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Senate Joint Resolution

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A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 1 of

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Article IX and the creation of Section 27 of Article XII

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of the State Constitution to establish beginning and

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average teacher salaries and to provide an effective date.

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Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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     That the following amendment to Section 1 of Article IX and

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the creation of Section 27 of Article XII of the State

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Constitution are agreed to and shall be submitted to the electors

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of this state for approval or rejection at the next general

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election or at an earlier special election specifically

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authorized by law for that purpose:

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ARTICLE IX

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EDUCATION

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     SECTION 1.  Public education.--

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     (a)  The education of children is a fundamental value of the

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people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount

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duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of

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all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision

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shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and

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high quality system of free public schools that allows students

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to obtain a high quality education and for the establishment,

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maintenance, and operation of institutions of higher learning and

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other public education programs that the needs of the people may

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require. To assure that children attending public schools obtain

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a high quality education, the legislature shall make adequate

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provision to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2010 school

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year, there are a sufficient number of classrooms so that:

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     (1)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to each

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teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for

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prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;

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     (2)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to each

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teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 4

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through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and

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     (3)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to each

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teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 9

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through 12 does not exceed 25 students.

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The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to

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extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated with

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reducing class size to meet these requirements is the

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responsibility of the state and not of local schools districts.

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Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the legislature shall

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provide sufficient funds to reduce the average number of students

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in each classroom by at least two students per year until the

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maximum number of students per classroom does not exceed the

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requirements of this subsection.

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     (b) By 2011, the beginning salary for full-time public

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school teachers shall be no less than the national average

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beginning salary for full-time public school teachers, as

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provided by law. By 2011, the average salary for full-time public

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school teachers shall be no less than the national average salary

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for full-time public school teachers, as provided by law. The

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increases in the beginning and the average full-time public

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school teacher salaries shall be independent of employee benefits

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and shall not alter, jeopardize, or decrease existing employee

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benefits. Payment of the costs associated with increasing

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beginning and average teacher salaries is the responsibility of

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the state and not of school districts. Nothing in this subsection

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shall impair collective bargaining.

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     (c)(b) Every four-year old child in Florida shall be

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provided by the State a high quality pre-kindergarten learning

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opportunity in the form of an early childhood development and

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education program which shall be voluntary, high quality, free,

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and delivered according to professionally accepted standards. An

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early childhood development and education program means an

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organized program designed to address and enhance each child's

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ability to make age appropriate progress in an appropriate range

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of settings in the development of language and cognitive

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capabilities and emotional, social, regulatory and moral

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capacities through education in basic skills and such other

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skills as the Legislature may determine to be appropriate.

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     (d)(c) The early childhood education and development

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programs provided by reason of subsection (c) subparagraph (b)

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shall be implemented no later than the beginning of the 2005

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school year through funds generated in addition to those used for

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existing education, health, and development programs. Existing

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education, health, and development programs are those funded by

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the State as of January 1, 2002 that provided for child or adult

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education, health care, or development.

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ARTICLE XII

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SCHEDULE

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     SECTION 27. Beginning and average teacher salaries.--The

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amendment to Section 1 of Article IX relating to public

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education, which establishes beginning and average teacher

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salaries, shall take effect July 1, 2009.

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     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be

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placed on the ballot:

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CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

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ARTICLE IX, SECTION 1;

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ARTICLE XII, SECTION 27

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     ESTABLISHING BEGINNING AND AVERAGE TEACHER SALARIES.--

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Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to require that,

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by 2011, the beginning salary for full-time public school

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teachers shall be no less than the national average beginning

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salary for full-time public school teachers, as provided by law;

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to require that, by 2011, the average salary for full-time public

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school teachers shall be no less than the national average salary

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for full-time public school teachers, as provided by law; to

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provide that the increases in the beginning and the average full-

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time public school teacher salaries shall be independent of

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employee benefits and shall not alter, jeopardize, or decrease

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existing employee benefits; to provide that payment of the costs

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associated with increasing beginning and average teacher salaries

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is the responsibility of the state and not of school districts;

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to provide that nothing in this amendment providing for beginning

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and average teacher salaries shall impair collective bargaining;

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and to provide for the amendment to take effect July 1, 2009.