If charter schools are public schools why do they get to play by different rules. Wake up Florida

From the Times Union, by Matt Dixon

Over the vocal opposition of Democrats, the House passed a bill Friday that, among other things, clarifies that charter schools have wiggle room in complying with a controversial “merit pay” law signed during a 2011 ceremony at KIPP Jacksonville.

That goal is clearly laid out in a House analysis.

Legislation by Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, requires charter schools to adopt “key concepts” from the merit pay bill but provides “flexibility to shape these policies in a manner that fits the charter school.”

The bill does not require that charter schools submit to the state the teacher evaluations implemented by the merit-pay law — as traditional public schools must. It exempts charters from complying with some new teacher-pay requirements and states that some provisions in the act “don’t apply to charter schools.”

During floor debate before the 86-30 vote, Adkins focused on provisions that, she said, would “increase accountability” on charters.

The bill requires the Department of Education to determine annually if “high performing” charter schools should keep that designation, requires charter schools maintain websites making clear who owns and operates them and creates tougher standards for charter schools to receive federal funds.

“I absolutely believe that parents have the best ability to decide what is best for their child,” Adkins said. “We have got to have a state education system that is student centered.”

Democrats said the bill creates an uneven playing field because it was amended to exempt charters schools from having to send teacher evaluations to the Department of Education.

“The reporting requirements for charter schools are vastly different than those of public schools. … We are not holding these charter schools to the same standards” in the merit-pay law, said state Rep. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami.

Adkins said requiring the Department of Education to sign off on charter school evaluations would overload the system.

Evaluations will “be managed in their contract with the school district,” Adkins said. “It would be a workload issue if the department had to get involved right now.”

The bill also aims to fix “unintended results” that came from the merit-pay law. Specifically, some districts have said the act does not allow charters to hire teachers on an “at-will” basis. That status means there is no contract. An employer can fire an employee at any time, or the employee can leave at any time.

Adkins’ bill explicitly states the merit-pay law language about at-will status does “not apply to charter schools.”

It also exempts charters from the law’s pay provision because charter school teachers work in non-traditional schools.

“Charter school teachers are not assigned to schools in the same manner as teachers employed by a school district,” the bill analysis reads.

State Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, is sponsoring the Senate companion bill. That version seems unlikely to get to the Senate floor, but could be expedited by that chamber’s leadership.

Matt Dixon: (904) 716-8789

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-03-03/story/charter-schools-get-merit-pay-break#ixzz1o3paHDsN