Senate Bill sb2254
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 SJR 2254
By Senator Wilson
33-1261-07 See HJR
1 Senate Joint Resolution
2 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to
3 Section 1 of Article IX and the creation of
4 Section 27 of Article XII of the State
5 Constitution to establish beginning and average
6 teacher salaries and to provide an effective
7 date.
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9 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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11 That the following amendment to Section 1 of Article IX
12 and the creation of Section 27 of Article XII of the State
13 Constitution are agreed to and shall be submitted to the
14 electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
15 general election or at an earlier special election
16 specifically authorized by law for that purpose:
17 ARTICLE IX
18 EDUCATION
19 SECTION 1. Public education.--
20 (a) The education of children is a fundamental value
21 of the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a
22 paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the
23 education of all children residing within its borders.
24 Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform,
25 efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free
26 public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality
27 education and for the establishment, maintenance, and
28 operation of institutions of higher learning and other public
29 education programs that the needs of the people may require.
30 To assure that children attending public schools obtain a high
31 quality education, the legislature shall make adequate
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Florida Senate - 2007 SJR 2254
33-1261-07 See HJR
1 provision to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2010 school
2 year, there are a sufficient number of classrooms so that:
3 (1) The maximum number of students who are assigned to
4 each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
5 prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;
6 (2) The maximum number of students who are assigned to
7 each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
8 grades 4 through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and
9 (3) The maximum number of students who are assigned to
10 each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
11 grades 9 through 12 does not exceed 25 students.
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13 The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to
14 extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated with
15 reducing class size to meet these requirements is the
16 responsibility of the state and not of local schools
17 districts. Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the
18 legislature shall provide sufficient funds to reduce the
19 average number of students in each classroom by at least two
20 students per year until the maximum number of students per
21 classroom does not exceed the requirements of this subsection.
22 (b) By 2011, the beginning salary for full-time public
23 school teachers shall be no less than the national average
24 beginning salary for full-time public school teachers, as
25 provided by law. By 2011, the average salary for full-time
26 public school teachers shall be no less than the national
27 average salary for full-time public school teachers, as
28 provided by law. The increases in the beginning and the
29 average full-time public school teacher salaries shall be
30 independent of employee benefits and shall not alter,
31 jeopardize, or decrease existing employee benefits. Payment of
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 SJR 2254
33-1261-07 See HJR
1 the costs associated with increasing beginning and average
2 teacher salaries is the responsibility of the state and not of
3 school districts. Nothing in this subsection shall impair
4 collective bargaining.
5 (c)(b) Every four-year old child in Florida shall be
6 provided by the State a high quality pre-kindergarten learning
7 opportunity in the form of an early childhood development and
8 education program which shall be voluntary, high quality,
9 free, and delivered according to professionally accepted
10 standards. An early childhood development and education
11 program means an organized program designed to address and
12 enhance each child's ability to make age appropriate progress
13 in an appropriate range of settings in the development of
14 language and cognitive capabilities and emotional, social,
15 regulatory and moral capacities through education in basic
16 skills and such other skills as the Legislature may determine
17 to be appropriate.
18 (d)(c) The early childhood education and development
19 programs provided by reason of subsection (c) subparagraph (b)
20 shall be implemented no later than the beginning of the 2005
21 school year through funds generated in addition to those used
22 for existing education, health, and development programs.
23 Existing education, health, and development programs are those
24 funded by the State as of January 1, 2002 that provided for
25 child or adult education, health care, or development.
26 ARTICLE XII
27 SCHEDULE
28 SECTION 27. Beginning and average teacher
29 salaries.--The amendment to Section 1 of Article IX relating
30 to public education, which establishes beginning and average
31 teacher salaries, shall take effect July 1, 2009.
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Florida Senate - 2007 SJR 2254
33-1261-07 See HJR
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
2 placed on the ballot:
3 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
4 ARTICLE IX, SECTION 1;
5 ARTICLE XII, SECTION 27
6 ESTABLISHING BEGINNING AND AVERAGE TEACHER
7 SALARIES.--Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to
8 require that, by 2011, the beginning salary for full-time
9 public school teachers shall be no less than the national
10 average beginning salary for full-time public school teachers,
11 as provided by law; to require that, by 2011, the average
12 salary for full-time public school teachers shall be no less
13 than the national average salary for full-time public school
14 teachers, as provided by law; to provide that the increases in
15 the beginning and the average full-time public school teacher
16 salaries shall be independent of employee benefits and shall
17 not alter, jeopardize, or decrease existing employee benefits;
18 to provide that payment of the costs associated with
19 increasing beginning and average teacher salaries is the
20 responsibility of the state and not of school districts; to
21 provide that nothing in this amendment providing for beginning
22 and average teacher salaries shall impair collective
23 bargaining; and to provide for taking effect July 1, 2009.
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