DeSantis’ proposed teacher bonus program pays more to those in struggling schools

Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced a new teacher and principal bonus program that would pay public school teachers more based on their school’s improvement.

The proposal, announced alongside Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran at Vero Beach High School, would replace the controversial and long-beleaguered Best and Brightest program that DeSantis had deemed “confusing.” That program based teacher bonuses on student performance on standardized tests and the teacher’s own high SAT scores from when they were students.

The $300 million plan comes in addition to DeSantis’ $600 million proposal to increase the minimum salary for classroom teachers to $47,500. The governor’s latest pitch won praise from others in the “reform” universe who have backed most aspects of Florida’s testing-based accountability efforts.

“We fully support increasing teacher pay,” said Patricia Levesque of ExcelinEd, the education foundation led by former Gov. Jeb Bush. “Rewarding teachers and principals who successfully collaborate to create a rich learning environment ensures that student success is, appropriately, at the center of any performance-based plan.”

The bonus plan is divided into three tiers: Tier 1 is for schools that earn 85% or greater of the total possible points or gain six or more points in their A-F school grading calculation. Tier 2 includes schools gaining three to five points in their school grade and tier 3 schools gained one to two points in their school grade.

Teachers in Tier 1 schools would receive up to $3,700, $1,750 in Tier 2 schools and $500 in Tier 3 schools. Principals would earn $5,000 at Tier 1 schools, $2,500 at Tier 2 schools and $1,250 in Tier 3 schools. Teachers and principals at Title I schools, or schools with a high number of students from low-income families, would get double those amounts.

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho commended the proposal, describing it as timely, equitable and fairly distributed.

“[It] has the potential to significantly stabilize and incentivize our state’s indispensable teaching workforce,” he said.

South Florida teacher union leaders were less enthusiastic about the proposal.

In a statement, United Teachers of Dade President Karla Hernandez-Mats said the educational workforce welcomes conversations that lead to pay increases, but the details are important.

“It still remains unclear how this promising, but massive overhaul will be paid for; how it will affect pay for our veteran teachers; how it will account for education equity across the board; and how it will be sustainable in the future,” she said. “We look forward to hearing more about the governor’s proposition and long-term plan as we move into the 2020 legislative session.”

In Miami-Dade County, 75% of the district’s nearly 400 schools are designated Title I schools. And all schools except one earned an A, B or C grade last year.

Those figures are similar in Broward County, where 80% of the district’s 250 schools are Title I. Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco pointed out how teachers move in and out of Title I schools.

“It’s just not equitable,” she said. “All of our teachers work hard and our students show growth in so many ways other than a letter grade.”

Fusco says a bonus program is not the answer. Rather than one-time possible bonuses that only reach classroom teachers, Fusco said DeSantis should commit dollars to raise increases that reach all teachers, including support staff, pre-kindergarten teachers, counselors and speech pathologists who do not meet the state’s definition of a “classroom teacher.”

“More money is always good,” she said. “School grades shouldn’t make or break someone looking to earn a livable wage.”

Still unclear in the debate is whether the lawmakers will go along — especially in the more conservative House.

House PreK-12 Appropriations Chairman Chris Latvala said his chamber is also committed to “doing something about teacher salaries. There is common ground in that area.”

But whether the lawmakers can find enough money to meet the governor’s nearly $1 billion price tag remains to be seen. Committees are reviewing priorities to see how they might reallocate existing resources.

“We’ll certainly take a look at it,” Latvala said of the governor’s proposal, adding, “I think the House may have a plan of its own.”

Colleen Wright reported from Miami. Jeffrey S. Solochek reported from Hillsborough County.

This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 6:58 PM.