On the morning of March 24, Capitol reporters asked Gov. Charlie Crist how he felt about Senate Bill 6, the bill that among many other things ties teacher pay to performance.
"Senate 6? I support it. I support it," Crist said then. Asked if it was a "union-busting" bill, Crist said: "I think I would say that this is a bill that really focuses on trying to help children, and encouraging better teachers. Pays better teachers more, and that just seems like the right thing to do."
Now, of course, it's widely expected that Crist, who's fighting to gain ground in a Republican primary for U.S. Senate, will veto SB 6 in the face of a firestorm of opposition from teachers, parents, students and educators.
"I think the earlier quotes were somebody saying or alleging that I said I would sign it, which I never said," Crist said on Wednesday. "Generally, I was supportive of the concept initially ... I like the notion of merit pay. I like the notion of accountability. I think what every honest public servant should do is follow the process, continue to have an open mind, see what the final product looks like and how it was done, and reach a conclusion."
-- Steve Bousquet
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