A highlight?

We all know accentuating the positive is the way the PR game is played (or cherry picking the negative, if you're on the other side of things – and you know who you are). But we can't help but humbly ask, after seeing yesterday's press releases (click here and here), if the governor's office and the Department of Education didn't go overboard by describing what just happened to the bonus program for national board certified teachers as a "highlight" in this year's budget.

As the St. Petersburg Times wrote in this story today, Gov. Crist signed a bill this week that caps the bonus at 10 years; eliminates funding for a related mentoring bonus; reclassifies the award as a "bonus" for retirement calculations; and scraps the state subsidy that paid 90 percent of the $2,500 application fee for other teachers who want to get board certified.

Crist himself called changes to the program "disappointing." So can it still be a highlight? Maybe, given all the budget cutting going on, it's a highlight that the program wasn't zapped altogether?

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Board certified teachers ARE better, new study says

Talk about timing.

A day after Gov. Charlie Crist signed a bill that likely will undermine Florida's efforts to produce more National Board certified teachers, a new, congressionally mandated study by the National Research Council concludes such teachers do squeeze bigger learning gains out of their students – even if it's not clear if it's the certification process that makes them better.

For the study, NRC researchers took a look at some national board certified teachers in Florida and North Carolina and how their fourth and fifth graders did on their state's standardized tests (yes, that would be the FCAT in Florida). The result?

"Earning NBPTS certification is a useful 'signal' that a teacher is effective in the classroom," Milton Hakel, a Bowling Green State University professor and chair of the NRC committee that wrote the report, said in a press release this morning. "But we don't know whether the certification process itself makes teachers more effective … or if high-quality teachers are attracted to the certification process."

In the end, the NRC recommended more study.

Florida has 8,136 board certified teachers, second only to North Carolina, with nearly 1,700 coming on board last year. At present, those teachers get bonuses worth 10 percent of an average teacher’s salary ($4,270 last year), plus another 10 percent if they mentor other teachers. For teachers seeking certification, the state chips in 90 percent of the $2,500 application fee.

The new law limits the first 10 percent bonus to 10 years, and eliminate state funding for the mentoring bonus. It also nixes the state subsidy on the application fee.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Tale from the front line

In case you missed it, check out this must-read account of one teacher's experience working in an unnamed Hillsborough high school:

It's sixth period, my first day teaching high school, and my regular Junior English class refuses to settle down. I give them a brief talk, amid the jostling and visiting (and the walking, and the love taps, and the food trading, and the vaulting over desks) about respect. I will respect them, I say, and they will respect me ... For about 30 seconds, they like the idea of my respecting them, and then they're up again.

Melanie Hubbard has a doctorate in English and has taught at the college level. This spring, she tried out the public school setting, where everyone knows there is a shortage of qualified instructors. Her experience, described in a first-person story for the St. Petersburg Times over the weekend, sounds alarms on many levels.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this story and whether it rings true to what you know about the public high school setting.

(Photo: Melanie Hubbard)

A weekend interview with ...

... Polly Jackson, a reading specialist at Pasco County's Lacoochee Elementary, a Title I school. Jackson is retiring this month after 39 years in education, most of them at Lacoochee. She spoke with reporter Jeff Solochek about the changes she's seen over her four decades in teaching.

Tell me a little bit about what it was like to teach in 1969.

I've done a lot of reflecting over the past few weeks. I was a fifth-grade teacher at Pasco Elementary. We were departmentalized, so I taught math, which was a love of mine. I was a math major for a while at school. The rooms were un-air-conditioned. I had over 30 children. The desks were mismatched, some painted in various colors of the rainbow. But it was my first classroom and I loved it. It was special. I think the biggest difference between when I started as a first-year teacher and now is there was no support for brand new teachers ... whereas now there is fantastic support.

Well, then, what did they do for you as a brand new teacher? Throw you in there and say, Good luck?

Basically, yes. I remember going into a book room and we found the reading books that we wanted. It wasn't one unified series for the district. It did have teacher's guides. Reading series have come so far. It's exciting, the new series that we'll be starting next year. It makes me a tiny bit sorry I won't be a part of it. But it's a good time for someone new to come in and learn it.

So back then you went in and it was basically sink or swim on your own?

There were other teachers who were there and would help. But now they have a mentor program where the teachers are assigned a mentor throughout the year, takes them through each step. And of course there wasn't as much paperwork back then. There wasn't the FCAT. There wasn't a lot of the assessments that we do, the ongoing monitoring.

What made you stay in teaching at that point? Was it hard? Was it fun?

I enjoyed it. Teaching was fun. It was fun.

Is it still fun now?

A small way to help teachers

Florida teachers, while you're keeping your fingers crossed on that job application in Fort Worth, Texas, maybe you can at least get some help with those classroom supplies. On DonorsChoose.org, teachers write detailed requests for what they need, and donors single out who they’d like to help. (And it's tax deductible.)

There are a number of requests from Florida teachers on the site now. An ESOL teacher needs a letter sorter filing system ($157). A math teacher needs a Judy clock with moveable hands ($133). A chorus teacher wants a karaoke machine ($152). The Miami Herald wrote a nice piece on DonorsChoose this week, tying it to the bleak budget picture in Florida. The New York Times has written about it , too.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

The men and women in black

If you see educators in Hernando, Citrus, Marion and Sumter counties wearing black today, it won't be a coordinated fashion statement. Rather, it's their announced "Day of Mourning" for public education, a protest to the Florida Legislature's deep cuts to school funding.

"These budget cuts will have an awful impact on our children and our public schools," Melissa Pfeiffer, political action chairperson for Citrus County Education Association, said in a news release announcing the event.

School districts across the state are preparing budget reductions in the millions. Pinellas officials are considering employee pay cuts, for instance, while the Lee school district already has begun laying off people. Other ideas circulating include eliminating reading coaches in Leon and changing school schedules to scale back transportation costs in Orange.

At the state level, National Board certified teachers will see their bonuses shrink, and all teachers will see their school supply budget reduced. The Legislature also cut funding for school advisory committees and school recognition. At the same time, though, Pfeiffer points out, the high expectations that teachers must attain remain intact.

"In the best of economic times, Florida seriously underfunds public education when compared to other states," she said. "These cuts threaten the most important investment our state can make: the education of our children."

Reading, writing, inspiring

Because of space reasons, the St. Petersburg Times, in this Sunday piece, could only excerpt a handful of the stories that students in adult literacy classes wrote to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the St. Petersburg Literacy Council. Many had never written more than a few sentences before. And yet, their work was often powerful, heart-rending and uplifting. To read more of their stories, download them here.

If you want help learning to read, or if you're interested in becoming a literacy tutor, call the council at (727) 521-1117.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Be kind to your teacher: Part 2

Earlier this week, the Gradebook tipped its hat to National Teacher Day and Teacher Appreciation Week, and in so doing we asked for your thoughts on how to appreciate teachers. Thanks for the response (mostly - not the bashing). Now let us share some of your comments.

"Be a school volunteer.  Let the teacher teach the children and you help behind the scene. ... It is fun." - Retired

"Stop bashing us on all the blogs. Some have called us parasites, drunks, and perverts... 95 percent of us are good people, like any other profession." - Teacher

"HS need more love and support, like many elementary teachers have." - HS Teacher

It was especially nice to see parents and students praise their teachers. Read on for a couple of examples.

Be kind to your teacher

It's the PTA's annual Teacher Appreciation Week. And the National Education Association has chosen today as National Teacher Day.

Some groups are putting together a giant thank-you card for teachers. Web sites like this one abound with all sorts of ideas of how to appreciate your teachers. There's even a "thank a teacher" group on Facebook (you have to join to participate).

But we like the simple suggestions from National Board-certified Lee County teacher Kathryn McKinnon, as published in today's Fort Myers News-Press. Here's a sample (see the News-Press story for the full list):

• For at least one day, all of my 150 students will address me by my correct name, "Mrs. McKinnon." Not Mrs. Martinez, Mrs. Lackey or any of the other various teacher names I am referred to as on a daily basis.
• No one will chew bright green or blue gum and try to act like it's not there when they're instructed to put it in the trash. (Hint: it's hard to miss the neon gum, guys. Even when you think it's hidden, it sort of stands out ... a lot).
• My students will realize that being a teacher doesn't mean you know everything. And while I love the many discussions we have as a class, let's face it, if I did know everything I'd be busy curing diseases and solving miscellaneous global crises.

Have any other suggestions for how to appreciate a teacher? We'd love to hear them.

(Times photo, 2007)

Here's the deal for National Board teachers

Florida's National Board certified teachers will get their mentoring bonus for the work they've already done this year, House Schools and Learning Council chairman Joe Pickens (left) explained on the floor this afternoon during a lengthy education budget review.

They won't get the money - close to $5,000 - for next year or any other year while the state lacks the funding, Pickens said. "Next year, we are eliminating that program."

Also gone will be the state's support for teachers to apply to the certification program, again because of a dearth of resources. The primary goal of the Excellent Teaching initiative is to give a 10 percent bonus to teachers who earn the certification, Pickens said, and that's what the budget makers sought to preserve.

"The core of the Excellent Teaching bonus was the 10 percent bonus," Pickens said. "We kept the core."

Too sexy for her job?

There's a biology teacher in St. Lucie County who suddenly finds herself out of work. The school district says it released her because of frequent absences. She says her dismissal had less to do with her job performance than her after-school performance.

See, Tiffany Shepherd (left) also has a second job as a "bikini mate" aboard a fishing charter, the Palm Beach Post reports. The main job requirement is to look "hot" in a bikini, and Shepherd contends that her participation (and the suggestive online photos of her on the boat) got her fired.

District officials acknowledged to the Post that the photos could have undermined her effectiveness, though they insist they weren't the cause of Shepherd's termination.

It brings up a salient point, though, one that's getting a more thorough look these days as teacher conduct in and out of the classroom comes under increasing scrutiny.

People expect certain behavior from teachers because they are molding children's future. They don't expect them to misbehave with children (as we've seen all too frequently lately), and they also prefer that teachers don't misbehave without students around, too. And that definition of "misbehave" varies.

Over the years, the Gradebook reporters have seen some teachers leave town even to have a beer. Some teachers choose to live miles, even counties, away from their campuses to avoid running into students and parents in the grocery store.

The Internet opens a whole new world where "misbehavior" can take place for everyone to see. And young teachers like Shepherd often end up there, to varying responses. First-year Duval teacher Timothy Huber has resigned his job, for instance, after parents saw him mocking a student on a YouTube video, the Florida Times-Union reports.

The Washington Post recently ran a story on this topic. Makes you wonder where public life ends and private life begins, doesn't it?

Layoffs? Or pay cuts?

Florida's school districts face some tough choices as money gets tight. They face the first year-to-year decline in spending money for the first time in about three decades, if lawmakers stick to their budget plan. As a result, leaders have begun talking about eliminating field trips, increasing meal prices, scaling back sports.

But everybody recognizes that the 800-pound gorilla is employee salaries and benefits. They make up about 85 percent of spending in most districts, as superintendents regularly point out. So while trims in transportation might make up some financial ground, the districts increasingly find themselves needing to cut pay or cut positions.

Manatee County officials like the former better than the latter, and they've proposed slashing salaries by about 5 percent for teachers (and 7.5 percent for administrators) rather than laying off more than 400 employees that key leaders estimate would have to go to balance the budget.

"Our attitude was, everybody gives a little so nobody has to give everything," School Board member Jane Pfeilsticker told the Bradenton Herald.

But will teachers take it? Unlike parents, who have only PTAs and SACs to wield some influence, or kids, who have just student government, teachers have legally enforced collective bargaining on their side. And they can fight. (Look no farther than the Collier teachers and their yearlong battle over a 1 percent bonus. Or consider Pasco teachers' rejection of a proposal to delay their step increases for next year.)

So while families watch their programs get cut without much say, teachers actually might be able to choose whether they like less pay for all, or no pay for some. Wonder which one looks better (especially to the ones getting pink slips).

National Board certification facing cutbacks

The House just voted 71-37 for a bill (5083) that education officials say will eventually do away with the state's popular bonus program for National Board-certified teachers by diluting incentives to teachers. The Senate passed a similar bill yesterday, with a 35-1 vote.

The legislation does away with a bonus for certified teachers who mentor other educators, as well as a $2,250 application fee subsidy for teachers who pursue the certification. The Senate version is even more controversial and opposed by the FEA because it limits the annual 10 percent bonus for board-certified teachers to one 10-year period.

About 10,000 teachers benefited from the program this year, at a cost of $88-million to the state. The changes would cut the state's tab by $41-million next year.

For previous posts on this subject, click here and here.

Florida's longest tenured teacher dies

Lakeland High English teacher Hazel Haley, thought to be the longest serving teacher in the country, died Monday at her home at age 91, the Lakeland Ledger reports. She taught 69 years - the longest teaching term in Florida - before retiring in 2006.

The Ledger reports one of her favorite sayings as, "My goal is to keep enjoying life to the fullest, spend money and make sure the last check I write - for my funeral - bounces."

The Florida House honored Ms. Haley this morning with a moment of silence. So do we all.

(Lakeland Ledger photo, 2002)

Still waiting

Sen. Stephen Wise (left) told lobbyists for the Florida Education Association and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards that he'd quickly get with them to see if they couldn't work out some agreement over funding bonuses for National Board-certified teachers.

Wise had just won unanimous approval for a bill (SB 1746) that would cut - some would say gut - the budget for the 10-year-old program that rewards teachers who successfully complete a rigorous national certification process.

A week later, the teachers' representatives were still waiting.

So much to do, so little time

There's been much criticism lately of the state mandate that elementary school students get 30 minutes of daily physical activity. It's not the requirement that has gotten the attention, but rather the way schools have "creatively" gotten around it.

To solve the problem, lawmakers have introduced legislation that would have schools offer "30 consecutive minutes" of P.E., or what House sponsor Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, termed "a legitimate 30 minutes." The bill also would have middle schools provide that daily period of physical activity, beginning in 2009. Middle school parents could waive the requirement for their children.

Lawmakers - as well as many education and health groups - see the benefits of getting today's Nintendo and McDonald's generation up and moving. But even as they moved the bill forward this morning, some key members on the House Schools and Learning Council signaled they might not support it on the floor over some concerns that they're asking schools to cram too much into the six-period day.

"We can't keep putting requirements on our teachers and principals and expect them to achieve high academic standards unless we add another period to the school day," said Rep. John Legg, R-New Port Richey, who runs a charter school.

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.

ESOL bill clears first hurdle

A bill to reduce the amount of ESOL training for reading specialists from 300 hours to 60 hours won near unanimous support in the Florida Senate today.

Just four senators who represent portions of Miami-Dade County - Republicans Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Rudy Garcia and Alex Villalobos, and Democrat Nan Rich - opposed the measure (SB 286), which has received support from frustrated teachers but derision from groups that advocate on behalf of students who are still learning English.

The bill has a companion still moving its way through the House, where the Schools and Learning Council has given its unanimous support. Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed the concept last year; he has not indicated his position this session.

See this recent Miami Herald story and past Gradebook post for more information.

Union stranglehold vs. Dr. Evil

If you think teachers unions are the problem when it comes to education reform, this new website is for you. Launched this morning by the Center for Union Facts, which is backed by a D.C. lobbyist who's been called "Dr. Evil" (more on him in a minute), the website "features original, previously unreported research about the union's stranglehold on America's schools" and aims to "educate Americans about how teachers unions protect incompetent teachers, demoralize good teachers, block reform, and ultimately hurt our public education system," according to a press release.

The site doesn't include much info about Florida, but Pinellas union chief Jade Moore gets prominent mention in a section titled, "Blocking Education Reform." The reference is based on a quote from Moore in a 2005 St. Petersburg Times story about merit pay for teachers.

The new site's launch is part of a bigger campaign which includes an ad blitz and a "Ten Worst (union-protected) Teachers" contest (complete with promises of a 7-story billboard going up in Times Square). And it's not going off without a ruckus. The headline on a dueling press release from the pro-union American Rights at Work refers to Dr. Evil, a.k.a. Richard Berman (shown above), and proclaims, "Cynical Attack on America's Teachers from Corporate Hack." Meanwhile, a written statement from the president of the American Federation of Teachers calls Berman "an ethically challenged attack dog" and a "shameless lobbyist who has shilled for pesticide, alcohol and tobacco companies."

- Ron Matus, state education reporter (Photo from USA Today 2006 article)

More on teacher quality

It's almost counterintuitive.

The top answer to the question of what best measures teacher quality was "student performance on standardized tests." Yet the same Times survey showed that when asked what should be the determining factor in setting teacher pay, respondents said "years of experience or level of college degree" as their top answer.

This Times story explores what it all means. If you just want to look at the results and decide for yourself, though, we have them here for you. Hope you've enjoyed our poll coverage. Maybe we'll do another one another day. (Click on the chart to see it full size.)

Bill would help expand foreign language offerings

TALLAHASSEE - State lawmakers are considering a bill this legislative session that aims to open Florida’s public schools to new languages by making it easier for teachers to teach new and different languages not commonly found in classrooms now.

The bill would give Florida’s teachers an easier way to get certified to teach 11 additional languages, including Italian, Chinese, Arabic and even Haitian Creole.

Right now, the Florida Department of Education only offers state certification tests for Spanish, French, German and Latin, which means those are standard in most school districts. While other foreign languages, like Chinese, are taught in some schools, they’re not common, because those teachers must have a bachelor’s degree in any language that the state doesn’t offer a certification test for.

The proposal would allow teachers to get certified in a language by passing a foreign language test issued by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Teachers would have to pay for the test out of their own pocket, which runs $134 for the oral exam and $65 for the written test, according to the council.

Already 15 other states, most recently Texas, use the council’s tests to certify foreign language teachers in their school system.

Jennifer Liberto, Times staff writer

Science teachers have all the fun

   

With a smile that big, how could we resist? Pictured above is Steve Crandall, an eighth-grade science teacher at Inverness Middle School and president of the Florida Association of Science Teachers. He was floating inside a refitted Boeing 727 at the Kennedy Space Center Sunday, one of 22 teachers selected to participate in an experience offered by the Stephen Hawking Microgravity Education and Research Center.

Crandall replicated experiments his students had developed in class to test hypotheses involving microgravity. Truth be told, we're not sure what microgravity is (though we can all learn by clicking here), but the experiments involved pendulums, a spinning toy and paper whirlybirds. Videotapes will be available in a few weeks so Crandall's students can see what happened and decide what experiments to do next.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter; Photo courtesy of Space Florida and the Zero Gravity Corp.

What makes a teacher effective?

You'd like to know, wouldn't you? So, too, would some researchers at Florida State University. And they've got more than $1-million in grants to help them find out.

Economics professor Tim Sass and education assistant professor Stacey Rutledge are looking at such factors as teacher training, principal assessments and high-stakes testing to compile a statistical, objective look at exactly what goes into good teaching.

They plan to issue a report, as well as create a web site to help educators across the country develop conditions that make educators more effective.

"We have a federal policy - the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 -  that says all teachers need to be highly qualified, but sets narrow criteria for what constitutes effectiveness: a bachelor’s degree, certification, and having passed a content knowledge assessment," Rutledge said in a news release. "So this really is an attempt to identify a broader set of criteria for defining effectiveness."

Jeb Bush launches education foundation

Former governor Jeb Bush, who made his mark in Florida's education system with the A-Plus accountability system, is going national with the creation of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a non-profit intended to create and manage programs aimed at improving classroom education.

"A quality education can change a life," Bush, who serves as chairman of the board of directors, said in a news release.  "It opens the door to opportunity, so students can pursue their dreams."

The foundation will host a two-day conference in June in Orlando. It also will sponsor a new Distinguished Teaching Incentive to recognize up to 100 teachers whose students make "significant" improvement in math and reading in a year, as measured by standardized tests. It further will house the Arts For Life program developed by Columba Bush nine years ago.

To view the group's site, click here.

Union: Board certified teachers "among the elite"

Evidently responding to comments in last week's St. Petersburg Times, Florida Education Association President Andy Ford (left) immediately fired back at lawmakers who say national board certified teachers might have to jump through another hoop – perhaps some measure of student achievement - to prove they deserve hefty bonuses. (See the Times story here.)

"This argument exasperates me," Ford said in a press release. "The teachers who earn National Board Certification put in hundreds of hours of effort, over and above what they regularly do in their classrooms to earn this honor. Their work is judged by highly qualified examiners and it often takes teachers more than a year to earn this distinction."

Ford continued: "I always hear political leaders say they want the best teachers for the children of Florida. Well, National Board Certified Teachers are among the elite. We should be celebrating their successes and encouraging other outstanding teachers to participate instead of questioning the validity and value of a program that is seen as the gold standard of the teaching profession."

As the Times story noted, as the number of board certified teachers in Florida has grown rapidly in recent years, so too has the price tag for the bonus program - which topped $70 million last year - and so too has the scrutiny from politicians and education researchers. Next year's rocky budget forecast makes it all the more likely that the program will get a close look from lawmakers. Stay tuned.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

This would help who?

Like many other Florida school districts, Collier County has been slow to reach a teacher contract this year.

Unlike most of the others, Collier's teachers are acting like a real, aggressive union to push for what they want. Florida doesn't allow teachers to strike, but they have other steps to take and, in Collier, they are doing that.

First, the Collier Education Association called for its members to "work the contract," a term that means do nothing more than what the contract calls for. Leave school the minute the work day ends, don't grade papers at home, that sort of thing.

Now, it is urging teachers to resign their supplemental positions - that's everything from sponsoring student clubs to coaching sports teams - unless the sides reach a deal by Dec. 21, the Naples Daily News reports.

"While CCEA is very reluctant to move ahead with this, it is put in this position by the failure of the district to engage in any productive discussions beyond the 1 percent bonus offer," CCEA Executive Director Jonathan Tuttle wrote in a statement.

Not surprisingly, students are concerned.

"I am a senior and I am applying to college. My work with these clubs is established," Barron Collier High School senior Stephanie Alvarez told the paper. "But my sister is a freshman and there are sophomores and juniors who need these clubs. A lot of colleges look at what your extracurricular activities are."

The public generally supports teachers and acknowledges they're underpaid. But when teachers assert their employment rights like this, it often turns the public against them. The sight of students crying because their teachers won't provide what they need to get into college, for instance, never goes over too well. We'll keep watching this one.

Leading the nation

Florida finally is first in something education related.

This year, it has the most teachers newly certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The 1,675 teachers who successfully completed the rigorous program bring Florida's total to 10,875, second only to North Carolina.

Florida also had 11 of the nation's top 20 districts when it comes to new National Board certified teachers. They include Hillsborough, sixth with 131, and Pinellas, thirteenth with 65. Pasco wasn't far behind, adding 35 teachers to its group.

Broward has more National Board certified teachers, 1,283, than any other district in the country.

"The basis of a quality education begins with the teacher in the classroom," Gov. Charlie Crist said in a news release. "As we grow the number of National Board Certified Teachers, more students will have access to quality teaching and learning."

There's still some dispute over whether teachers who have this certification get any better results from their students than those who don't. But there's no real dispute as to why they seek it - a combination of self-improvement and a state-offered bonus.

To read the press release, click here. Lists of teachers should be available later today.

UPDATE: To see the list of Hillsborough teachers, click here. To see the list of Pasco teachers, click here.

Money for math and science teachers

Florida State University and the University of Florida are teaming up on a $10 million plan to better recruit and prepare math and science teachers for Florida's public schools – areas where there have been critical shortages for years.

The effort, announced in Tallahassee this morning, is modeled on a program at the University of Texas at Austin that doubled the number of UT-Austin grads with certification to teach math and science.

Florida could use the boost.

Burnout High

We mean the teachers, not the kids. According to a national survey of rookie teachers released today, middle and high school teachers are much more likely than their elementary school peers to say teaching is what they really want to do, and less likely to think they're in it for the long haul.

Conducted by Public Agenda and the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, the survey of 641 first-year teachers found that 61 percent of new elementary school teachers strongly agree that teaching is really what they want to be doing now, while only 47 percent of middle and high school teachers saying likewise. (The numbers don't look good either way, though, no?)

"We all know that kids become a handful in the teen years, so we shouldn't be surprised that teaching kids this age is especially challenging," Jean Johnson, Public Agenda's executive vice president, said in a press release. "What's more worrying is the number of brand new teachers who seem to have been left dangling in challenging new jobs. These new high school and middle school teachers are more likely to say their training wasn't practical enough, and less likely to say they get good advice from colleagues once they're on the job."

Does this ring a bell? Is Florida doing enough to prepare middle and high school teachers for their unique challenges? To see the full report, click here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

More details coming

If you liked Florida's new teacher discipline web site before, you're going to love it come Monday.

That's when the state will replace the "summary of allegations" category with links to the documents that offer all the sordid details. Instead of seeing the words "Engages in inappropriate conduct with students and staff" - the complaint against Daniel Jacob Crane, the first Pinellas teacher on the site - you'll be just a click away from the document with the proof.

Why is the state doing this?

"To make the public information more accessible," deputy chancellor Pam Stewart says.

For a more in-depth interview about the teacher discipline system with Stewart, visit the Gradebook at noon Saturday.

Teacher trouble?

Now that you know who your child's teacher is, you might want to find out more about him or her. There's word of mouth — that's always good. One mom I know always looks at whether other teachers' kids are in her child's class as a gauge of whether that teacher is a good one.

The state now offers something more.

Beginning this week (perhaps as early as today), the Department of Education is launching myfloridateacher.com, a Web site where you will be able to look up teacher discipline actions going back as far as January 2007. Admittedly, it's not as far back as you might like. It is, however, a first step toward assuring the public that the state is trying to prevent the ages old "pass the trash" practice. You know, that's where one district "counsels" a bad teacher out, but never tells the next district hiring that teacher exactly why.

The Web site also posts agendas for the Education Practices Commission, which hears teacher discipline cases that make it to the state level; gives easy access to certification information; and tells you how to report cases, too. To read the DOE press release on the site, click here.

Beyond this, the department also plans to ask the Legislature to change the law, and to improve funding, so it can take action quicker and analyze data more efficiently. To see the action plan approved by the State Board of Education, click here.   

Of course, most disciplinary matters don't make it to the state level. So if you've got concerns, call your local school district and ask to see your teacher's personnel file(s). They are public record, though open investigations are not.

Teachers are happy?

We know, we know: There are surveys and then there are surveys, and we take them all with a grain of salt. But here's another one we thought worth considering: According to a new report from the National Center for Education Statistics (which is part of the U.S. Department of Education and has a credible rep), the vast majority of teachers from the 1993 cohort targeted by NCES were happy with their jobs - at least the ones still there a decade after they started.

Even more striking: Fewer than 1 in 5 teachers had changed professions within four years of getting their bachelor's degree, a turnover rate much lower than commonly reported for teachers and relatively low compared to other professions. "I understand why schools and school districts are upset about losing teachers, but it is part of the normal sorting process" in a dynamic job market, NCES Commissioner Mark Schneider told Education Week.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Teachers Cruise (Homework Req'd)

You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but apparently you can't get the classroom out of a group of National Board Certified teachers -- not even on a five-day cruise to Cozumel.

About 18 Hillsborough teachers recently returned from a cruise-and-learn on board the Carnival Inspiration, a first of its kind for the district's council of NBCT teachers. Between port visits, the teachers gathered in a floating library to discuss Eric Jensen's Teaching with the Brain in Mind. The teachers say this was no junket. They paid their own way. And, yes, they wanted to talk about classroom matters during their vacation. During two-hour study sessions, they also reviewed articles on the Mexican educational system and discussed lesson plans and strategies for the school year.

"We don't have any life," joked Sue Creekmore, a teacher at Clair Mel Elementary in Tampa.

Or, perhaps these teachers are extremely passionate about teaching. Creekmore said the group embraced an opportunity to seek professional development in a relaxed setting.  "It seemed like such a great idea to build the camaraderie and the relationships," she said, adding: "to have different surroundings and still be able to indulge in this collegial exchange of ideas."

The cruise is part of the evolution of the Hillsborough National Board Certified Teachers Council, which began meeting over three years ago. The teachers typically have dinner on Monday nights. They invite educational speakers and try to hear from one political figure, too -- last year, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio spoke to the group.

As for another cruise? "Everybody seemed very very eager to go again," Creekmore said. 

Trouble with algebra?

The Southern Regional Education Board, which serves 16 southern states including Florida, has developed a new online course aimed at helping students with algebra, the course many educators call a "gatekeeper" to future academic success.

The course, created with the help of Florida Virtual School, focuses on one concept - linear functions - which is considered by many one of the hardest concepts to teach yet key to understanding algebra. Early test runs in Maryland report that the new method worked well for them.

This initiative looks to be the first of many in which SREB states work together to find high-quality teaching methods and then share them. If the course intrigues you, contact your virtual school for more information.

Another plug for measuring teachers

It might be hard to tell from the media coverage, especially in Florida, but the idea that teachers should be rated based on student test scores is not a right-wing plot. There are independent groups, non-partisan groups, bipartisan groups and yes, even lefty groups who think the notion has merit (like the Brookings Institution, see here; the Center for American Progress, see here; and the Carnegie Corp., see here). The latest example: The bipartisan No Child Left Behind Commission, which issued this policy brief yesterday in furthering its arguments that the federal law should change how it defines a highly qualified teacher. Testing data "should not be the sole determinant in making teacher quality decisions," the commission said, "but they must - along with evaluations conducted by principals and peer review panels - be a substantial part of the equation."

To be sure, measuring teacher quality has its pitfalls, as many supporters readily admit. And who knows? Maybe the test-making and data-crunching tools needed to do it fairly and sensibly aren't in hand yet. But it seems dishonest (doesn't it?) for critics to attempt to dismiss the idea as partisan or ideologically driven. What do you think? If the idea is so lame-brained, why have thoughtful people from the left, the right and the center all moved towards the same conclusion?

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Should Jennifer Porter return to teaching?

State officials may decide next month if Jennifer Porter, the Hillsborough teacher who fled the scene of a 2004 accident that killed two children and injured two more, can return to a classroom.

The Times reported in April that Porter wants to continue teaching. She was a dance teacher at Muller Elementary when she drove away from a collision with four children, ages 2 to 13, who were crossing the street near the school in north Tampa. She pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of the accident - a felony - but avoided jail time through a judge's ruling.

Her attorneys have requested a hearing before the state's Educational Practices Commission, which is scheduled for July 16 and 17 in Tampa. You can follow the progress of the Porter case online. Teachers who commit criminal felony acts can face penalties ranging from suspension to revocation of teaching credentials.

(Times photo, 2005)

You can't always get what you want

Gov. Crist signed the new state budget this morning, finalizing a 6.65 percent increase in per-pupil funding and $147.5 million for teacher bonuses. The total budget is $71.5 billion, and public schools get $24.4 billion of that. But in the end, Crist had to settle for less. He got half of what he wanted for teacher bonuses, $500 million less for class-size reduction (the final budget includes $3.3 billion for it) and $20 million less for more reading coaches (the state will get 80 more instead of 400 more.) "This is a tight budget year," Crist said in a press release, "and we must live within our means, just as the people of Florida must live within theirs."

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

(Photo of Gov. Crist signing a different bill, from the State of Florida)

Today's news

FROM TROOPS TO TEACHERS: When Marvin Wethington was thinking about days after the Army, he wasn't sure what his skills as a drill sergeant might get him. With the help of the federal Troops to Teachers program, he discovered the path into the world of education. The program, with 974 clients working in Florida, is about to place its 10,000th teacher.

SCHOOLS GET A SMOKE DAY: Pasco children spent the day inside - no outdoor recess, P.E. or even regional championship baseball - to avoid a thick blanket of smoke coming from more than 25,000 acres of fires to the north.

FROM THE OP-ED PAGES: Requiring kids to exercise in elementary school is a smart move, even if it's an unfunded mandate, the editorial board says. And, guest columnist Jack Bray says, peer mediation in school is preposterous. What the kids need is strong discipline.

TEACHERS GRIPE, CRIST COMMISERATES: A group of 15 teachers gave the governor a laundry list of problems they see in Florida schools, not the least of which was FCAT. The governor said he'd do what he can, asking if lengthening the school day would help, the AP reports.

SARASOTA GETS TOUGH ON APPLICANTS: Burned by recent teacher and principal hires, the Sarasota school district toughens its employment procedures and hires an investigator to do background checks, the Herald-Tribune reports.

FLORIDA JOINS LOAN INVESTIGATION: AG Bill McCollum e-mails 11 universities and 28 community colleges, aiming to get leaders to agree to manage loans without conflicts of interest, the Miami Herald reports. Meanwhile, the head of the federal student loan program resigns as the national testing scandal broadens, the Washington Post reports.

(Photo credit: Keri Wiginton, Times photo)

Today's news

MISSING - ONE GOLF CART: And five lawn mowers, ten sousaphones and a salad bar. Auditors have a long list of property that FAMU can't find, and it totals about $2.7-million. Some suggest that the inability to locate these items points to a larger accountability problem at the university.

NO SODA, BUT STILL NO NUTRITION: When Robinson High in Tampa banned sugary carbonated drinks from campus vending machines, students turned to sugary non-carbonated drinks with even more calories instead.

FROM THE OP-ED PAGES: Pasco County has required seniors to pass the FCAT if they want to walk at graduation since 1998, and there's no good reason to change the policy now, the editorial board says. Some letter writers agree.

CHARACTER COUNTS: Few debate the importance of honesty and ethical behavior. But can kids get that moral compass from school classes? The Broward school district is investing $1.4-million to study whether character education actually works, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Look for results in about three years.

FCAT INFLUENCE: Schools try their best to meet the test's standards, shifting their focus and spending lots of time and energy on little else. Then the results show that their efforts netted no gain. It's got teachers wondering how much the standards should drive the curriculum, the Herald-Tribune reports.

FINALLY, A LITTLE GOOD NEWS FOR FAMU: The College of Education wins accreditation, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

IF IT WERE ANY OTHER SCHOOL ... It would be closed down. But English High in Boston is the nation's first public high school, and so the state is working to resolve its problems instead, the Associated Press reports.

Today's news

NEW TUITION PLAN: Lawmakers agree to let Florida's three national research universities - UF, USF and FSU - increase their rates by as much as 40 percent, marking a major change in the way they have looked at tuition and the universities' financial needs. Gov. Charlie Crist has vowed to veto anything that makes college cost more.

THE SURVEY SAYS ... Pinellas County school employees have a much higher opinion of the superintendent and School Board. They also say the climate has improved at many schools where morale had been low.

TEACHERS PICKET: Hillsborough high school teachers continue to protest the administration's plan to make them teach six periods a day instead of five. The School Board and superintendent show no sign of budging. This issue looms over pending contract negotiations. (link to come)

BOARD CLOSES CHARTER: The Language Academy in New Port Richey had staved off attempts to shutter its doors for months, promising to fix its financial problems. School Board members finally pulled the plug Tuesday.

KIDS HELPING KIDS: Peer mediation started as a trial in a handful of middle schools in 1991. Now it's in just about every school in Pinellas County.

FAMU AUDIT OUT: The university's explanations about missing money and questionable transactions failed to convince the state auditor, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

SCHOOLS BUDGET: Lawmakers appear set to let school districts take advantage of continued growth in local property values, even as they criticize other local governments for wanting to do the same thing, the Palm Beach Post reports.

CLASS SIZE SCANDAL (UPDATE): We've been keeping tabs on the story of the Santa Ana, Calif., school district that lied about class size figures to claim state funding. Well, the state has finally caught up with the district, and it looks like the district will lose $2-million, the LA Times reports.

TEACH HOW, THEN WHY: A Chicago teacher offers his views in the Chicago Tribune on why so many kids can't do advanced math.

Today's news

SON BENCHED, PRINCIPAL HOWLS: Coaches say they're harassed, now they cry foul. The decision to sit the son of Countryside High's principal was based on his inability to hit the ball, say the coaches, who have resigned and filed a complaint with the Pinellas school district against the man. The principal denies any wrongdoing.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE? With a little guidance, Florida eighth graders are trying to figure out what major to choose for high school. A visit to one Tampa middle school reveals that they're treating the task like, well, middle school kids. To read the story, click here.

GIVE IT BACK: Nearly 350 Palm Beach teachers have to write their school district a check after the district payroll department makes a $900,000 error, paying them too much. The average amount: $2,600. The new payroll system has made other mistakes, too, since going into effect in July, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Here's the Palm Beach Post version.

GIFTED FUNDING FROZEN: Lawmakers appear settled on capping, rather than eliminating, funding for high school gifted programs. Parents and students are relieved, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

MORE EDUCATION BUDGET NEWS: There's not any more money for teacher performance pay, the Miami Herald reports, but there is some extra for raises. University and college tuition will rise 5 percent, despite the governor's wish to keep the amount the same.

NO MORE VALS AND SALS: The Palm Beach school district would give college-style honors, like magna cum laude,  rather than focus on No. 1 and No. 2 under a proposal from superintendent Art Johnson. The battle for the top spot has gotten too intense for Johnson's taste, the Palm Beach Post reports.

SENIORITIS SETS IN: They were supposed to be in class. Instead, they decided to party at a friend's house. The 22 D.C.-area seniors, and a couple of underclassmen, got suspended, the Washington Post reports.

Today's news

KIDS LOVE THESE BOOKS: The Bluford High series by author Paul Langan has grown so popular in Hillsborough County middle schools that media specialists are ordering more. What's the attraction? The characters are mostly black, mostly urban and, basically, a lot like the kids who are reading about them.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE SCHOLARS GONE? Not to Florida A&M, that's for sure. The school rivaled Harvard U. in its ability t