We are close to a very destructive change in Florida’s education system — the plan of a handful of legislators in Tallahassee who have the power to make it a reality. They crafted a bill attacking the very idea of professionalism in education.
Republican bills SB 6 and HB 7189 take a hatchet to our education system. They limit salary increases to how well students have scored on standardized tests and punish teachers for getting advanced degrees in their specializations. It is the perfect strategy for dummying down the content of the curriculum while pretending “scores” show students are improving.
These bills also limit the academic freedom of teachers by abolishing tenure and creating economic incentives for school boards to fire experienced teachers in order to hire less experienced teachers who are willing to work for less. This will certainly drive even more teachers out of the state. The bills also impose new funding mechanisms that will force most colleges of education out of existence.
The legislation already passed the Senate and moves to a vote in the House tomorrow [April 7]. We must phone representatives now to vote against this bill which would severely damage our entire educational system and open the door to abolishing tenure for faculty next.
Contact House Speaker Larry Cretul and your House Representative.
Tell them to vote NO on HB 7189.
House Speaker Larry Cretul
Capitol Office 850-488-1450
District Office 352-873-6564
To find your representative, go to:
www.myfloridahouse.gov and click on “Find Your Representative”.
Sincerely,
Tom Auxter
President, United Faculty of Florida