The Florida Council of 100 expressed support for Governor Rick Scott's proposal to raise teacher pay by $2,500. Having a quality teacher in every classroom is key to student learning, said Marshall Criser III, Chair of the Council of 100. The Governors proposal to reward educators for exemplary performance of vital duties such as teaching Common Core standards, fostering increased accountability, and helping close achievement gaps is a significant step for our entire K-12 system. The Council of 100 strongly encourages the Legislature to implement this concept as part of a comprehensive package of such policies aimed at increasing student performance, according to Criser.
In 2010, the Florida Council of 100 published Closing the Talent Gap: A Business Perspective, which established ten principles for evaluating education-related policies and programs, including setting high expectations, rewarding performance, and emphasizing data-driven decision-making. Based on these concepts, the Council of 100 concluded that Florida should do all it can to prepare, attract, and retain high-quality teachers, according to Steven Birnholz, spokesperson for the Florida Council of 100.
"According to Closing the Talent Gap, research shows that the most effective teachers produce student gains almost four times greater than the least effective teachers and that a good teacher can move a student up at least four percentiles within one year," stated Phil Handy, Chair of the Council of 100s PreK-14 Education Committee. "That is certainly something that should be rewarded, and the Governors initiative to raise teachers compensation, based on performance, is a good place to start."
Another principle in Closing the Talent Gap, cost-effectiveness, emphasizes return-on-investment and asserts that resources must be allocated where they have the biggest impact. "The Florida Council of 100 strongly believes that continued enhancement and development of Floridas talent is the leading determinant of the states ability to build a vibrant and innovative economy, said Susan Pareigis, President & CEO of the Council of 100. "The first and last education dollar spent should be based on a clear and articulated strategy to align our educational programs with the future of our children, and rewarding teachers for their hard work, dedication, and superior results is an unequivocal move in the right direction," said Pareigis.
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