Florida Senate - 2017 SJR 938
By Senator Rader
29-01585-17 2017938__
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 the
9 State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to the
10 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 2019, the salary of a new full-time teacher in a
50 public school must be at least equal to the national average
51 salary of a new full-time teacher in a public school. By 2019,
52 the average salary of an experienced full-time teacher in a
53 public school must be at least equal to the national average
54 salary of an experienced full-time teacher in a public school.
55 Any increase in the salaries of new and experienced full-time
56 teachers in public schools which occurs as a result of
57 adjustments required by this subsection is independent of
58 employee benefits and may not alter, jeopardize, or decrease
59 existing employee benefits. The state, rather than the school
60 districts, shall fund any salary increase required by this
61 subsection. Nothing in this subsection shall impair collective
62 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 FULL-TIME PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS.
88 Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to establish
89 minimum salaries for new and experienced full-time teachers in
90 public schools. By 2019, the minimum salaries of such teachers
91 must be at least the national average salaries of new and
92 experienced full-time teachers in public schools. Any salary
93 adjustments are independent of employee benefits and may not
94 result in decreased employee benefits or impair collective
95 bargaining. The state must fund any required salary increases.