Florida's effort to secure up to $700 million in federal funds with a plan including merit pay has met some harsh criticism from state teachers union officials. ...more

December 27, 2009

Florida's statewide teachers union discouraged local affiliates from endorsing the state's application for up to $700 million in federal stimulus grant money that would require the adoption of merit pay plans. ...more

December 20, 2009

Florida is linking its application for $700 million in federal education grant money to the adoption of local merit pay plans, which have been unpopular among teachers in the past although that could be changing. ...more

December 12, 2009

Prescribed guidelines for awarding 1 percent merit pay increases to Hillsborough County executives were not followed when County Administrator Pat Bean gave the raise to herself in 2007. ...more

October 28, 2009

As in many other areas, the biggest education debates are happening within the Democratic Party. On the one hand, there are the reformers like Joel Klein and Michelle Rhee, who support merit pay for good teachers, charter schools and tough accountability standards. On the other hand, there are the teachers' unions and the members of the Ed School establishment, who emphasize greater funding, smaller class sizes and superficial reforms. ...more

December 7, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Teachers across Florida are awaiting the Department of Education's annual grading of individual schools. ...more

July 8, 2008

The Miami Herald's analysis probably said it best: The big winners in the new state budget are prison builders; the big losers are public schools. ...more

May 6, 2008

Barack Obama is the Democratic Party's best chance for change and today we recommend him for your consideration. ...more

January 11, 2008

Highlands County is among 14 districts opting not to participate in the new state teacher merit pay plan. ...more

September 20, 2007

The Florida Legislature's new and improved teacher merit pay plan may have passed with grudging union support, but teachers still don't like it and some school districts have declined to participate, turning down millions of dollars in state bonus money. ...more

September 17, 2007