Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith Regarding today’s passage of Senate Bill 736

Thursday, March 10, 2011

DOE Press Office (850) 245-0413

Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith Regarding today’s passage of Senate Bill 736

“I commend the Florida Senate for passing a measure today that, if ultimately placed into law, will fundamentally improve the work going on in our classrooms and the overall achievement of our children. Senate Bill 736 is groundbreaking legislation for our state, requiring a fair and accurate evaluation of our teachers that thoughtfully links their performance to the academic achievement of their students.

“Simply put, our current system of evaluation is not useful. It relies primarily, if not solely on subjective observation, and fails to connect our teachers to the work of their students. This legislation allows us to address that deficiency and gives us the capability to finally recognize and reward our most effective teachers for the incredible job they are doing.”