House Bill 4299
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4299
By Representatives Sublette, Constantine, Chestnut, Culp,
Lynn, King, Warner and Casey
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to teachers; creating s.
3 231.025, F.S.; creating the "Florida
4 Outstanding Teacher Act of 1998"; providing
5 definitions; creating the Florida Outstanding
6 Teacher Program; providing for nominating
7 panels and criteria for eligibility; providing
8 for selection of recipients; providing for
9 monetary awards; providing for funding;
10 providing an effective date.
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12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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14 Section 1. Section 231.025, Florida Statutes, is
15 created to read:
16 231.025 Florida Outstanding Teacher Program.--
17 (1) This section may be cited as the "Florida
18 Outstanding Teacher Act of 1998."
19 (2) The effectiveness of the classroom teacher is the
20 most important influence the school has on a student's
21 learning. Every school has outstanding teachers whose
22 performance results in superior effectiveness in increasing
23 student learning. Such performance should be recognized and
24 rewarded in a manner that will provide an incentive for that
25 teacher to continue as a classroom teacher.
26 (3) For purposes of this section:
27 (a) A full-time classroom teacher is a teacher whose
28 full-time job responsibility is the classroom instruction of
29 students in grades K-12. It does not include other members of
30 the instructional staff who work with students in grades K-12,
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4299
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1 but whose full-time job duties are not full-time classroom
2 teaching.
3 (b) A school is a standard or regular school that
4 enrolls students in grades K-12. It does not include special
5 centers and sites that provide instruction and services to
6 selected students in grades K-12, such as detention centers,
7 special purpose centers, the superintendent's office, and
8 other similar centers or sites.
9 (4) The Florida Outstanding Teacher Program is hereby
10 created. To receive an Outstanding Teacher Incentive Award of
11 $2,000, a teacher must be selected as follows. Each school in
12 each school district shall establish two independent
13 outstanding teacher nominating panels. One panel shall be
14 comprised of teachers in the school and one panel shall be
15 comprised of parent members of the school advisory council.
16 Each panel shall separately nominate the teachers who in its
17 opinion constitute the most effective 10 percent of classroom
18 teachers in the school.
19 (5) The primary eligibility factors for nomination for
20 an Outstanding Teacher Incentive Award shall be a full-time
21 classroom teacher who:
22 (a) Is broadly recognized among peer teachers and
23 parents for superior effectiveness in increasing student
24 learning.
25 (b) Is an admirable role model for teachers.
26 (c) Possesses the highest professional credibility
27 among peers, parents, and students.
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29 Seniority shall not be considered in determining a teacher's
30 eligibility. Each nominating panel shall determine its own
31 process for making nominations, except that the parent panel
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4299
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1 shall include a survey of the parents of the students enrolled
2 in the school. To be eligible to receive an Outstanding
3 Teacher Incentive Award, a teacher must be nominated by both
4 the teacher and parent panels, provided that the "Teacher of
5 the Year" nominee of the school, if any, shall also be a
6 nominee for an Outstanding Teacher Incentive Award.
7 Nominations must be submitted to the school principal by May 1
8 of each school year.
9 (6) The school principal shall review the nominations
10 of the teacher and parent panels and, based on his or her
11 professional knowledge, concur or fail to concur with the
12 nominations. The principal may not make nominations. When the
13 teacher and parent panels and the principal agree on the
14 teachers who represent the most effective 10 percent of the
15 teachers in the school, an Outstanding Teacher Incentive Award
16 of $2,000 shall be given to each such teacher. The principal
17 shall certify to the district superintendent and the school
18 board the name of each teacher of the school selected to
19 receive a $2,000 Outstanding Teacher Incentive Award.
20 (7) Upon accepting the Outstanding Teacher Incentive
21 Award, each teacher must agree to serve as mentor and coach
22 for other teachers in the school during the following year.
23 The principal shall facilitate mentoring opportunities for
24 teachers to acquire knowledge and skills from the school's
25 most effective teachers.
26 (8) Funds to pay Outstanding Teacher Incentive Awards
27 shall be paid from state funds allocated to school districts
28 for this purpose only and shall not be a part of the school
29 district salary schedule. Each $2,000 payment shall be a
30 one-time payment and shall not be a part of the teacher's base
31 pay. There shall be no limit on the number of times a teacher
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4299
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1 may be nominated and receive an Outstanding Teacher Incentive
2 Award. All taxes due, if any, shall be paid from the award in
3 accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
4 (9) The terms and conditions and all payments made
5 under the Florida Outstanding Teacher Program shall not be
6 subject to collective bargaining.
7 (10) This act shall be implemented only to the extent
8 funded in the General Appropriations Act.
9 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1 of the
10 year in which enacted.
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13 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Creates the Florida Outstanding Teacher Program to
15 provide a $2,000 Outstanding Teacher Incentive Award to
teachers selected for their effectiveness in increasing
16 student learning. Provides for a selection process at
each school and funding through the General
17 Appropriations Act.
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