Illinois University
625 Wham Drive
Mail Code 4610
Carbondale, IL 62901-4610
Phone: (618) 453-4241 [O]
(618) 457-8903 [H]
Fax: (618) 453-4244
E-mail: jbecker@siu.edu
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