Florida just sold its soul to get Arne's money.

[madfloridian]

And they will probably get some of it next round since they came in near the top this time.

What you have to do for Arne's money

And what pray tell are the criteria?"

Part of the stimulus money, he told Sam Dillon of The New York Times, will be used so that states can develop data systems, which will enable them to tie individual student test scores to individual teachers, greasing the way for merit pay. Another part of the stimulus plan will support charters and entrepreneurs."

Florida just passed a bill that will not allow graduate degrees or experience to count when paying a teacher. Only a student's test scores count.

Tenure is basically gone.

Do you think they will get Arne's money now?

Probably.

[Kalyke]

1. Tennessee got Arne's money and didn't have to do all that!

:wow:

Fifty percent of teacher's pay is tied to student test scores, here, but they still get merit pay.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_education_edblog/2010/04/tennessees-teachers-union-on-race-to-the-top-buy-in-and-worry.html


Why did Florida feel they had to go this far?

[madfloridian]

2. So how do you feel about experience and education not counting?

[FLyellowdog]

4. Stupid idea.

The more experience one has, the greater the probability of expertise. We choose doctors, lawyers, and Indian Chiefs (oops, got carried away there... didn't mean to include the last one) based on their experience...take surgeons,for example. We want the one who has done more surgeries as opposed to one who has done only a few.

Classroom management in particular is extremely tied to years of experience and classroom management dictates whether learning is taking place or not.

This is a sad day for FL. There are other ways to improve its educational system. The Republicans got it wrong...led by Jeb Bush who will benefit directly from the development of student tests. Yep, a really sad day. You betcha.

[whattheidonot]

18. what has worked.

what has worked is getting kids into school and keeping them there many hours a day. The emphasis is on studying and learning and not testing. these kids have gone to further education. we are going to have students who no nothing except a test. what a bunch of great thinkers they will be. Learning to learn takes time.

[Kalyke]

22. It does count here, though.

It's not as big of a push-through as Florida apparently just did.

[FLyellowdog]

3. It's Florida. Duh.

They're all idiots down here, disguised as Republicans.:hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. Tying teacher pay to student test scores IS merit pay

[madfloridian]

5. More states will follow suit.

Unfortunately.

[Egnever]

6. Where does it say that teachers pay has to be untied from their education levels?

Our schools are failing something needs to be done, pretending that the more egregious parts of this bill your state just passed are part of Arnes criteria doesn't seem to be very honest. Or can you link to the part of the criteria that says that Teachers salaries should no longer have any basis in their level of education?

Seems to me that from your journal entry you linked to the only thing that is part of the criteria is a link to merit pay based on testing. Merit pay would be anything over and above a base salary would it not?

[madfloridian]

7. ....

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/5954

[Egnever]

13. Again nothing in there that ties "arnes" money to basing teachers pay solely on testing results

But you know that dont you?

[madfloridian]

14. It's ok.

I am under fire today. Getting a tough hide.

Perhaps you never saw the words tenure and experience I mentioned.

[tonysam]

16. It's more contortion acts by people who think Obama can do no wrong.

It doesn't dawn on them it is a so-called DEMOCRAT who is pushing for the abolition of public education.

Who needs Republicans with "Democrats" like these?

[Nite Owl]

21. Can you imagine the reaction

if $ush tried something like this? Hell would break out. The policy isn't any more correct if a Dem does it. It's so obvious that some have been 'briefed'.

[ChiciB1]

26. And Yes, It Is Called Flori-DUH! I'm All But Speechless, But I KNOW More

is coming! Just saying the name RUBIO makes me sick!! And I'm stuck here basically!

Sure, go ahead and tell me to leave, but hey... it AIN'T that easy! My husband is a native, almost all of our family lives here and uprooting right now is financially impossible!!

[donco6]

19. The talking points must have come out.

All the BOGgers are coming out of their hidey-hole today.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. RTTT requires states to tie teacher pay to student performance

[dana_b]

8. oh my

"We should be able to look every second grader in the eye and say, 'You're on track, you're going to be able to go to a good college, or you're not...Right now, in too many states, quite frankly, we lie to children. We lie to them and we lie to their families."

f*** you Arne. If you think that's the best use of our money - f*** you. Second grade? Really? disgusting.

[lame54]

9. Maybe teachers should get commission...

They can get a certain % of whatever lucrative career a student eventually gets

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. K&R as usual for your posts. Thanks.

[madfloridian]

11. More about the bill that will make Florida a wasteland for teachers.

FL bill forbids teachers from earning salary based on advanced degrees or credentials.

[laughingliberal]

12. K & R nt

[tonysam]

15. Anybody who thinks of going into this field better go elsewhere.

My belief is that in 20 or 30 years ALL schools will be virtual distance schools being "taught" by technicians from India or China or whatever country has the cheapest labor (it could wind up being the U.S. at the rate things are going).

[whattheidonot]

17. waste of time

Without more equity in the economic system all of this is BS. This will perpetuate the split. without economic equity there will be a sparsity of students ready for this stuff. the lower classes will be become a burden beyond belief with short cuts like this. what is needed is childcare and parent training by blacks and other minorities. that cost too much so we have schemes like this. the Kids are not dumb. they see this stuff when they walk home . they see the jobs available stink.

[eppur_se_muova]

20. On the first read, I saw that as "support cheaters and entrepreneurs"

Hoo boy just imagine if that were really true!

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. Why go to grad school then?

I can tell you if I taught in Florida there is no way I would spend money on going to school. No way in hell.