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Governor's Budget: Education for children or Tax Breaks for Corporations

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Merit Pay -- But, where's the Money?

Merit pay questions: Florida lawmakers are getting ready to approve a merit pay plan for teachers. But there's one glitch in the plan: How to pay for it. - OrlandoSentinel.com
State Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, the sponsor of the House version of the bill, said the measure isn't telling school districts when they have to give raises. The evaluation and salary schedule must be in place, but raises are subject to available funds.

"We're not saying how much," Fresen said during House debate on the proposal Tuesday. "We're not even saying when."

The Florida Education Association, the statewide teachers union, calls the plan an "unfunded mandate." The union estimates the plan would cost more than $1 billion to implement, based on a previous legislative analysis on the cost of end-of-course exams.

The union signed on to the merit pay plan that's included in the state's the Race to the Top federal grant program. But the bill being sent to Gov. Rick Scott is more far-reaching, ending long-term job protection for new teachers, for example.
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It's pretty obvious this is not about improving schools or teachers -- I bet if one digs into the bill, there is a funding source for the company that is going to be designing the tests that have to be produced to test those subjects not covered by the FCAT...and if one dug even further, it would be interesting to see who owns that company or companies.
 
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it's one gigantic teabag fart in the wind designed to eviscerate those perceived as democratic, non-anglo, union, or anti evangelical. there is no check on the legislature or the governor, but the florida supreme court, and the repubs are trying to alter that as well
 
Bob said:
it's one gigantic teabag fart in the wind designed to eviscerate those perceived as democratic, non-anglo, union, or anti evangelical. there is no check on the legislature or the governor, but the florida supreme court, and the repubs are trying to alter that as well
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:lolabove:

http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/0736/BillText/c2/HTML

I don't see the part about "eviscerating" the "democratic, non-anglo, union, and anti evangelical" crowd in the bill. Maybe you could do me a favor and point that part out. :roll:
 
I continue to be amazed at the shortsightedness in the governor's education budget.

Critics feel Gov. Scott's education budget could harm Florida's economy | HeraldTribune.com
Sen. Thad Altman, R-Rockledge, noted that Scott's recent state of the state speech was all about jobs, but his higher education budget eliminates $1.5 million in funding for the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition in Pensacola and $10.9 million for the Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa. Both bring highly-educated workers and potential spin-off companies to the state.

"Please take that message back" to the governor, Altman told Scott's education policy coordinator, Scott Kittle, during a recent exchange.

"These are public institutions that provide great benefit for all the people of Florida, have been scrubbed and reviewed over time, and you look at the support across the Legislature it's all the way across from Pensacola to Key West."
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"He's not an education-oriented governor," said Kirby Kemper, vice president for research at FSU. "I don't know that he and his staff see the correlation between education and jobs."
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Jerry Brown uses YouTube to try to get a vote for tax extensions on the ballot in California so as not to have to double up on cuts to education, welfare, etc....:scratch:

When campaigning, he promised to "check in with voters on the most important decisions." It will be interesting to follow how this works out.

The YouTube video is Brown's attempt to put some constituent heat on the obstructionists. "We've been kicking the can down the road," he says, explaining his choice to balance the budget. "You've been treated with evasions, and gimmicks?smoke and mirrors... There's been a tendency to avoid reality, and you can't do that forever." Recalling his campaign promise to check in with voters on the most important decisions, Brown continues, "This is a matter that is too big, too irreversible to leave just to those you have elected... So let me know, let your legislators know, would you like the chance to cast this vote, or would you feel it's appropriate to shut out the people of California?"

He adds: "I don't see this as a Republican vs. Democratic issue."

WATCH: Jerry Brown Takes Budget War to YouTube | Mother Jones


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