BREAKING NEWS: Governor Vetoes Teacher Merit Pay Bill

April 15, 2010

Calling it “significantly flawed,” but saying he believes in the goal, Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed a highly controversial teacher merit pay bill on Thursday.

The measure was a top priority of many of his fellow Republicans in the Legislature. “This bill has deeply and negatively affected the morale of our teachers, parents and students,” Crist said. “They do not believe their voices were heard.”

Crist said he knew that his critics would say the move was politically motivated, and Crist denied that. “This thing was rushed through,” Crist said. “It has everything to do with the children of Florida.”

The legislation would link teacher salary increases to student performance on standardized exams, essentially abolishing any form of tenure. Representatives of the teachers’ union, the superintendents association and the school board association have all said they agree with the measure in concept, but its implementation could create major problems for districts around the state and cause major divisiveness between administrators and educators.

Opponents of the legislation have said repeatedly that external factors affecting students, such as socioeconomics or a bad family situation, could have major impacts on a child’s ability to perform and could hurt a teacher’s ability to earn a higher salary over time.

The News Service Florida contributed to this report.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Archive