Teacher Association President Mark Castellano Pleased With Crist Veto

Fort Myers, FL

When the Charle Crist Veto started making its way around Lee County schools yesterday some teachers could be heard cheering. For sure they were relieved that the Governor rejected a Republican plan to base a teacher's pay on how well their students perform. Teachers Association of Lee County President Mark Castellano was pleased with the Governor's decision. We asked him about the veto, how Lee County Teachers can improve and his opinion on parent involvement.


What is your reaction to the Veto?
I’m pleased. I’m proud of our teachers, support personnel, parents, and everyone who is an advocate for public education for how thoroughly engaged they have been throughout this entire process. I’m impressed with Governor Crist for being so thoughtful in examining the impacts this bill would have had on our children, teachers, and public education in Florida.


Were you surprised?
I can’t say I was surprised. I suspected that with the enormous turnout statewide in terms of e-mails, phone calls, faxes, letters, rallies, protests, etc. that the Governor certainly had heard what we’ve had to say.

Do you think the veto was politically motivated being Crist supported the bill in the past?
The skeptic in me wants to say “yes” to this, but I want to believe that he made an informed decision based on the facts and not the incredible amount of fiction and misrepresentation that has been put out by its proponents.

Were you caught off guard by how quickly this bill was passed and advanced to the Governor? It seemed like it was more of a reaction than being organized before passage?
Thanks to the amazing efforts of the leadership of FEA, we were not caught off guard at all. We were kept informed from the outset. The process, which I personally witnessed on a recent visit to Tallahassee, was a charade. The Republican leadership in the House, applauded themselves for what a fine and fair process they used, but it was a “done deal” before it reached them and they knew this. It was very disheartening to sit through, but unfortunately that is the way partisan agenda driven politics works these days (and that thought applies to both Democrats and Republicans).

Are you opposed to teachers, in some way, being rewarded for children who perform well in school? 
Of course not, what I am opposed to is any system that is going to base “at least 50%” of a teacher’s salary on a single test score! I also do not oppose “performance pay”, so long as it is pay above and beyond a teacher’s base salary and does not supplant their salary. I object to funds being set aside exclusively for use as performance pay, while Florida’s average teacher salary languishes $5,000 below the national average, falling from 25th place to 37th place in the nation. I object when teacher’s are threatened with increased “accountability” (which we’ve never sought to avoid) while legislators play political games with our livelihoods!

Why is teacher tenure good?
As I’ve said endlessly, WE DO NOT HAVE TENURE! We have Professional Service Contracts. Only three counties in Florida have tenure, and Lee is not one of them. PSC entitles a teacher to DUE PROCESS. If a teacher is not performing satisfactorily, the duty of the school administrator is to discuss the deficiencies with the teacher, guide them through corrective action and assist them to make those corrections. If the teacher continues to perform unsatisfactorily, after a short period of time, that teacher can be removed from the classroom. It is DUE PROCESS, not a lifetime guarantee of job security. This has been the biggest lie of the entire propaganda machine of the proponents of SB6.

What can Lee County teachers improve on over the next 5 years and how can that happen?
This is a very difficult question to which I cannot give a blanket answer, because “Lee County teachers” are not a single entity. As a group, our teachers, and teachers across the state, have to deal with the new educational mandates thrust upon them every year. As far as improving, every teacher works to improve themselves.

Speaking for myself, each day, week, month and year, and often from class to class, I examined what I was doing with my students and thought about how I could do it better. My philosophy was, “Each day be better than I was the day before.” It is what I believed in for myself and what I taught my students. I think every teacher is responsible for making themselves better. Hopefully, their administration and the School District, will give them outlets to assist with this effort. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to be able to rely on our State DOE and the Legislature to help us in this regard.

What is the biggest challenge for you in your job?
It varies. Unfortunately, much of the time it is feeling as though I can help make a positive difference for teachers and public education. I’ve loved teaching and believed so strongly in public education for 30 years that I hate feeling discouraged or cynical about it. I want kids and teachers to have the sense of joy that I had as a student and a teacher and I’m afraid we’re losing that love for teaching and learning that motivated me to go into public education.

Are Lee County Parents involved enough in their child's education?
Some are and some aren’t. As a band director I had tremendous parental involvement, most of it very positive and helpful, some of it not. Again, it is impossible to make a blanket statement, as every child and every family situation is different. I wish that all parents would be cultivate a love of learning and seek to do so collaboratively with their child’s teachers.