MERIT AWARD PROGRAM

Vote To Be Held at Your School After Jan 7, 2008

All instructional personnel will participate in a vote after the first of the year to determine if we should negotiate a Merit Award Program (MAP) for the 2008-09 school year.

(For our new members not familiar with MAP, please download the Q&A from the Florida Dept of Education below).

Okaloosa teachers voted not to participate in MAP for the 07-08 school year, nor it’s ill-conceived and short-lived predecessor, STAR (Special Teachers Are Rewarded). However, we submitted a "placeholder" to the DOE to allow us time to decide if we want to participate in 2008-09.

Briefly, the Merit Award Program is funded through legislation specifically designed for MAP. A district's participation in MAP is not required. Bonuses may be 5 to 10 percent of the district's average teacher salary which would have to be negotiated. Approximately 25% of Okaloosa teachers would receive the MAP award if the bonus was negotiated at 5%.

A "MAP teacher assessment" would have to be negotiated with at least 60% of the teacher's score based on student performance and/or learning gains. All of which would have to be negotiated, but could include FCAT scores, end of course exams, and other assessments that measure student performance or learning gains. A teacher’s evaluation would up to 40% of their score. Again, all would have to be negotiated.

For the 2007-08 school year, 12 out of 67 districts submitted a Merit Award Program to the DOE. Of the 12, six were recently returned to the districts for re-writes. They have until January 31, 2008 to resubmit. The rules for MAP have not changed, nor do we expect them to change for 2008-09.

When you vote, please remember if we participate in MAP, about 25% of our teachers will receive the bonus. Also, since it is a bonus, there is no retirement paid on a MAP award. The funds allocated for MAP may be used only for MAP, nothing else.

Please watch for your BR's posting of the date, time and place of your vote at your school. The results of your school's vote must be turned into the OCEA office by January 17, 2008.

Merit Award Program (Adobe PDF file)

MERIT AWARD PARTICIPATION BY DISTRICT

Please remember to vote at your school to determine if we should participate and negotiate a Merit Award Program for 2008-09.