For an extra credit assignment for my social work class we had to pick a topic and write a "letter to the editor" about it. Here is mine, the topic is FL SB 6. More information on the bill is here (you can also google FL SB 6 for tons of info).
Florida Senate Bill 6 has proven itself an emotional bill that brings out strong feelings, both for and against its passage. The bill would tie teacher pay to student performance. All over the state teachers have been protesting its passage and asking it be thrown out. The bill would require at least half of a teacher's salary to be tied to their students performance on the FCAT, AP testing, or some other form of testing (as yet to be determined).
The bill, as it is now, is almost impossible to understand. It establishes categories of teachers as "unsatisfactory," "needs improvement," "effective," and "highly effective" based on student "learning gains" without any explanation of what any of those words mean. They say that part will be decided later by the State Board of Education. It also says teachers could get additional pay for teaching in "high priority locations" or "critical teacher shortage areas" without explaining what either of those things mean. They say that part will be decided later by the State Board of Education, too. There is also no explanation of how exactly those "learning gains" will be determined. Are all students in the same age group competing against each other? Will special needs and gifted students be judged differently?
Another major issue with this bill is that it shys away from rewarding teachers with advanced degrees. Currently, in the state of Florida to teach you must have a bachelor's degree (in any subject) and pass a proficiency test in the subject you are teaching. You do not need a degree in education or the subject you are teaching. Why would any teacher both to further their education if there was no reward for doing so? This bill would also get rid of bonuses currently awarded to teachers for a National Board certification.
For some reason, politicians in Tallahassee seem to think pushing teachers even more towards "teaching to the test" is going to bring success. It's not. I was in 4th grade when FCAT began. By the time I was a junior in high school I'd passed every part of the test that needed passing. I could write a fantastic five paragraph essay. I was consistently scoring in the highest percentiles (sometimes better than 97% of students taking the test). I became a great guesser on multiple choice question (I must admit, that one still helps me out today). My junior year I was placed in Advanced Placement English (my highest test grades were always on the writing and reading sections of the test). When I walked into Mr. Shannon's class I learned one thing, I could not write an actual, high school or college level essay. Seven years after I had started taking FCAT tests, I was sitting in a classroom learning to write an essay. Luckily I had a great teacher at a great school (one of the best schools in one of the best counties in the state). I still don't feel that I write at the level I should but that is another story. What about the students who going to schools that are overcrowded and don't have teachers who can take the time to reteach high school juniors and seniors? What about students who don't take AP classes (and that is most students)? They get to college and have no idea what to do.
Last year, Florida ranked number 41 in per student spending. Maybe if we worked on increasing spending on education the legislators in Tallahassee wouldn't have to resort to such ridiculous ideas.
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