Angry Fla teachers line up to testify against bill tying teacher pay to student test scores

[Bluebear]

"What if I have kids whose parents are arrested for drugs in the morning before the kids come to school? How can I be fairly evaluated against other teachers?"


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- They arrived early, found strength in numbers but shared a sense of futility, their legislative battle almost assuredly lost even before they awakened Monday.

But hundreds of Florida teachers gathered in the halls of the state Capitol anyway, lining up to testify before a House committee against a bill they believe could damage Florida's educational system and ruin many of their careers - a bill that links teacher pay increases to student test scores and ends tenure for new teachers.

They carried signs and wore buttons: "Legislators Need to Do Their Homework" and "I teach, I vote." ...

Top Republican legislators, many business leaders and other proponents of the bills say teachers should be compensated and retained based largely on student performance, as measured by standardized tests. They say the time has come to make a radical change in the way teachers are evaluated and compensated.

"Our superintendent told us before we came that this was a done deal, but we have to try," said Diane Price, a teacher from Wakulla County. "We care so much about our students, we can't just sit back. We have to try."

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/05/1564570/angry-fla-teachers-line-up-to.html#ixzz0kHy7keaZ

[LiberalFighter]

1. Instead of tying the scores to the teachers it should be to the administrators.

They are the ones that provide or don't provide the tools for the teachers. They are the ones that decide what gets cut or doesn't.

[An_Opened_Hand]

5. Should tie them to to administrators and the politicians' pay.

What it should come down to is bonuses for the whole school if the kids improve from one year to the next. No penalties, in education, negative reenforcement never really works. This is really all to replace the schools with private companies. If the parents don't like the level of input they have now, just wait till they have to go up against someone like Microsoft teaching their kids. Will find that they signed away all their rights to the kids when they didn't read the ULA doc on the door of the school before letting their kid go inside.

[SocialistLez]

2. I'm glad they stood up for themselves

I hope one day we're going to look back one day and say, "WTF what were thinking? Tying teacher pay and/or evaluations to student test scores?!"

Of course I hate we're even considering this stupid policy in the first place.

Address poverty
Expand access to public libraries
Close the "digital divide"
Feed kids a more nutritious lunch
Put arts back in schools
Put P.E. back in schools

[Tansy_Gold]

3. +1000 Everything you said

Twice



TG

[Bluebear]

12. +++

[Tumbulu]

4. This is is tragic, dominator culture run amuck

and the endless focus on test scores. When will people stop picking on teachers ?

[bluestateguy]

6. If I was a teacher under this bill, then I would teach to the test

and structure the whole curriculum around that one test. After all, this is my pocketbook we are talking about here.

I would have no innovation and no creativity at all in the classroom, only regurgitation and memorization for the Big Test.

[NJCher]

10. that's what I'd do, too

Until I found another job.


Cher

[Dappleganger]

11. Many of them do this anyway.

There are tons of other 'incentives' to get the FCAT scores they want, so teaching to the test is hardly new. Most of them hate it but admins don't give them a lot of choice.

Only the most experienced and gifted teachers have figured out a way to mix FCAT content AND great teaching, and even that is pushing it. They are under so much stress to get it all done and please everyone it's a miracle they don't go insane!

[lib2DaBone]

7. Student test scores should regulate school board members salaries...

Good for the Teachers! Fight the bastards. There are hundreds of these "empty suits" roaming the halls at $200K per year.. while teachers have to buy their own pencils and chalk..

Republicans raised taxes $2.2 Billion while unemployment was the highest in the country.

I just read today where the Florida Legislature voted itself a 4% pay raise in the new budget.. if this isn't enough to piss off Florida voters.. I don't know what is.

[Dappleganger]

9. Did they now?

Humph.

FL politics SUCKS.

[Dappleganger]

8. Doesn't matter, this was railroaded through w/no regard for anyone

but their own damn egos.

Our only hope for now is that the governor will veto it (doubtful).

Our state has just begun the descent into another layer of republican hell.

[Grand Taurean]

13. From experience, the bastards of the education system

reside in the administrative offices. Where is the accountability for them?

[quaker bill]

14. Just more evidence

that there is no elected position sufficiently low and inconsequential to be trusted to a republican. None.