Florida Governor Charlie Crist Vetoes Teacher Merit Pay Bill
Apr 15, 2010
Florida Governor Charlie Crist vetoed Senate Bill 6, also known as the “Teacher Merit Pay Bill,” today, April 15, 2010.
According to news coverage of the veto in the St. Petersburg Times (reprinted below), the majority of almost 109,000 messages received recently by the Governor in regard to SB 6 were against passage of the bill.
Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Colodny Fass.
Gov. Crist vetoes teacher tenure bill
By Tom Marshall, Ron Matus and Hannah Sampson, Times/Herald Staff
Published Thursday, April 15, 2010
TALLAHASSEE – After weeks of protest and a deluge of messages, Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday vetoed a bill that would link teacher pay to student test scores and wipe out tenure for new teachers.
“I know in my heart it’s the right thing to do,” Crist said of his veto.
His decision, announced shortly after noon in a Capitol news conference, came as little surprise. Although Crist initially voiced support for the bill, he had distanced himself over the past week as protests mounted.
“I say we must start over,” the governor said. “This bill has negatively affected the morale of our parents, teachers and students.”
Under the bill, half of a teacher’s evaluation would depend on what kind of learning gains their students made. Those evaluations would determine their pay. New teachers would have been hired on annual contracts with no chance of tenure.
With just a little over two weeks left in the session, many educators and politicians have expressed doubt the Legislature can rewrite the bill and get it passed.
And within minutes of his announcement, the reactions began flowing in from both sides of the aisle.
“I’m disappointed that after sending his top policy staffer to the House Committee to testify in support of the proposal, Gov. Crist would change his mind and now veto the bill,” House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach, said in a statement.
“It’s something for teachers to be proud of,” said Kim Black, president of the Pinellas Teachers Union. “Somebody is listening, despite what many people up there think.”
Crist, a Republican, has been inundated with messages about the bill in recent weeks, receiving more than 109,000. Though about 49,000 were still unread, almost 58,000 of the messages that had been logged were against the bill.
Crist said the content of the legislation and the manner of its adoption was “significantly flawed.”
The Florida Senate passed the bill 21-17; it got through the House of Representatives by a 64-55 vote. The bill had strong support among Republican Party leadership, but some in the GOP joined Democrats in opposition.
“To make such changes, we must have the patience and the wisdom to communicate effectively with the people,” he said
Crist said his decision had nothing to do with his U.S. Senate primary race against former House Speaker Marco Rubio.
“It has nothing to do with politics at all,” he said. “It has everything to do with the children of Florida. I know in my heart it’s the right thing to do. This thing was rushed through. Quite frankly, it reminds me of what happened with the health care bill in Washington, where members of my party criticized the Democrats for sort of jamming something down their throat.”
Times staff writers Steve Bousquet and Jeffrey Solochek contributed to this story. Tom Marshall can be reached at tmarshall@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3400.
© 2010
- All Rights Reserved St. Petersburg Times