Surprise for National Board-certified teachers

Word already was on the streets that Florida lawmakers planned to eliminate the mentoring bonus that National Board-certified teachers could get, as one of many budget cutting measures. A bill that some contended would gut the entire bonus program caught many off guard.

SB 1746, which passed the Senate Pre-K-12 Education Appropriations Committee this morning, would end the state's payment of 90 percent of teachers' applications to the program and the $150 payment for portfolio preparation. The state would stop paying into the Florida retirement system for the incentive. And it would allow National Board-certified teachers to receive the bonuses for only 10 years.

FEA lobbyist Marshall Ogletree told the committee that the proposal, which was inserted into a shell bill late last week, needed to undergo a thorough policy discussion - it didn't go to the Pre-K-12 Education Committee - and not just emerge as part of a budget-cutting exercise.

Power lobbyist Mac Stipanovich, who just happens to work for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, said he was "stunned ... beyond surprise" by the proposal, which he contended would choke off the successful 10-year-old program.

"It has worked," Stipanovich told the committee. "I'm not asking your for another dollar now. I'm asking you not to destroy the program."

Chairman Stephen Wise explained that he had nothing against bonuses. "But do you have to pay for everything, and have the richest program in the country, when we're in the position that we're in right now?" he wondered.

Still, Wise relented to the criticism and said he would work with the lobbyists into the evening to see if they might resolve the concerns.

Comments

[nationalboardcertifiedteacher]

You have seriously lost your mind if you believe that NBC is paperwork. The process is rough, detailed, rigorous, reflective, and extremely time consuming; something a lot of teachers and mothers do not have as we all know. The actual portfolio instructions are very difficult to understand so a mentor who can explain the convoluted instructions is very beneficial.
Furthermore, NBC is not about perfect lesson plans and making "real lesson plans" it is about reflecting on your teaching practices, delving deeper into your given curriculum and really understanding how knowledge transfer is not "one size fits all." I am very insulted at your comment regarding the NBC particularly by someone who has not walked the walk yet. Lastly, I think we have some "b.....ing" teachers because they did the work and wish to be compensated. I think it is noble to do NBC. Most teachers who wish for a pay increase take the path that leads out of the classroom. I know as a NBC teacher and having my masters, I can go to administration, however, I love to teach. There is nothing wrong with this and wanting more income for your family.

The legislature does not have the money to pay for its constitutionally mandated duties, so expecting to keep their own promises on top of this is just plain expecting too much.

Vote them all out of office, and make sure that every one that is term limited out of a current position loses any attempts to fill a higher office. The leadership of the legislature will eventually notice when all of their "troops" have been replaced.

[settergirl]

While it is true that there is/was no guarantee of the monetary bonus of achieving National Board Certification, the fact is that in nearly every profession, people choose to acquire advanced degrees, training, certifications, etc, with an eye to increasing their income. Doctors become specialists, computer technicians become systems analysts or network specialists, nurses move from being an LPN to and RN all with the expectation that the additional training will result in an increase in their earning potential. Yes, I am sure there are some who just enjoy the challenge of adding to their credentials. However, I do not believe that is true for the majority, particularly when those credentials require great outlays of both time and money. How many teachers would go on to seek their master's degrees if there were not a financial reward in their pay --- not nearly as many I am sure. Teachers are so limited in their ability to find ways to advance their earning potential. They are restricted by school budgets and the whims of the public and the legislature and the creative manipulation of the steps/levels of the pay scales. I just saw a survey in Parade magazine that says that 41% of the nation believe teachers should be paid more. Yet that sentiment never translates into reality. And when teachers who have worked hard to improve their skills and augment their income at the same time are put down by their own colleagues, it's no wonder that our pay continues to languish at the bottom of the professional ladder. Our own administrations are easily able to use our disunity to keep us under control. In Hillsborough County, we are the largest workforce -- yet we have absolutely no power because we have no unified goal or front. We are very much our own worst enemy.

Lampton, sounds like sour grapes that you don't have NB certification...did you try?? Don't give us that sorry excuse that you wanted to spend time with your family...that's a cop out.

[Saddened]

All of this pressure is being put on teachers with FCAT, NCLB, PE Bill, Class Size ammendment...etc.

All of these things are expected amidst budget cuts. Suddenly, we expect more to happen with less money.

It is unfortunate that many teachers have to have second jobs at Home Depot, Sears, and other places. It's believed that we get 3 months off when in actuality it's barely 8 weeks off and many of us spend it working another job and/or taking classess to make us more effective teachers.

Makes me wonder how long I'll be able to take this job seriously. I'll look on the bright side... I might not take home much money being a teacher, but my family will benefit off of my life insurance policies and my AD&D if a student breaks into a car that has a gun in it while it's parked at work and they'll take me out.

Median Pay at Home Depot is $9 or $10 an hour for a cashier or sales associate. Good luck!

[anotherteacherwhoreadthefineprint]

NBCT...then don't complain if there is no money...do it for the professional credential and stop b...g!

Fine print in legal statutes are seldom read by teachers any way because they are not in tune to the ramifications of reading directions...what a concept..reading directions...like any investment DROP, NBCT, etc. if you want to take the step then don't complain if the funds are withdrawn.

[NBCT 07]

It's a shame that educators who are 'supposed' to be professionals try to put others down for their accomplishments. If you have not gone through the National Board process, or have attempted it and given up, that's unfortunate, and you should not blame anyone for it or feel resentful.
The process does not make you a better teacher, but those who achieve certification have obtained the best professional development, and are one step ahead of those who have not. We should support each other.

To: person who read the fine print,
The national board is not about paperwork. If you thought it was, you obviously did not go through the process, or had trouble reading the fine, medium, and large print in the portfolio instructions. :o)

[nbcandidate]

Well, I am a candidate this year and turned my portfolio in last week. I, too, thought like Lampton, before I actually decided to go through the process. I find that by doing this certification, I have become a better teacher in my field-- I am much more aware of the details involved in teaching my subject and more aware of details of being a master teacher in general. It would be sad if they took the mentoring money away because mentors are vital to assisting the newbies with the process. But it just goes to show you what our government really does care about and it certainly isn't education. I am certain none of the higher ups in tallahassee are taking a cut for anything.

[lampton]

Please--I think this is great! I am sick of the NBC teachers trying to lord it over the rest of us--I teach in the same hall with a couple, and I am much better at classroom control, content, and getting the ideas across to my students than any of them. This never should have started--I almost did the work, but I have a family and wanted to actually do real lesson plans rather than jump through their little hoops--so GOOD!

[teacherwhoreadthefineprint]

Dear Fed up,
If you as a teacher cannot read the fine print where in the statutes it says, at the discretion of the legislature....then no wonder we have a problem in education.....Just because you have a Nat. Bd certification does not mean you are better at teaching than the rest...just means you filled out the paperwork better than the rest...or

it meant you did not bother to read the statute fine print where it said there was no guarantee.

Remember when legislators were looking for a fair/impartial way to identify teachers for merit pay? What is more fair and impartial than being evaluated by a national board of professional teaching standards?
No merit plan is perfect, but this one sure beats any of the other proposals.

[fed up, frustrated, fading fast]

Could some one explain the logic in that as I am approaching my 20th year of teaching, I am going to take almost a 10K cut in pay as the proposed legislation will disqualify me from NBCT bonus $--almost seems that I will be punished for being at a high performing level in my chosen life career at an earlier stage of my career! HOW MUCH DOES THE POST OFFICE, HOME DEOPT, OR UPS PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES? I may need to send my resume.