Governor Charlie Crist earlier on Thursday, rejected the “Teacher Merit Pay” bill (SB 6) which would have linked teachers’ pay to students’ test performance, as opposed to tenure on the job.
In rejecting the bill, Crist heeded the call from thousands of teachers and parents across the state who opposed the bill on the grounds that tests cannot measure their performance in the classroom.
Proponents of the bill, including Florida’s business community, argued that it was path-breaking and would serve to lift teaching standards in the state, as well as help retain qualified teachers.
The bill, which had very little public input, was rammed through both the Republican-controlled House and Senate in Tallahassee.
In rejecting the bill, Gov. Crist said it would have been an infringement on local governments, affecting school boards without their collaboration. He added that SB 6 did not give enough consideration to teachers of special needs children. He criticized the bill’s termination of multi-year contracts for teachers and the setting of “arbitrary and not well-defined standards.”
Gov. Crist criticized his own Republican colleagues saying that, “the process by which it was passed, without input from parents, teachers, school boards,” and without allowing House amendments after the Senate version passed.
The bill, seen as controversial, had generated more public reaction than any other single piece of legislation over the past few years.
