For years, Florida and Georgia full-time teachers have received free annual passes to Sea World. Many have used their unlimited admission to create fun aquatic-themed lessons for their students.

The end of 2009, though, means the end of the free ride into the theme park. So a group of teachers have started an online petition in hopes of changing the new park owner's mind.

"As an educator in the state of Florida or Georgia," they write in the introduction, "it is up to you to let Sea World Orlando know just how important the Study Pass is to our daily lesson plans and how denying educators of the Study Pass is essentially denying students knowledge."

Of course, Sea World does provide free study guides for teachers. And it offers an entire Web site aimed at teachers and education, also free. It's just the entry fee — $74.95 for unlimited admission for Florida and Georgia residents — that won't be gratis anymore.

Still, more than 150 teachers had signed the petition when we last checked, writing things like, "Teachers and SRPs get paid so little that this is a really nice way of letting us know we are appreciated. Please keep this promotion going."

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