Never mind
The Pasco school district has a new message for the Dayspring Academy charter school regarding teacher performance pay funding: Keep it.
"After a lengthy dialogue with the (Florida Department of Education), I have concluded that Dayspring Academy does not need to return any of the MAP funds it distributed to its employees in 2007," chief financial officer Olga Swinson wrote in a letter Thursday to the school's leadership. "Please accept my sincere apology for any confusion related to this misunderstanding."
Swinson had told the charter school's leaders late last week that the school would have to send back the $23,000 of state money it had given to five teachers through the Merit Award Program. That just wasn't the case, though.
No apology needed, said charter co-founder and state Rep. John Legg. "We're all adults. Mistakes happen."
Unfortunately, Legg added, district officials frequently make mistakes when it comes to charter school issues, and then they get peevish when the charter schools challenge them.
"When we approached them for clarification on the issue, they automatically took the position that they were correct," he said. "The only thing we ask is that, if we ask for clarification, people don't get upset that we ask."
See tomorrow's St. Petersburg Times or tampabay.com for the rest of the story.
Get inside the world of Florida education with St. Petersburg Times staff writer Jeffrey S. Solochek and the rest of the Times education reporting team. We'll bring you up-to-date information about the latest education trends, fads and news and dig deep into Tampa Bay area school issues.
Why did they receive $23k for FIVE teachers... that's over $4K each. My MAP award was 2300... what's the deal there??????????
Posted by: Fed Up Reading Teacer | April 03, 2008 at 06:41 PM
What's the deal? easy ".....charter co-founder and state Rep. John Legg." Sounds like very greased wheels up there in Tally.
I hear legislation passed today that gives districts a "pass" next year on Reading First implementation. Does this mean reading teachers could be out of a job?
Posted by: MC | April 03, 2008 at 08:59 PM
This drives me nuts. Pasco Co teachers and school board chose -- rightly -- not to participate in the ill conceived MAP program, yet a charter school under the supervision of the District can chose to participate and get these $$$ from public monies....which should go to the public schools.....
Posted by: concerned | April 04, 2008 at 06:54 PM
Charter schools ARE public schools.
Posted by: | April 04, 2008 at 07:54 PM
If they ARE public schools, then they shouldn't have accepted or expected the $$$. Pasco County PUBLIC Schools voted to pass on the ill conceived Merit Pay Plan. I wonder what would have happened if the owner of the charter school was just some Joe of the street. HMMM!
Posted by: Norma | April 19, 2008 at 09:34 AM
If they ARE public schools, then they shouldn't have accepted or expected the $$$. Pasco County PUBLIC Schools voted to pass on the ill conceived Merit Pay Plan. I wonder what would have happened if the owner of the charter school was just some Joe of the street. HMMM!
Posted by: Norma | April 19, 2008 at 09:34 AM
If they ARE public schools, then they shouldn't have accepted or expected the $$$. Pasco County PUBLIC Schools voted to pass on the ill conceived Merit Pay Plan. I wonder what would have happened if the owner of the charter school was just some Joe of the street. HMMM!
Posted by: Norma | April 19, 2008 at 09:35 AM