Pinellas tweaks legislative wish list

NOVEMBER 24, 2009

A revised draft of the Pinellas school district's 2010 legislative agenda includes a few interesting changes - all suggested by school board members at last week's workshop.

It now begins with an excerpt from Article IX of the Florida Constitution - the excerpt that says it's a "paramount duty" of the state to make "adequate provision" for "high quality" schools. That's the same language that opened the door to this new lawsuit.

It now notes in the first section that the school board has been "unable to provide pay increases for any employee groups in the past three years." (It continues to say that the board's goal is to increase teacher salaries to the national average and that the Legislature should "build a budget that allows that to happen.")

It no longer says the Legislature should consider a proposal for a constitutional revision that would make the class-size amendment more flexible, but continues to ask for "as much statutory flexibility as possible."

The board will consider the revised draft on Jan. 12.

Posted by Ron Matus at 9:31:41 am on November 24, 2009 in

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Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going in on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.

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