SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A teacher contacted Channel 9 because she felt she'd have to choose between her job security and the possibility of more money.
Sue Carson has more than 20 years of teaching under her belt in Seminole County, and she now advocates for her peers as the teachers' union president. She said the decision teachers with tenure have to make when it comes to their pay is a no-brainer.
"As a grandfathered teacher myself, I would not even consider opting out," she said.
Teachers who are working on a grandfathered salary schedule received a letter giving them the option to switch to a performance pay scale. If they switch, their pay would be tied to testing results and their contract would have to be renewed each year.
The teachers could end up earning more money than under their current contract if their students perform well enough on the controversial standardized tests, but they could also lose out based on the results.
Pay for teachers who choose to keep their current contracts would fall somewhere in the middle of the performance pay range, even if their students get top scores.
"But that's a risk you have to take when you're doing that and you're on the grandfathered clause," said Carson.
The union is still working to negotiate salaries, so exactly how much teachers could make is still up in the air.
If a teacher options for performance pay, they can never go back to their old contract.
WFTV
