On the morning of March 10, the Florida Senate passed Senate Bill 736.
The bill was fast tracked through the Senate and passed with less than two days of full Senate hearings.
This legislation will affect most public school teachers in the State of Florida. Gov. Rick Scott has promised to sign the bill into law when it appears on his desk.
It will tie 50 percent of public school teacher's salaries to standardized tests, eliminate tenure for teachers hired after 2014 and prohibit school districts from considering advanced degrees earned by school teachers when determining salary.
Lisa Rodriguez, a high school teacher in the Miami area said, "I don't think this legislation is fair or right. What about teachers who are working hard but their students don't do well on standardized tests?
Allison Wand agreed. "I have been teaching for many years and I have never seen anything like this legislation. It is just wrong."
Senator Stephen Wise who introduced Senate Bill 736 said he was former teacher who actually participated in a teacher strike. He has children who are now teachers and considers himself a supporter of teachers.
"I am for teachers getting paid as much as possible," said Wise. "I want to reward good teachers who are qualified and effective."
Wise said he believes good teachers should not fear one year contracts. "Right now the system rewards longevity. The teachers who have been in the system for 20 to 25 years make really big money but the teachers who are young don't get anything."
Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando was also pleased with the passing of the Student Success Act today in the Florida Senate:
“We all want what’s best for our children, and the passage of the Student Success Act in the Senate today points our state toward a new horizon for education.
“The education quality issue is near and dear to Senator Wise, a former educator himself, along with countless teachers impacting lives on a daily basis. He has led the shaping of this bill openly and respectfully and should be commended for his dedication to its success.
“The Student Success Act will help provide teachers with constructive recommendations for improvement and opportunities to grow professionally. In addition to the intrinsic rewards they receive from their classroom experience, this bill financially rewards teachers by giving measured student success a more prominent role in assessments.
“Teachers hold what is arguably the most important and impactful profession. Senate Bill 736 properly rewards teachers for their results, elevates the teaching profession and brings new standards for our state.”
Senate President Mike Haridopolos said the passage of Senate Bill 736, known as the Student Success Act will help students compete on the global playing field. It was sponsored by Senator Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville. He believes the bill will reward teachers who help students make learning gains by giving student success a more important role in the evaluation process.
“The Student Success Act helps Florida move to a higher standard,” said Haridopolos after the bill was passed. “Senator Wise has done an outstanding job of making this bill’s process one of collective input, resulting in what will be an effective policy for our state. As the Governor and lawmakers work on ways to improve the economy and attract people to Florida, the implementation of the Student Success Act will contribute to our competitiveness in attracting individuals to move to and stay in our state to raise families and build livelihoods.”
Florida has no shortage of hardworking,excellent teachers – the state ranks well nationally in terms of educational success. However, Florida’s current evaluation system for the teaching profession lacks financial incentives for measurable achievement, provisions for accountability and opportunities for growth. Senate Bill 736 revamps this system, requiring that a teacher’s or school administrator’s evaluation have a more objective component with student performance counting toward 50 percent of the evaluation. It also takes into account the many factors which contribute to student performance results, according to Haridopolos.
The Student Success Act creates a new, robust evaluation system for teachers, instructional personnel and school administrators; establishes new ways to reward teachers and administrators who help students learn; and modernizes Florida’s instructional workforce by ensuring that employment decisions are determined primarily on a teacher’s demonstrated effectiveness, according to Haridopolos.
“In order to reach the highest level of student success, we must provide every opportunity to attract and keep the highest quality teachers in front of our classrooms,” said Wise, a former educator.
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