Open Letter to Governor Charlie Crist of Florida

To: charlie.crist@myflorida.com Date: Monday, April 12, 2010, 2:17 AM Hon. Governor Charlie Crist; Respectfully, may I state: You've got it backwards. Give teachers BONUSES for their student's good test scores, not reduce their income based on their student's scores. Some children won't learn no matter how good their teacher.  Never mind tenure, but REWARD good teachers by keeping them on, and giving them bonuses - test the teachers, and then discontinue them if they have low scores, reward them for good scores by keeping them.  "You can draw more flies with honey than vinegar", so said my father who was a Florida middle school teacher of science and government for many years.  He won awards, and held a doctorate. Teachers need MORE education, not less, and it's very expensive to earn that education.  Give them large discounts in the state colleges!  Enforce higher standards in THEIR learning!  Some teachers can't even spell, and use very poor grammar.  In the past, I have been appalled at times at some of their erroneous marks and poor grammar on my children's papers.  Fortunately they weren't all lacking, and my now adult children are very literate.  Some of the teachers, especially in the earlier years were wonderful and very dedicated. What you are planning to do with Sb6 will dumb down society even more than has been done.   Surely that isn't your plan! Athletes get paid millions, but teachers, with whom we entrust to help raise our children, are not valued.  Shame!   Our Florida Lottery was supposed to bring in millions for Education.  Perhaps it's time to raise the stakes.  Sincerely, Dee Rohe Concerned Florida citizen.