Florida county exempt from education bill because of deal with Gates Foundation.

[madfloridian]

This is interesting to me because counties are going to be hit really hard by the requirement that they give 5% of their budget to pay for the new bill that will make up more tests to give so teachers can get merit pay.

This bill that will pass the House tomorrow will devastate teachers and schools. It will take money away from them. It will see to it that teachers are mostly judged by student performance, not by their education degrees or experience. It is drastic and punitive.

Turns out Hillsborough County is not going to be affected by the merit pay portion of the new bill because they have joined with Bill Gates and company. Guess it pays to have big money as your buddy.

It's a just a tiny sentence in an article today, but it sure did catch my eye.

Schools say pay reform bill will impoverish them

As a bill to overhaul Florida's teaching profession flies through the Legislature, local school leaders have focused their attention on the $900 million bottom line.

Financially, the timing couldn't be worse. Senate Bill 6 calls for school districts to set aside 5 percent of their total budgets to establish a teacher performance pay system.

..."The new mandate also comes after most districts have made historic reductions in school spending, sustaining round after round of cuts since the summer of 2007.

Here's that sentence tucked away.

Hillsborough County is exempt from SB 6 because of its multimillion-dollar initiative with the Gates Foundation to create its own performance pay model.

Want to hear more about Hillsborough County's deal with Gates? It's a beneficial one. It means they set up their own merit pay system with Bill Gates money.

I guess the other counties should have been paying closer attention. From August last year:

Florida county may receive 100 million from the Gates Foundation for merit pay for teachers.

Hillsborough close to winning $100 million Gates Foundation grant for merit pay and teacher effectiveness

Now the Hillsborough County school system stands on the verge of getting a $100 million boost from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to emulate that model. The district — already a finalist in the foundation's latest, $500 million effort to remake U.S. public education by improving teacher effectiveness — was asked this week to submit a contract to carry out its proposal.

Officials say districts in Memphis, Omaha, and Pittsburgh received similar requests, along with a group of Los Angeles charter schools.

"We really see this as groundbreaking work to be done in education," said superintendent MaryEllen Elia. "And we want to be the ones doing it."

Teachers can not control the variables.

As a retired teacher I remember that I never had a chance to fix all the variables that go into having a child score well.

I never got to have a say in the home life of children. Many had abusive parents, some were from homes of drug dealers. Some were less capable of learning than others, often not because of ability...but because it was so hard just getting up to face the day.

I never had a chance to choose my students. That was done by office secretaries who may or may not be influenced by their feelings about a teacher. It was further scrutinized by the assistant principal and principal, whose goal was not to balance the classrooms according to ability....but to make influential parents happy.

[msongs]

1. butt kissing complaining parents is the #1 priority of most schools nt

[madfloridian]

3. And it is vital to stay on the right side of the office secretaries...

I learned that the hard way one year. Two of us did not humor them enough sometimes. The other teacher came to my room one day and closed the door. She showed me a list of the class she had been given at the start of the summer. She had come to the school and checked out her files. She knew from talking to parents that she had a great class to begin with. Then she didn't. The secretaries had made some changes over the summer. Her class was very challenging. Nothing the parents said or did would get anything done.

She had made a copy of my list then as well. I had also been given a great class to begin with....I knew many parents requested it. But when they got through with the secretary shuffle....I had one of the worst classes I ever had.

Amazing how that happened. Luckily this merit stuff had not taken hold then, and I did get most of them testing pretty well on the FCAT.

[FLyellowdog]

2. Will current teachers be exempted?

Seems like they should be protected due to contracts they've already had. Is all tenure to be discarded as soon as the bill becomes law?

[madfloridian]

4. I have heard they might.

But this is the legislature that gave themselves a 4% raise when they thought they were giving themselves a 3% rate cut.

So one just never knows.

[Dappleganger]

7. They're a bunch of idiots.

If they'd just remove their heads from their asses it would really help the constipation.

I'm just completely flabbergasted and appalled with the entire affair.

[madfloridian]

13. I never have seen FL teachers so angry...and just plain scared.

They usually act like doormats and never speak out. But they have been pushed too far this time.

[madfloridian]

15. After more checking, I think current teachers will be exempt for now.

I say for now....because this moved so easily and quickly through the legislature that it caught most off guard.

I predict soon they will be after current teachers as well. Remember how they fired all the teachers at Central Falls in RI? They had contracts. This move was praised by the president.

I predict soon current teachers will be affected by this.

[madfloridian]

5. Wow Sherman Dorn speaks: "The sugar-daddy amendment to SB 6"

http://www.shermandorn.com/mt/archives/003197.html

"Among the amendments to Florida Senate Bill 6 filed today is a short amendment sponsored by John Thrasher (Jacksonville) and Victor Crist (Tampa) to address a concern I raised Saturday (and I assume others have also raised): As originally filed and then approved by state senate committees, Senate Bill 6 would essentially punish the Hillsborough (Tampa) school system for having won a Gates Foundation grant because the carving out a portion of teacher evaluation for trained observers would reduce the amount accounted for by student outcomes below the statutory minimum in the bill.

So along comes the bill with a possible solution to this individual problem: a school district can apply to the State Board of Education for an exemption if it's constructed in various ways that match Hillsborough's situation... including the first requirement: "Any school district that received a grant of at least $75 million from a private foundation for the purpose of improving the effectiveness of teachers within the school district may seek an annual exemption..."

In other words, only Hillsborough need apply. If you've got a sugar daddy, you're eligible for the exemption. If you don't, even if you're a school system willing to invest your own money in a similar system meeting all the other requirements, you can kiss any exemption goodbye."

[Dappleganger]

8. Typical Florida politics. nt

[madfloridian]

11. Yep.

:hi:

[Gaedel]

24. Common to congress and legislatures

When there is some push to get a bill together or when someone wants to give an individual/corporation/locality something in a bill, the other legislators (to keep a small leak from becoming a flood) write the exemption very carefully so that only the entity favored by the "squeaky wheel" gets the grease and no one else can qualify.

[madfloridian]

6. How the Gates plan works in Hillsborough County...

It's interesting that the county is getting money from Bill Gates to pay their teachers.

It would seem to me that it crosses an ethical or legal line somewhere. I know, I know...it's all okay if you are trying to get rid of teachers...anything goes.

But think about it. The Gates money is paying for merit pay for some teachers while teachers with tenure are being fired, hundreds of them. I wonder how much input that foundation gets into who gets fired, what tenured teachers need to go? Oh, wait, it doesn't matter, it's only teachers.

Doesn't anyone care about stuff like this anymore?

http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/tenured-or-not-hillsborough-targets-weak-teachers/1083411

"Tenured or not, Hillsborough targets weak teachers

TAMPA — Teacher tenure may be an endangered species in Florida after passage last week of a Senate bill that would tie job security to student performance on tests.

Only Hillsborough County gained a potential exemption, thanks to the $100 million teacher effectiveness grant it won from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Legislators said they want to let that seven-year reform effort run its course.

But struggling teachers may be no safer in Hillsborough than in other districts.

In their application last year for the Gates grant, Hillsborough officials told the foundation they expected to fire at least 5 percent of the district's 8,500 tenured teachers each year for low performance, once a new evaluation system is established. That would amount to around 425 tenured teachers dismissed or counseled out annually, nearly two for each school in the district."

[n.michigan]

20. Cronyism, money bribes, quid pro quos, hierarchy, brainwashing, intimidation, cutthroat competition

That's the NEW Gates/Broad and Obama/Duncan " factory" model for education. Worse than any communist camp I can imagine.

Gates and Broad resort to influence pedaling and money bribes- to get their kind of education? Amazing. It does seem that equal opportunity and civil rights would tripped, though the "their money" part shields the discrimination..or no???

The persecution of teachers is a distraction while busting open the whole system? And mostly WOMEN victims too. AND THIS BUILT IN HIGH TURNOVER IS CURIOUS. So harsh that we are "shocked" and stupified and then really really angry.

Madfloridian, thanks again for sticking with it.

[n.michigan]

21. In Michigan- Senate Bill 1227 next week----Watch for it-coming to a....

In Michigan we will deal with Senate Bill 1227 on next Tuesdays calendar- Corporate Dem.Gov. Granholm's proposal to confiscate contracted private retirement from teachers in order to solve Michigan's overlarge "budget" problems- when she and the politicians are the problem.
She and her deal, with the Republican devils, will save school districts the amount they are penalizing the educators in retirement contribution. So the inequitable school funding that already exists (for ten years and with a price per head and with 100% difference in rates allocated to different schools and plus a cut to that even) will be made up by stealing it from hard working educators- who have NOT A THING TO DO WITH IT. Yeah. On us, not on her, Jason Allen (R), Andy Dillon (D), Kevin Elsenheimer (R)... the Democrats and Republicans who can't do their jobs, mismanage and created the problems....
Its bad. They are bad.
More...

[Hannah Bell]

23. this deserves an op.

[n.michigan]

27. Yes, please report- it is very important...

Knowledgeable educators with status out there? The truth of Michigan- not the Dem or MEA party line......

I haven't even touched on the pension fund shortfall. Do you imagine they are going after the corrupt bankers, wall street types-or passing more protective legislation? They are going after the teachers.
*Reminder that AG Mike Cox (R) did not launch his present campaign for governor by "going after" the 25M (a guess) that was lost to Enron . Or the bond debt left to Michigan by "raging capitalist" former Gov. John Engler. Cox launched with health care fight.

Teachers are marked by these crooks.

[madfloridian]

28. Wrote a journal about this in March. Granholm forces teacher retirement using pensions

MI Dem governor Granholm using pensions to force retirement of experienced teachers.

". The Detroit News reported teachers were being asked to agree to a $250 pre-tax deduction from 40 biweekly paychecks starting in January to fund the loan. Teachers would get the $10,000 back once they leave. It’s called the grotesquely labeled, Termination Incentive Plan (Associated Press, December 6, 2009)"

[n.michigan]

29. More now MadFloridian-Senate Fiscal Agency bill analysis

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2009-2010/billanalysis/Senate/pdf/2009-SFA-1227-S.pdf/
(for some reason not copying in full, add /billanalysis/Senate/pdf/2009-SFA-1227-S.pdf
completed 3/24 - important to read the projected fiscal impacts for long term reforms- here is a part of it:

• Increase Employee Contribution to Pension. The State Budget Office (SBO)
analysis indicates that increasing employee contributions would provide local savings
to employers of $207.0 million in FY 2010-11. After 10 years, this proposal is
estimated by the SBO to save $2.4 billion. The Senate Fiscal Agency (SFA) analysis
uses the figures estimated by the SBO for this portion of the proposal.
For this proposal and the two described below, the only way the savings estimated by
the SBO could be achieved for employers (K-12 districts, intermediate school districts,
community colleges, and participating universities, charter schools, and libraries) in FY
2010-11 would be to lower the already-published employer contribution rate from
19.41% to a rate that would reflect the increased employee contributions. In future
years, the reforms would reduce the MPSERS employer contribution rate that
otherwise will occur, though in the near term the rate likely would continue to increase
due to relatively recent investment losses in the stock market.
• Eliminate Retiree Dental/Vision Savings. The SBO analysis indicates this would
provide local savings to employers of $1.0 million in FY 2010-11. After 10 years, this
proposal is estimated by the SBO to save $206.4 million. The SFA analysis uses the
figures estimated by the SBO for this portion of the proposal.
MPSERS Proposals

TOTAL LONG-TERM SAVINGS FROM REFORMS
The SBO estimates that the long-term reforms would produce FY 2010-11 savings of $252.9
million and 10-year savings that total $3.5 billion. The SFA analysis would concur with
these estimates produced by the Budget Office in conjunction with the State's actuary.
The table on the following page illustrates the components of the analysis.

[MattBaggins]

9. Don't worry about those kids with "variables"

they will be weeded out to help boost a schools performance numbers.

Got to feed the "accountability mobs".

[madfloridian]

10. That is what will happen.

They will be weeded out.

[madfloridian]

12. Now every county will want Bill Gates helping out.

Helping out with their merit pay.

Now they will be stuck with paying 5% of their budget to devise more ways of testing students to test teachers.

[madfloridian]

14. Well, it passed. Hillsborough must be thanking their lucky stars.

That they are exempt.

[lib2DaBone]

16. Where did this Bill come fromin the first place?

I wonder who introduced this bill and why? Why do they think they need to bust the teacher's Union and "Fix" the schools at this time? The timing is very strange.

Did this bill come from the Broad (rhymes with road) Foundation? That would be interesting.

[Mithreal]

17. Thank you

[sulphurdunn]

18. Vulture Philanthropy

The meal is the half trillion dollars spend annually on k-12 public education. The Gate's Foundation want's its piece of that action. I wonder what Gate's gets in return for his largess?

Plutonomy: An economy that is driven by or that disproportionately benefits wealthy people.

[madfloridian]

19. Good way to put it.

What will Gates get for his money? Whatever he wants I would say.

[Bluesbreaker]

22. Great Journal

This journal is a terrific information source on the assault directed at public schools. Thanks, madfloridian, for all the effort you put into keeping us informed.

Florida is the coal miner's canary. This kind of corporatization is happening everywhere. Race to the Top is just cranking up in Hawaii, and already Gates is involved. Everything described in Diane Ravitch's book (Life and Death of the Great American School System) is starting to appear: more charters, corporate takeovers, etc. Very scary stuff.

Knowledgeworks, Inc and its subsidiary New Technology Foundation (AKA NewTech Foundation) are taking over two school complexes (two high schools and all of the intermediate and elementary schools that feed into them) in West Oahu. Does anyone know what the story is on Knowledgeworks or NewTech? Their board appears to be made up of corporate types and no educators. Info would be appreciated.

[madfloridian]

25. Thanks for the words...yes the country is watching Florida.

And they will follow suit.

The "reform" movement has the money and the power now to dismantle public education and profit from it.

And there is no opposition party now.

We would never have let Bush do it. But now most Democrats say it is ok if Arne and Obama do it.

[madfloridian]

30. Here's something about Knowledgeworks, Inc. Education not listed.

http://www.knowledgeworksinc.com/services1.htm

Knowledge Works, Inc. offers Information Technology Consulting, Security, Governance, Risk Management and Compliance Solutions

Industry Experience:

* Biotechnology
* Internet
* E-Commerce
* Insurance
* Medical devices
* Publishing
* Telecommunications
* Software and application developement
* Financial services
* Radio
* Banking
* Firewall development

But then Florida says experience in education doesn't matter.

Very interesting that they are taking over your schools.

Here is New Tech Foundation....they create new schools.

http://www.newtechfoundation.org/

The privatization is on the move bigtime now. Even in Hawaii.

[Starry Messenger]

35. Whoa.

Marking with a post to dig into later. They are coming quickly on all fronts.

[Bluesbreaker]

37. Thank you.

Hopefully, we can get the word out before it's too late. This is a strong union state, but everybody's so desperate for funding, I'm afraid they will sell their souls to get some of the RTT and Gates dollars.

[mmonk]

26. Private money determining how public institutions are run again.

This crap has to stop.

[sulphurdunn]

32. It will stop

when we put a stop to the use of private money in the legalized bribery of elected officials called "campaign contributions".

[demo dutch]

31. MAD!!! how about the tie-in with Neil Bush's co IGNITE (specializes in Ed. testing)

This is about nothing more the a huge corporate money maker! I wish someone would cover the rest of this story…..by now we all know that Jeb Bush’s educational organization promoted this bill and actually put it together. NCLH is greatly benefitting the software company IGNITE their website even promotes how to get funding http://www.ignitelearning.com/funding/ and this ALSO ties into Merit pay HB 6 in Florida! The bill was ushered along by Senator Thrasher (GOP party leader) and helped along by President of the FL Senate, Senator Atwater (personal friend of Jeb Bush) This is a going to be a huge money maker for Ignite (guess what…. it just so happens that this company IGNITE is owned by none other than Neil Bush http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignite!
BTW Why do you think that there is yet another bill waiting in the wings that mandates Civic lessons, Ignite also has a curriculum for Social Studies... how convenient!

Is it any coincidence that Jeb praises the Church of Scientology! Prometric testing, is one of Thrasher's babies linked to Sterling, which is linked back the whole Quality movement subgroup of the Church of Scientology. Additional voucher money going to private schools will erase the line between government and education

Furthermore Why do you think that there is yet another bill waiting in the wings that mandates Civic lessons. It is sponsered by Senator Nancy Detert( R) who gave a rave review of HB 6 on the floor. How convenien that Ignite also has a curriculum for Social Studies!

When are reporters going to do their job and do some investigative reporting!!

[sulphurdunn]

33. The Bushes

made their money pimping for Nazis, pandering political patronage and public parasitism. That's how they came be America's leading blood suckers and put two of their leeches in the White House.

[madfloridian]

36. Sample video from Ignite....so amazingly poor quality.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/3957

[robinblue]

34. Wish I could Rec but too late.Thanks once again.

[Confusious]

38. But............... but... you're a teacher!

You should be able to take spit and bailing wire and make a straight A student!

Or that might have been a TV show I saw once.