Teacher pay bump

As a veteran elementary school teacher, I read the July 4 article Old tests may give teachers pay boost with interest.

I was elated to read that the Legislature has more than $44 million to give teachers a pay bump. However, I feel that these raises should not be based on their ACT or SAT scores. Years ago, teachers attending the University of Florida were required to take the Florida Placement rather than the ACT or SAT.

Since only highly effective teachers qualify for the bonus up to $10,000, the number of teachers eligible to receive the additional monies is restricted. The final calculation for “highly effective” is based on a test that is not even validated yet.

If you want to recruit Florida’s best and brightest, provide a pay scale that competes with the business sector, not one that is based on a test.

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Teacher pay bump."