Who says protests don't matter?
You'll never read such a thing here. There was a demonstration in Tampa last night by school teachers protesting the education reform plan that has become the biggest story out of Tallahassee this spring. Additional protests are planned tonight in two different locations in Pinellas County, at McMullen-Booth Road and State Road 580 in Clearwater and Ulmerton Road and 66th Street in Largo
That plan's House version, HB 7189, sponsored by Port Richey Republican John Legg , is scheduled to be discussed and possibly approved this morning. House Speaker Larry Cretul wants to pass it sans amendments, so that it won't have to go back before the senate for another vote. The Senate version, SB6, which passed the ever conservative senate last month, would place all new teachers on annual contracts, link salary increases and professional certification to student learning gains and require school districts to redirect 5 percent of their funding back to the state to pay for the program.
If the house bill is approved today without those amendments, it could go to Governor Charlie Crist immediately for his signature. He'll have a few days to decide on what to do with it, and he hinted ever so slightly yesterday that he might veto it.
The "people's governor" was quoted in Tallahassee yesterday in the St. Pete Times/Miami Herald as saying that teacher sentiment was weighing heavily in his decision and he was contemplating vetoing the measure.
“That is disappointing because I think you always have to keep an open mind,'' Crist said. “There was a lot of complaining in Washington about healthcare legislation sort of being rammed through, and I don't want Florida to do similar kinds of things.''
Crist's statement represents the first significant hurdle for the “teacher tenure'' bill, which is expected to pass the House Thursday. SB 6 flew through the Senate last month.
Crist said he does not want to veto the bill, but said he was specifically concerned how the legislation would affect special-needs teachers.
“I had a conversation with a friend of mine for many years. He was concerned about the provisions of the bill that require progress. And he's like, `How can my son have progress?' '' Crist said. “It's very challenging, and that's weighing on me heavily.''
Crist acknowledged he was shifting his opinion. “Shame on any public servant who doesn't listen to the people,'' he said.
This article appears in Apr 7-13, 2010.
