A LETTER FROM A PJCFA MEMBER TO SENATOR GAETZ

Dear Senator Gaetz,

I see you are one of the sponsors of Senate Bill 6, so I was wondering if you could explain the rationale behind the bill. As I understand it, the only thing that would determine teacher pay would be student performance on standardized tests. I do understand the desire to ensure students receive a quality education and the desire to somehow rate teacher performance, but, honestly, student test scores are not indicative of either. I don't know when the last time was that you were in a classroom, but I can tell you from experience that sometimes you get a brilliant group of students and other times you get a, well, less-than-brilliant group. Sometimes they "get it" right away and sometimes you can try over and over again and they just don't understand. Even when you have a great class of students there are days they just aren't performing as well and if that day happens to be test day.....

I know you've probably heard this before, but when you make standardized testing the goal, the only thing that happens is that the teacher teaches the test. It'll get worse if you tie teacher pay to test scores. You'll end up making schools "boot camps" that train students in nothing but test taking. Is that really what you're shooting for?

I'm also wondering what you plan to do about "special area" teachers - music, drama, art, etc. Those teachers do not have a class assigned to them; they teach all students in the school. How can you possibly tie student scores to their pay?

I've read that the bill will not reward teachers for obtaining national certification or higher degrees. I don't understand this rationale at all. On the one hand you want teachers to be better, but on the other you're telling them that if they try to become better they won't get rewarded. Every other state in the union offers such incentives, but you're trying to remove them.

Senator, perhaps you should take the time to visit any classroom on any day and actually watch how hard teachers work. They do so day after day, without complaint about low pay, conditions, schedules, etc. These are dedicated people whose reward is the education of their students. Are there "bad" teachers out there? Probably, but there are far more great teachers and this bill will punish more people than it will help. Let's face it, there are bad police, fire fighters, legislators, military, etc. There are means to get rid of poor teachers already in place, just as there are ways to get rid of any other under performer; you just have to employ the means to get rid of them.

Thank you for taking the time to read my email.

Sincerely,