News & Public Affairs

Florida Education Association President Andy Ford - SB 736 is bad news for teachers and students

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Tags: FEA, Andy Ford, SB 736, teacher tenure, SB 6, Florida Legislature, education

On today's Last Call we spoke with Florida Education Association President Andy Ford about SB 736 which was approved by the Florida Legislature after fierce debate earlier this week. The bill, which will dramatically change the way public school teachers are evaluated and compensated now heads to Governor Rick Scott who has promised to sign it into law. A s...

The President of the Florida Teacher's Union on a Proposal to Institute Merit Pay for Teachers

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Tags: merit pay, public schools, FEA, SB6

There’s a battle brewing in Tallahassee over a plan to change the way teachers are paid here in Florida—it pits the head of the Florida Republican Party against the statewide teacher’s union.

But first some listener comments about last Thursday’s program on which we talked with citizens of Canada, Germany and Great Britain on their country’s national health care programs.

Here’s what some listeners had to say:

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A new bill introduced in the Florida Senate by...

Florida education head discusses school layoffs listen

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Tags: Education funding, economy, FEA

Last night in Fort Lauderdale, the Broward School Board voted unanimously to lay off almost 400 teachers.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that board members said they had little choice but to lay off the teachers, citing three years of state budget cuts and declining student enrollment. But they were angry and defiant, urging the audience to call and write state leaders to protest.

Andy Ford is president of the Florida Education Association (FEA). He said that the recession is ...