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2007 End-of-Year Newsletter

Dear Colleagues,

As the end of the school year approaches, I would like to thank you for the thoughtful feedback that you have provided to the Department of Education throughout the year via: responding to online surveys, conference participation, group discussions, online discussions, phone calls, and e-mails. Recently, Governor Crist held a meeting with 15 teachers from across Florida to discuss issues of importance to them. Many of the teachers who participated in that meeting also contribute to the online discussion boards launched in March. It is important for you to know that the Department is listening and will continue to do so now and in the future. While the “Just for Teachers” monthly newsletter will be on hiatus for the summer, the “Just for Teachers” Web page will continue to be updated. I will also be available to you all summer long - feel free to contact me with questions, concerns, or suggestions. In addition, the Florida Education Channel will continue to air the monthly television show “Teacher Talk: An Inside Look at Florida Education,” and all programs will be available on the Web at www.fldoe.org/justforteachers. By the end of May, the “Education Legislation” section of the “Just for Teachers” Web page will reflect the latest updates from the 2007 Legislative Session and you will be able to see just how your feedback has helped shape education policy.

A World Record-Breaking Year!
Congratulations to the Florida middle school students and teachers who successfully broke the record for the “Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously in Multiple Locations.” The event, Breaking a World Record: Reading Aloud!, overseen by the Just Read, Florida! office, highlighted the importance of reading to middle school students. The record attempt aired via a live public broadcast and Webcast from Disney-MGM Studios at 11:25 a.m. on Sept. 28, 2006, when 186,054 middle school students statewide read an excerpt from the book “Peter and the Starcatchers” written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. According to an official document sent by Guinness World Records™, Florida students broke the previous record of 155,528 students throughout the United Kingdom who read William Wordsworth’s poem “Daffodils,” on March 19, 2004. 456 Florida schools participated in this momentous feat. Guinness World Records™ is currently considering the record for entry in its annual book.

A Peek at New Education Legislation
The Department of Education is currently holding Legislative Review meetings across the state this month. Complete information will be posted on the “Just for Teachers” Web page following the last meeting. Following are some of the more notable legislative changes from the 2007 Florida legislative session:

  • Merit Award Program – Senate Bill 1226, signed into law by Governor Crist on March 29, 2007, creates the Merit Award Program for public school teachers, providing five-percent to 10-percent performance bonuses to each district's best performers. Salary bonuses will be based on a percentage of each district’s average teacher salary. The legislation recognizes the important contributions that school-based administrators, librarians, reading and math coaches, guidance counselors, psychologists, and social workers make to school-wide student achievement by also rewarding them with performance bonuses. For more information on the Merit Award Program, visit http://www.fldoe.org/justforteachers.
  • Reading Coaches –Additional reading coaches will guide more teachers to help students develop strong reading skills. Currently, Florida’s 2,300 reading coaches help educators learn the most comprehensive and effective research-based practices for teaching reading. For information on earning your reading certification or for information on reading professional development programs, visit the Just Read, Florida! Web site at http://www.justreadflorida.com.
  • Virtual Tutors – Parents will be better equipped to help their own children improve their academic success. The Virtual Tutors program will provide parents, teachers and administrators with clear, concise information regarding student skill levels. Virtual tutoring enables parents and teachers to track children’s progress and identify skill areas where a child needs additional help.
  • Physical Education – Elementary school students (grades K-5) in Florida public schools will be required to have 150 minutes of physical education each week. Governor Crist also established the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness to develop a state plan of action to promote physical fitness and nutrition for all Floridians.

Online Survey: Teacher Mobility
The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) is partnering with Learning Point Associates to conduct a study of teacher interstate mobility and are asking Florida teachers to participate. If you are a current or former teacher who has moved from one state to another during your teaching career, or received your training to become a teacher in a state other than the one in which you are now teaching, NASDTEC would like to hear about your experiences. Your responses will be used to help states understand and address the barriers and facilitators associated with teacher interstate mobility so that teachers can apply their skill and knowledge in schools and states that need them the most. Note: The survey should take no more than 10 minutes and participation is voluntary. Your responses to the survey questions will be reported in the aggregate only, meaning that all responses will remain anonymous and none will be attributed to you as an individual. Your name and email address is requested for quality assurance purposes only and individual responses will be kept completely confidential.

This survey closes Friday, May 25.

To begin the survey, visit http://www2.learningpt.org/mobility/.

Should you have questions about the survey or the study, please contact Kenny Smith via email at kenneth.smith@learningpt.org or phone at 312-288-7608.

Did You Know?
In a recent Florida teacher survey, to which nearly 13,000 educators responded, teachers cited the following as the top five issues important to them:

  1. Making a difference with students
  2. Receiving good salary increases
  3. Having a supportive administration
  4. Working for a dynamic instructional leader
  5. Having input in running the school

I wish you a safe and restful summer.

Best Regards,

Nicole