Help Protect Florida's National Board Certification Mentoring Program

Florida’s educators need your help. You can volunteer to contact your state legislator who is a member of Florida’s House Schools and Learning Council and help protect Florida’s National Board Certification mentoring program in the 2007-08 state budget. The program has already been cut by $14 million, and additional cuts are being considered by the House Schools and Learning Council as early as this week. (This is different from similar action in the Florida Senate last week.) Additional cuts could result in teachers who have already earned the bonuses losing some of their bonus money after the fact. Should you desire to contact your legislator regarding this issue, the following points may be helpful in crafting an e-mail message or a phone call (Note: Contact information is listed at the end of this e-mail): Thank your legislator for his or her steadfast support of teaching excellence in Florida—and specifically, for past support of the Dale Hickam Excellent Teacher Program. Explain that: The Dale Hickam Excellent Teacher Program is the only successful state-funded pay supplement based on excellence in the classroom. The budget for the program has already been cut by $14M during the special session, which could result in reducing the mentoring bonuses that teachers earned by performing extra work – after they have already done the work. You are concerned that the Dale Hickam program could be again in harm’s way because of the state’s need for additional budget cuts in the current fiscal year. Further reducing the mentoring bonus provided by the Dale Hickman program could compromise the future of the entire program. Many teachers would likely be wary of future mentoring commitments if there is no reasonable assurance they will receive the promised compensation; and many teachers might not be paid for mentoring work that they have already done – which would be unfair. You understand Florida is facing severe economic and budget challenges; however, teachers and the students they serve are critical to the future or our state and our nation. Thus, funding directed into classrooms and targeted to quality education should only be reduced as a last resort. Reinforce your appreciation of his or her past support—and for doing the right thing now on behalf of education excellence in your state. The phone numbers and email addresses of the members of Florida’s House Schools and Learning Council are listed below. To send an e-mail, simply: 1. Click on the e-mail link ("Contact via Web Form") that will connect you with your elected official (see below). 2. Prepare your personal e-mail using the above information to craft your own message. 3. Send it (and don’t forget to include your name and other information so your elected official will know you are a constituent). Representative Joe Hill Pickens District office: 3841 Reid St. Ste. 5, Palatka, FL 32177-2509 Ph: 386.312.2272 County: Bradford, Clay, Lake, Marion, Putnam, Volusia E-mail: Contact via Web Form Representative Trey Traviesa District Office: 410 S. Ware Blvd. Ste. 105, Tampa, FL 33619 Ph: 813.740.7655 County: Hillsborough E-mail: Contact Via Web Form. Representative Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall District Office: 1521 NW 54th Street, Ste. 1521 E. Miami, FL 33142 Ph: 305.694.2958 County: Miami-Dade E-mail: Contact Via Web Form. Representative Thad Altman District Office: 7025 N. Wickham Road, Ste. 108, Melbourne, FL 32940 Ph: 321.752.3138 County: Brevard E-mail: Contact Via Web Form. Representative Marti Coley District Office: 3094 Indian Cr. Bldg. L, Rm 108, Marianna, FL 32446 Ph: 850.718.0047 County: Bay, Calhoun, Gadsden, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Wakulla, Walton E-mail: Contact Via Web Form. Representative Anitere Flores District Office: 1405 SW 107th Avenue, Ste. 205-C, Miami, FL 33174 Ph: 305.227.7626 County: Miami-Dade E-mail: Contact Via Web Form. Representative Clay Ford District Office: 1804 W. Garden Street, Pensacola, FL 32501 Ph: 850.595.5500 County: Escambia, Santa Rosa E-mail: Contact Via Web Form Representative Bill Heller District Office: 400 4th Street N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Ph: 727.552.2573 County: Pinellas E-mail: Contact Via Web Form. Representative Martin Kiar District Office: 6600 University Dr. Parkland, FL 33067 Ph: 954.346.2813 County: Broward E-mail: Contact Via Web Form Representative John Legg District Office: 10014 Grove Dr. Ste. B, Port Richey, FL 34668 Ph: 727.869.8600 County: Pasco Email: Contact Via Web Form. Representative Janet Long District Office: 5511 Park St. N, Ste. 101, Colonial Bank Bldg. St. Petersburg, FL 33709 Ph: 727.545.6421 County: Pinellas E-mail: Contact Via Web Form. Representative Charles McBurney District Office: 76 S. Laura Street, Ste. 200, Jacksonville, FL 32202 Ph: 904.359.6090 County: Duval E-mail: Contact Via Web Form Representative Seth McKeel District Office: 250 E. Highland Dr. Lakeland, FL 33813 Ph: 863.647.4896 County: Polk, Hillsborough E-mail: Contact Via Web Form. Representative Bill Proctor District Office: 900 SR 16, Ste. 2, St. Augustine, FL 32084 Ph: 904.823.2550 County: Clay, St. Johns, Flagler E-mail: Contact Via Web Form. Representative David Simmons District Office: 393 Center Pointe Cir. Ste. 1427, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 Ph: 407.262.7520 County: Orange, Seminole E-mail: Contact Via Web Form. Representative Shelley Vana District Office: 1280 N. Congress Ave. Ste. 100, West Palm Beach, FL 33409 Ph: 561.640.6120 County: Palm Beach E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.