Tell your friends, family and co-workers to contact their elected officials and help you stop destructive legislation. On-line assistance in crafting your letters to the elected officials, a list of email addresses and to sign up for Pump up the Volume is available. If you have any questions please Contact Us. 

florida retirement system bills

SB 6 / HB 7189 - Teacher Quality

Class Size will be on the ballot in november

The Senate passed SJR 2 – the 2010 legislative scheme to renege on class size reduction. The House version HJR 7039 was replaced with the Senate version and passed the House on April 9, 2010.  The Class Size Amendment will be on the ballot in November.

The proposed amendment would keep class-size caps at the school average and then allow schools to add three extra students in the kindergarten to 3rd grade level and five extra students at grades four through 12. Here’s what the bill could do to our classrooms:

• In 2002-03 Pre-K-3 averaged 23 students. Now 16 students. If the amendment passes classes may have 21 students.

• In 2002-03 Grades 4–8 averaged 24 students. Now 19 students. If the amendment passes classes may have 27 students.

• In 2002-03 Grades 8-12 averaged 24 students. Now 22 students. If the amendment passes classes may have 30 students. That moves past the sought-after “flexibility” right on over to “gutting” the class-size provisions voters approved eight years ago.  

Governor Crist vetoes sb 6

The Governor VETOED Senate Bill 6 Thursday, April 15th.

Please send Governor Crist an email to thank him for his support of public education.

FRS Final resultS

Today, Friday, May 28, 2010, Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed HB 5607, a proposal to reduce the annual interest rate for those state workers who enter the Deferred Retirement Option Program on or after July 1, 2010. Crist said his decision to veto HB 5607 -- which would have lowered the annual the DROP accrual rate from 6.5 percent to 3.0 percent -- was because it surfaced late in the session and should not have been "rushed through the process."

On May 13, 2010, FEA President Andy Ford sent Gov. Crist a letter requesting that the Governor veto HB 5607. HB 5607 was a bill that surfaced during the final hours of the 2010 FL Legislature and was never discussed in any Committee hearings, a point that Gov. Crist raises in his veto letter regarding HB 5607.

With FEA President Andy Ford's letter to the Governor requesting that the Governor veto HB 5607, and today's veto of HB 5607 by Gov. Crist, this means that FEA successfully defeated every last one of the 30+ bills and proposals introduced during the 2010 session of the FL Legislature that would have reduced retirement benefits for public school employees and retirees. FEA members and retirees across the state worked diligently, relentlessly, tirelessly, -- SUCCESSFULLY -- to make their voices heard, and so -- victory is ours!

FEA members made their voices heard by sending thousands of emails and phone calls to their Legislators voicing their opposition to any changes in FRS benefits. As a result of the relentless public pressure from FEA members sending emails and making phone calls to their Legislators, the proposed changes to FRS benefits failed to be included in the final legislation.

Tell your friends, family and co-workers to contact their elected officials and help you stop destructive legislation. On-line assistance in crafting your letters to the elected officials, a list of email addresses and to sign up for Pump up the Volume is available. If you have any questions please Contact Us.