Gov. Rick Scott wants to cut down on red tape for teachers. He says he’s ready to convene a group of school superintendents to come up with ways to cut back on unnecessary regulations. The announcement follows the governor’s week-long listening tour around the state.
Gov. Scott visited a dozen schools where he heard from teachers, administrators, and parents.
Merit pay based on standardized test scores was among their concerns. Scott says most everybody agreed that measuring student achievement is necessary.
“What they want to make sure is we’re doing it for the right reasons," said Scott. "It’s not a war on teachers. It’s a way to make sure students are better prepared. Make sure it’s diagnostic.”
To that end, Scott says he wants teachers spending as much time as possible teaching, not filling out needless forms.
He plans to choose five superintendents representing large and small districts. The group will be given 30 days to come up with a list of state education requirements that could be eliminated.
Scott says any requirement that doesn’t help students get ready for college or a career probably isn’t needed.