TEACHERS VOTE TO REJECT
“STAR” PAY SCHEME 

The teachers and support staff of United Teachers of Dade voted overwhelmingly to reject the “STAR” (Special Teachers Are Rewarded) pay scheme that was forced onto the 67 school districts across the state. The United Teachers of Dade as well as the Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools opposed the STAR pay scheme.  The votes were tabulated today and 92% of the teachers and support personnel who voted rejected the plan. (Against STAR:  13,009; In Favor of STAR: 1,118)

“The teachers and educational staff have spoken in a unified voice.  The STAR plan is a fiasco that undermines effective teaching and learning.  The state mandated features will unravel the fabric of collegiality and actually frustrate the mission of our public schools,” UTD President Karen Aronowitz said.  

            STAR not only prevents 75% of teachers from being eligible to receive the merit pay, but it will also judge teachers on how well their students perform on the FCAT test, even though many of the teachers do not teach FCAT subjects.  These teachers would then be judged by other non-scientific, non-validated tests yet to be developed.  Additionally, teachers have no right to appeal.  

            UTD, by its President, Karen Aronowitz, attempted to negotiate an appropriate merit pay plan that supports student learning and reinforces teacher collaboration.  In fact, UTD and the School District have successfully utilized such a plan for many years.   

            However, the State Department of Education mandated all of the terms and conditions of the STAR Plan, leaving the union and the District with no room to negotiate acceptable features to a merit pay plan.  Furthermore, the State indicated that MDCPS would lose $19.6 million in STAR funding if a STAR plan was not adopted by March 1, 2007. 

            UTD and MDCPS failed to negotiate an acceptable plan.  Last week, the School Board, fearing the loss of badly needed funding, reluctantly and regrettably adopted the State mandated STAR Plan.  Under Florida Labor Law the Board plan was submitted to the 38,000 bargaining unit members of UTD for a vote.   

Nevertheless the School Board is allowed under Florida law to impose and enforce the plan on the workforce of educators.  Despite the vote, MDCPS has indicated that, pursuant to the law, the plan will go into effect automatically tomorrow.   

“The Department of Education should be embarrassed that it used the threat of withholding funding to force a misguided and detrimental pay scam on the students and parents of Miami-Dade County.  I am proud that the UTD members rejected this mess,” Aronowitz stated.