Florida Senate - 2016                                   SJR 1516
       
       
        
       By Senator Abruzzo
       
       25-01675-16                                           20161516__
    1                       Senate Joint Resolution                     
    2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 1
    3         of Article IX of the State Constitution to establish
    4         minimum salaries for full-time public school teachers.
    5          
    6  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    7  
    8         That the following amendment to Section 1 of Article IX of
    9  the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to
   10  the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
   11  general election or at an earlier special election specifically
   12  authorized by law for that purpose:
   13                             ARTICLE IX                            
   14                              EDUCATION                            
   15         SECTION 1. Public education.—
   16         (a) The education of children is a fundamental value of the
   17  people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount
   18  duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education
   19  of all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision
   20  shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and
   21  high quality system of free public schools that allows students
   22  to obtain a high quality education and for the establishment,
   23  maintenance, and operation of institutions of higher learning
   24  and other public education programs that the needs of the people
   25  may require. To assure that children attending public schools
   26  obtain a high quality education, the legislature shall make
   27  adequate provision to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2010
   28  school year, there are a sufficient number of classrooms so
   29  that:
   30         (1) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
   31  teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
   32  prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;
   33         (2) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
   34  teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 4
   35  through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and
   36         (3) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
   37  teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 9
   38  through 12 does not exceed 25 students.
   39  
   40  The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to
   41  extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated with
   42  reducing class size to meet these requirements is the
   43  responsibility of the state and not of local school schools
   44  districts. Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the
   45  legislature shall provide sufficient funds to reduce the average
   46  number of students in each classroom by at least two students
   47  per year until the maximum number of students per classroom does
   48  not exceed the requirements of this subsection.
   49         (b)By 2017, the salary for a new full-time teacher in a
   50  public school must be at least equal to the national average
   51  salary for a new full-time teacher in a public school. By 2017,
   52  the average salary for an experienced full-time teacher in a
   53  public school must be at least equal to the national average
   54  salary for an experienced full-time teacher in a public school.
   55  Any increase in the salaries for new full-time teachers and for
   56  experienced full-time teachers in a public school which occurs
   57  as a result of adjustments required by this subsection is
   58  independent of employee benefits and may not alter, jeopardize,
   59  or decrease existing employee benefits. The state, rather than
   60  the school districts, shall fund any salary increase required by
   61  this subsection. Nothing in this subsection shall impair
   62  collective bargaining.
   63         (c)(b) Every four-year old child in Florida shall be
   64  provided by the State a high quality pre-kindergarten learning
   65  opportunity in the form of an early childhood development and
   66  education program which shall be voluntary, high quality, free,
   67  and delivered according to professionally accepted standards. An
   68  early childhood development and education program means an
   69  organized program designed to address and enhance each child’s
   70  ability to make age appropriate progress in an appropriate range
   71  of settings in the development of language and cognitive
   72  capabilities and emotional, social, regulatory and moral
   73  capacities through education in basic skills and such other
   74  skills as the Legislature may determine to be appropriate.
   75         (d)(c) The early childhood education and development
   76  programs provided by subsection (c) reason of subparagraph (b)
   77  shall be implemented no later than the beginning of the 2005
   78  school year through funds generated in addition to those used
   79  for existing education, health, and development programs.
   80  Existing education, health, and development programs are those
   81  funded by the State as of January 1, 2002 that provided for
   82  child or adult education, health care, or development.
   83         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
   84  placed on the ballot:
   85                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT                     
   86                        ARTICLE IX, SECTION 1                      
   87         MINIMUM SALARIES FOR NEW AND EXPERIENCED FULL-TIME TEACHERS
   88  IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.—Proposing an amendment to the State
   89  Constitution to set minimum salaries for new and experienced
   90  full-time teachers in public schools. By 2017, the minimum
   91  salary for new and experienced full-time teachers in public
   92  schools must be at least the national average salary for new and
   93  experienced full-time teachers in public schools. Any salary
   94  adjustments are independent of employee benefits and may not
   95  result in decreased employee benefits. The state must fund any
   96  required salary increases.