Friday News Roundup: Week of March 21-25

Florida Governor Scott signs teacher pay, tenure bill

Most Ohio school districts will see funding increase

Tennessee Governor’s tenure reform bill for teachers passes House

Nebraska Committee faces possible showdown with governor over state aid to schools

Florida Governor Scott signs teacher pay, tenure bill
Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a teacher pay and tenure bill that would implement a test-based merit pay system and eliminate tenure for teachers hired after July 1 of this year. Proponents believe the bill will allow schools to get rid of ineffective teachers more easily and compensate effective teachers at a higher level. Though the merit pay plan won’t go into effect until 2014, school districts must begin developing new tests for the merit pay system, which may cost funds they do not have. The Florida teachers union has not yet decided whether it will challenge the law in court. However, a spokesperson for the organization called it an “unfunded mandate.” More here…

Most Ohio school districts will see funding increase
According to estimates from the Office of Budget and Management in Ohio, more than 400 of Ohio’s 614 school districts will see increases in state basic aid funding in the 2011-12 school year. However, the estimates obscure potential cuts that those districts will see in other state education grants, such as funding cuts  to gifted education. Additionally, the estimates do not account for losses in federal stimulus funding. Those funds have supported many districts in the state for the past two years. Some districts, however, will see large cuts to their state basic aid, including several districts already in severe financial trouble. Representatives from the districts anticipating funding decreases suggest that Ohio Governor Kasich is purposely detracting attention from these cuts. More here…

Tennessee Governor’s tenure reform bill for teachers passes House
The Tennessee House passed a bill that would increase teacher tenure requirements from three years to five years. Additionally, it would make it possible return tenured teachers to probationary status if they fail to reach expectations two years in a row. The bill would also implement a stricter teacher evaluation system that would include annual observations and student test scores. However, the bill leaves several details unspecified including how the system will handle teachers that teach untested subjects. The state Senate previously passed a similar version of the bill. More here…

Nebraska Committee faces possible showdown with governor over state aid to schools
The Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee has proposed a state K-12 education budget that diverges from the governor’s proposed funding levels. Under the Committee’s plan, the state would provide $822 million in 2012 and $880 million in 2013 to schools. The governor’s plan, on the other hand, would freeze current state spending at $810 million for 2012 and increase it to $860 in 2013. The $810 million budget for schools in fiscal year 2011 does not include $140 million in federal stimulus funds that schools have also been receiving. Those funds would disappear in 2012, leaving schools with only state funding, a 15 percent cut in funding if state levels remain at $810 million. Many school districts are nervous about these possible cuts and the ramifications for educational services. More here…