via @JeffSolochek
The Florida Board of Education on Friday backed a budget plan that would eliminate funding for the state's controversial two-year-old Best and Brightest bonus, which rewards teachers based on their job evaluations and their SAT or ACT scores.
The board's legislative budget proposal would take the bulk of the $49 million expenditure and place it into "teacher recruitment and retention." The recommended $43 million fund would provide bonuses for "new teachers who show great potential for and veteran teachers who have demonstrated the highest student academic growth among their peers."
It would use Florida's top teacher preparation programs and also aim to address shortages in STEM fields, as well as supporting "top teacher candidates and public schools with the highest needs."
Board members asked commissioner Pam Stewart for more details on the use of the money, which represented the largest single change in its proposed budget. She said she was still collecting input from teachers and other stakeholders before writing a specific plan, and asked to discuss it more in depth in October.
The board, which approved the LBR 6-1 with Michael Olenick opposed, expressed satisfaction with the concept.
"I'd like to hear the details. I think it's in the right bucket, though," board member Gary Chartrand said.
Vice chairman John Padget, who called for an end to the Best and Brightest in August, said he was "totally pleased" with the staff's direction.
"I'm happy to hear it," he said. "I've heard some ideas, and I like many of them."
Teachers continue to apply for the bonuses, which averaged about $8,500 in their first year, with a Nov. 1 deadline. The state has made clear that district decisions on the awards are final.
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