Commissioner Winn:
FASA is not opposed to
performance pay. As representatives explained in our meeting last
week, neither is FADSS or FSBA. But as I made clear, until we see
substantive amendments in writing, FASA can not support the
proposed SBE Rule as you explained it. I provided you very
specific reasons during the meeting. Your reply was to state that
the provision tying performance pay to FCAT scores was, “not
negotiable.”
As I have repeatedly told you,
among the stakeholders in Florida, there is almost universal
acceptance for the idea of performance or “differentiated” pay. As
a group, superintendents, school boards, principals and teachers
have all agreed, in principle, to these ideas. And, on their own,
many Florida districts have already moved light-years ahead of the
rest of the country. For example, the performance pay plan created
by Dr. Walter Pierce and Superintendent Art Johnson in Palm Beach
County meets the test of all the ideas above and may be the most
innovative in the nation. Hillsborough, Pasco, Duval, Orange,
Broward and others all have cutting-edge plans created on their
own. Were these districts involved or consulted by you before
drafting your plan? No.
With leadership and collaboration
from your office, real progress is possible. It is interesting to
note that on the far less divisive issue of high school reform,
the legislatively-mandated taskforce produced wide agreement and
progress. Why was this approach not used on the far more difficult
issue of performance pay?
As I have repeatedly told you,
the sensitive nature of collective bargaining makes performance
pay a much more complicated issue. As a result, to date, no state
in the nation has created a successful model. In Florida, every
previous attempt at “Merit” or, performance, pay has failed
miserably. But not without first creating deep divisions,
distractions and distrust on every side. Your current approach
and style are guaranteed to exacerbate those problems. FASA
opposes it for those reasons and, without substantive changes,
will continue to do so because, once again, the burden of this
battle will fall most heavily on Florida’s principals.
Does this mean we should give up
on the idea of performance pay? Absolutely not! I remain
convinced that changing the way we pay teachers (and
administrators) is the best way to not only attract and retain the
best and brightest teachers in critical shortage areas, increase
the total pay for teachers, build incentives for high performance
and create a way to reward our best teachers for working with our
most at risk students.
Again, I know for a fact, that
Florida stakeholders are ready, willing and able to work,
together, to find a solution. But you chose not to act on advice
to seek stakeholder input prior to unveiling your proposal. Your
current approach is best described by the old saying, “If your
only tool is a hammer, the entire world begins to look like a
nail.” FASA urges you to reconsider.
Jim Warford,
Executive Director
Florida
Association of School Administrators