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South Carolina Teachers Chatboard

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by had enough

Feb 2, 2011

SC school finance proposal gets initial approval By SEANNA ADCOX Associated Press

A bill designed to simplify South Carolina's decades-old funding formulas for public education and stop automatic pay raises for teachers advanced Tuesday in the Legislature.

A House Ways and Means panel unanimously approved the bill to update the state's 1977 Education Finance Act, still the state's basis for student funding.

After years of talking about an overhaul, without making any headway, legislators seem ready to seriously tackle it this year. The state's $830 million budget shortfall is prompting more lawmakers to listen, said House Ways and Means Chairman Dan Cooper, R-Piedmont.

"It's so complicated," said Cooper, the bill's sponsor. "It's been tacked onto for 33 years."

The bill, drafted after months of meetings, would add more money for students who are poor or are learning English, but reduce money for others. Districts could see small changes in t...See More

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Bummed out On 2/02/11, had enough wrote: > SC school finance proposal gets initial approval > By SEANNA ADCOX > Associated Press > > > > A bill designed to simplify South Carolina's decades-old > funding formulas for public education and stop automatic > pay raises for teachers advanced Tuesday in the Legislature. > > > >...See MoreOn 2/02/11, had enough wrote: > SC school finance proposal gets initial approval > By SEANNA ADCOX > Associated Press > > > > A bill designed to simplify South Carolina's decades-old > funding formulas for public education and stop automatic > pay raises for teachers advanced Tuesday in the Legislature. > > > > A House Ways and Means panel unanimously approved the bill > to update the state's 1977 Education Finance Act, still the > state's basis for student funding. > > > > After years of talking about an overhaul, without making > any headway, legislators seem ready to seriously tackle it > this year. The state's $830 million budget shortfall is > prompting more lawmakers to listen, said House Ways and > Means Chairman Dan Cooper, R-Piedmont. > > > > "It's so complicated," said Cooper, the bill's > sponsor. "It's been tacked onto for 33 years." > > > > The bill, drafted after months of meetings, would add more > money for students who are poor or are learning English, > but reduce money for others. Districts could see small > changes in their distributions, based on their student > populations, "but there will not be a huge windfall or > shortfall," Cooper said. > > > > While a state budget office estimate issued Monday said the > bill could cost the state's general revenue account between > $70 million and $145 million, Cooper says the measure has > no net cost, but rather shifts funds from a different pot > of money for education. Under a 1984 law, 1 percent of > state tax collections goes to a separate education account, > to be spent on specific programs approved by the > Legislature. > > > > The shift gives districts more flexibility to spend money > as they see fit for their particular needs, Cooper said. > > > > The bill would also would direct the education agency to > develop a pay-for-performance plan for teachers by Dec. 1, > as it gets rid of automatic increases in pay for each year > a teacher's in the classroom. The state salary schedule > increases yearly for up to 22 years of service. > > > > But the Legislature has frozen the increases for two years > amid Great Recession budget shortfalls. Some districts, > however, have opted to continue to fund pay raises entirely > from local property taxes. With an even-greater-the-usual > mishmash of pay across the state, legislators consider it > an opportune time to revamp teacher salaries. > > Teachers would continue to see pay raises based on their > education level, such as a bachelor's versus a master's > degree, but Cooper said it's not fair to automatically > reward all teachers simply for another year in the > classroom. > > > > "They're getting rewards whether they're a good teacher or > not," said Cooper, whose wife is a teacher. > > > > A spokesman for state schools chief Mick Zais called the > legislation a good step forward and likes the idea of > streamlining nearly a dozen funding categories. Zais, who > advocated pay-for-performance while campaigning last year, > also looks forward to tackling that issue, said his > spokesman J.W. Ragley. > > > > But the Republican superintendent is studying the idea of > funding all grade levels the same. Currently, students are > weighted differently according to their grade level, but > the proposal would give the same base amount for each > student, while adding money for other categories such as > gifted and talented. > > > > "There's no longer a difference between a first grader and > an 11th grader. Does that match reality?" Ragley asked. > > > > The full Ways and Means Committee will consider the bill > next. >

yes, what bums me out is with performance pay -- what if your admin for whatever reason does not like you? Not your FB friend, bar buddy, etc. Then what do you do when you get a low evaluation that is unwarranted? What about admins who pick and choose where their son/daughter will be (in certain classes) then fix schedules so the child has some "friends" in classes with them? What then? So, I am concerned about merit pay/raises based on performance... > >

Feb 5, 2011

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sc teach Good points. My admin already does this. If they don't like a teacher, they put the teacher back on SAFE T, and give them low evaluations, and there is nothing they can do about it. Plus what about schools where the parents actually enforce behavior and academics at home. I work in Richland county 2 at a title 1 school, and the majority of my stude...See More

Feb 6, 2011

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Had Enough "The state's first Republican schools superintendent in 12 years wants to move teacher and principal salaries into a mandatory pay- for-performance system. A proposal moving through the House, and backed by GOP legislative leaders, could direct Zais to develop such a plan by Dec. 1, for implementation beginning in 2012-13."

Zais also point...See More

Feb 8, 2011

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