Bill Text: FL S0198 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Minimum Salaries for Full-time Public School Teachers
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2013-05-03 - Died in Education [S0198 Detail]
Download: Florida-2013-S0198-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2013 SJR 198 By Senator Abruzzo 25-00278-13 2013198__ 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 9 the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to 10 the 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 schoolschools44 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 2015, the salary for a new full-time teacher in a 50 public school must be at least equal to the national average 51 salary for a new full-time teacher in a public school, as 52 provided by law. By 2015, the average salary for an experienced 53 full-time teacher in a public school must be at least equal to 54 the national average salary for an experienced full-time teacher 55 in a public school, as provided by law. Any increase in the 56 salaries for new full-time teachers and for experienced full 57 time teachers in a public school, as a result of adjustments 58 required by this subsection, is independent of employee benefits 59 and may not alter, jeopardize, or decrease existing employee 60 benefits. The state, rather than the school districts, shall 61 fund any salary increase required by this subsection. Nothing in 62 this subsection shall impair collective 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 ofsubparagraph (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 NEW AND EXPERIENCED FULL-TIME TEACHERS 88 IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.—This proposed amendment to the State 89 Constitution sets minimum salaries for new and experienced full 90 time teachers in public schools. By 2015, the minimum salary for 91 a new full-time teacher in a public school must be at least the 92 national average salary for new full-time teachers in public 93 schools. By 2015, the average salary for an experienced full 94 time teacher in a public school must be at least the national 95 average salary for experienced full-time teachers in public 96 schools. The salary adjustments required by this amendment are 97 independent of employee benefits and must not result in 98 decreased employee benefits. The state, rather than the school 99 districts, must fund any required salary increases.