Jeb Bush Reward Top Teachers

Posted on Tue, Jan. 15, 2008

Former Gov. Jeb Bush announced the formation Tuesday of a second organization to advance his education policy goals, including school accountability, teacher merit pay and vouchers that allow children to attend private schools at public expense.

The new Foundation for Excellence in Education will focus on carrying out programs to demonstrate such policies including cash awards of at least $2,500 for up to 100 of Florida's top teachers and their classrooms. Selection will be based on how much their students have improved on standardized reading and math tests.

Unlike Bush's Foundation for Florida's Future, which advocates education policy, the new organization will qualify for tax-free contributions, said Tiffany Koenigkramer, a spokeswoman for both groups.

"Reform is never finished and success is never final," Bush said in a news release. "A perpetual cycle of reform will lead to sustained improvement for the long-term."

Read more....