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Lawmakers Could Push Back Against Scott's Teacher Pay Raise Plan


January 25, 2013 | WLRN - Florida legislators may push back on Governor Rick Scott's plan to give every full-time Florida teacher a twenty-five-hundred-dollar raise. Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford on Thursday said he applauds Scott, but wants teacher pay to be tied to performance.

In 2011, lawmakers passed a measure that set out a merit pay system, and Weatherford said it should continue to be the basis for teacher pay increases.

"Certainly we believe that merit pay is an area we should be looking at very closely. There are some wonderful teachers out there that we believe should be recognized, and we created a payment system in Senate Bill 736 that does that," said Weatherford. 

"I just think that should be a part of the conversation,"he added.

Scott says an across-the-board raise for teachers would cost the state 480-million dollars.

Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz want Scott to explain how he would pay for the raises in the state budget.

 

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