Comments on: Scott Team Wants School Vouchers, Teacher Merit Pay

By: Educator

Educator — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:58:26 +0000

The main problem with education in Florida and throughout the U.S. is the fact that Americans, as a whole, don’t value education. Attendance is horrible, and Florida has no teeth in its attendance policies; parents want students to make A’s and play sports whether they have learned anything or not. Yes, there are teachers not doing a good job in every school, but parents could help take care of this problem. If your child says they aren’t doing anything in a class–any class–complain to the administration until something is done. We have online grades, and there should be evidence of what is going on in the classroom. Check it out and demand something good for your tax dollars!! I’ve been an educator for a long time and see the good and bad at the school, but the buck stops with parents. If you want well-educated children, demand the best from your child and his/her teachers.

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 07:01:58 +0000

Cheated,

That just might work

By: Cheated Tax Payer

Cheated Tax Payer — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 01:19:49 +0000

I think that the parents of children on public assistance should have their state aid based on their child’s school performance. That way, they would have an incentive to become “involved and responsible”.

By: Florida Taxpayer and Parent

Florida Taxpayer and Parent — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:46:29 +0000

In the end if my property taxes for education go down, then this is a huge win! I don’t really care where folks send their children to be educated (public or private), but I’m tired of funding the Escambia, Florida school system which allows non-resident (Alabama) students to fill its classrooms with no questions asked. If you don’t think that this isn’t happening, check out the parent pick-up lines at all the true “North-end” schools of Bratt, Ernest Ward, and Northview. Count the Alabama tags and then compare those numbers with the school district’s approved numbers for Alabama resident students. I bet they don’t add up and they’ll not even be close.

By: wtg

wtg — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:17:28 +0000

Don’t worry, teacher merit pay will take care of those raises. The only teachers getting raises will be the ones who teach students who are academically successful. (Statistically speaking, upper income children without disabilities.) The ones teaching poor, disabled students won’t be getting any raises. Yes sir, that’ll be karma.

By: jon

jon — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:28:06 +0000

one of the first things they should do is cut school board members pay in half and do away with the mandated automatic pay raises they get! now that would be karma!!!! then we could see them beg for raises like all employees do now!

By: wtg

wtg — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:56:12 +0000

Within a few years, segregation will return as parents in upper middle class neighborhoods begin to filter tax money into private education and public education becomes a lesser option for the rest of us. Teachers, the good ones, will leave education or follow the private-education dollars as their hands are tied when it comes to teaching only the students who will profit them most. Textbook publishing companies who design and sell tests will begin to skew the test results so that only the upper 40% of students taking this test are successful and the rest are written off as disabled, poor or non-English. Those people will be given another graduation option … one that keeps them tied to low-income, illiterate and menial lifestyles. Yeah, I’m a little cynical. Rick Scott, Alex Sink … none of them are looking at education as a public service.

By: me

me — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:03:25 +0000

As a republican (Scott), I see he fully plans to serve his master (big business) well, and too bad working class folks!

By: Oldman

Oldman — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:58:53 +0000

” basing educators’ pay on student performance” – interesting concept Jeb, think you can get that one inked?

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:55:01 +0000

“…textbooks or curriculum for a home schooling program…”

That would be a miracle. Our homeschooling family saves the state over $13,000, and get nothing for the taxes we pay.