Chronicle Updates on Best & Brights and speaks to its architect’s Aide
Fresen’s Aide says teachers don’t deserve extra time for deadline
Chronicle reporter, Andrew Caplan writes an excellent update on the flawed “Best & Brightest” bonus program.
Here is what the architect of the bonus Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, Aide said of the teachers not being able to make the legislature’s unrealistic deadlines, “What would teachers do if one of their students missed a deadline?”
This would mean that potentially the State Legislature would spend $44 million taxpayer dollars a year to give teachers up to $10,000 in bonus wages—but only if they had SAT or ACT test scores in the 80th percentile. The Florida Senate is also going to be taking up this issue and they have a little different approach. They still want to tie the bonus to SAT and ACT scores but they want to lower the scores required down to the 60th percentile in hopes of giving more teachers and opportunity of receiving the bonus.
Here is a thought—if the Legislature wants to reward those teaching (and I greatly welcome that thinking) why not provide those funds proportionately to each district to distribute as they see fit locally. Why is the Legislature micromanaging our local communities? Why are those that are often critical of the Federal Government’s overreaching tactics are doing the same thing to local school districts?
If this is about trying to help with the national and state wide teaching shortage we are entering then there are far better methods to encouraging and incentifying people to become teachers. For example increase teacher college tuition grants which are then tied to minimum number of years of service in a public school. This would both benefit the individual teacher and our schools and communities.
$44 million tax dollars last State budget cycle were set aside to give teacher bonuses due to test scores many of them took as juniors and seniors in high school. Further the Legislature ignored again the concerns of this program expressed by parents, teachers, administrators, superintendents, school board members, and community leaders. We must ask again—when it comes to public educational policies and funding who does the Legislature listen too?
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Filed under: News & Updates
Last Tuesday, November 10th, 2015 was our regular meeting of the Citrus County School Board. Nothing about the day was regular.
That morning Lecanto High School had a tragic event happen. A young man attempted to take his life by shooting himself in a classroom. Thank God no one other than the shooter was physically injured. The Sherriff’s department is still investigating the event and has asked for patience with the investigation. (Read Chronicle article, “Sheriff urges patience with shooting investigation” for more details.)
We have heard about the many staff, students, administrators, student services, first responders, deputies and Sherriff staff that contributed to caring for our students that day at LHS. We thank each of them for all they did to keep our students and staff safe.
This day was my last meeting in Chairman’s term and it was also my rotation for having opening exercises. I asked Anna Lane, Senior at Crystal River High School, Health Academy, Nursing Program, to play our National Anthem on the violin. Miss Lane was accompanied by her father, Rev. Stephen Lane of the Faith Lutheran Church in Hernando who also offered a special prayer due to the events of the day.
Last in the meeting School Board Member Linda Powers was elected the district’s new chairwoman and School Board Member Ginger Bryant was elected vice chairwoman.
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Filed under: News & Updates
Chronicle on HJR 539: ‘Politics has no place in schools’
Thank you Chronicle for understanding why this proposed bill (HJR 529-http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2016/0539) is not good for students, schools, our communities and tax payers.
Read their editorial by visiting this link; goo.gl/GjQgNs
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Filed under: News & Updates
“It seems like common sense goes out the window when Legislators think they have a better idea…”
In Sunday’s Citrus County Chronicle there is an excellent column by retired four term Citrus County School Board member Pat Deutschman entitled, ‘Stupid ideas from legislators‘. I greatly encourage you to read this column.
In the column Ms. Detschman shares, “Billions of tax payers dollars have been wasted re-creating a new wheel only to be discarded in place of yet another wheel — all with potential flat tires that were ignored in their design. We need legislators who represent the public not the political agenda.”
Thank you Ms. Detschman for continuingly looking out for our kids and schools!
Chronicle: One more garbage conflict resolved
