CHAPTER 6.00 - PERSONNEL

6.09  Florida Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program

I. The Florida Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Allocation is created to provide recruitment, retention and recognition awards to classroom teachers, instructional personnel, and principals based on criteria as defined in s. 1012.01(2), and is to be funded as provided in s. 1011.62(18).

Definitions

For the purpose of this policy, the following definitions shall apply:

A. Classroom Teacher – defined in Florida Statute 1012.01(2)(a) to include K-12 teachers that are assigned the professional activity of instructing students in courses in classroom situations, including basic instruction, exceptional student education, career education and adult education. By law, it does not include teachers exclusively serving students in Pre-K or post-secondary programs. Teachers will be determined to be “classroom teachers” if they are assigned K-12 students in one or more courses for at least one period during each student day and provide regular instruction to those assigned students.

B. Content Expert in Math, Science, Computer Science, Reading or Civics – Defined by Florida State Board of Education Rule 6AER19-01 as a teacher who has earned at least a Master’s Degree in one or more of the associated subject areas, or who has earned a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 5 years of work experience in one or more of the associated subject areas.

C. Instructional Personnel – Defined in Florida Statute 1012.01(2)(a) – (e) (All certified instructional employees paid on the Instructional Salary Schedule) (All full-time para professionals paid on the Paraprofessional Salary Schedule) as any K-12 staff member whose function includes the provision of direct instructional services to students or whose functions provide direct support in the learning process of students.

D. Newly Hired – Initial employment in Dixie County as an instructional staff member. This initial employment can be with either a District managed school or charter school; however, a teacher shall only be eligible for one recruitment award with the Dixie County School District. Teachers previously employed in an instructional capacity in any Dixie County school or department, District managed or charter, prior to July 1, 2019, shall not be eligible for an award from this category.

E. Performance Criteria and Policies Adopted by the Board – for the purpose of this award, this provision shall be defined as instructional personnel who received an overall summative evaluation rating of “Highly Effective” or

“Effective” for the school year immediately preceding the award year.

F. Principal – defined in Florida Statute 1012.01(3)(c) as K-12 staff members performing the assigned activities as the administrative head of a school and to whom have been delegated responsibility for the coordination and administrative direction of the instructional and non-instructional activities of the school. This does not include principals exclusively serving Pre-K or postsecondary programs.

G. Qualifying School – A school that has improved an average of 3 percentage points or more in the percentage of total possible points achieved for determining school grades over the past 3 years. Annually, a list of eligible schools will be identified by the Florida Department of Education and provided to the District. Schools that receive an improvement rating instead of a school grade have been determined to be ineligible by the Florida Department

of Education Rule.

I. Recognition Award – must be rated highly effective or effective the preceding year and selected by their principal.

J. Two Consecutive School Years – the current school year in which the awards are to be paid, and the school year immediately preceding the award year.

II. Award Categories

The following teacher and principal awards are to be provided by the District or applicable charter school governing board utilizing the annual appropriation identified by the State:

A. Recruitment Award: A one-time award for Section 1012.731(3)(a) provides for a newly hired classroom teacher determined to be a content expert based on criteria established under the Florida State Board of Education Rule 6AER19-01 in the areas of math, science, computer science, reading or civics.

1. Began working for the District on or after July 1, 2019 for the 2019/2020 school year, or began working for the District after the completion of the preceding February FTE survey window for all subsequent years;
2. Was employed continuously in a classroom teacher position through the payment date of the award or the last scheduled workday of the year in which the award is paid, whichever occurs first; and
3. Completed any District required application for the award and provided any supporting documentation requested by the District to verify eligibility for the award.

B.  Retention Award (Classroom Teacher): Available to classroom teacher who: 

1.  Retention Award (Classroom Teacher): Available to classroom teacher who: 
2. Was employed as a classroom teacher during 3 of the 4 October and February FTE survey windows at the same eligible school over the two-year eligibility period;
3.  Are teaching at a qualifying school;
4.  Employed in a classroom teacher position at the same qualifying school for two consecutive years through the payment dated of the award or the last scheduled workday of the year in which the award is paid, whichever occurs first; and
5. Completed any District required application for the award, and provided any supporting documentation identified by the district to verify eligibility for an award.

C. Retention Award (School Principal) – Principal shall be eligible for an annual principal retention award provided he/she:

1.  Was employed as a principal during 7 of the 8 October and February FTE survey windows at the same eligible school over the four-year eligibility period;
2. Are currently serving as the school principal at the same qualifying school through the payment date of the award or the last scheduled workday of the year in which the award is paid, whichever occurs first;
3. Served as the school principal at that same school for 4 consecutive school years, including the current school year; and
4. . Completed any District required application for the award, and provided any supporting documentation identified by the District to verify eligibility for an award.

D. Recognition Award: Available to instructional personnel who:

1.  Were employed in an eligible instructional position through the payment date of the award or the last scheduled workday of the year in which the award is paid, whichever occurs first;
2. Received a summative evaluation rating of “Highly Effective” or “Effective” the preceding year;
3. Selected by his/her school principal to receive the award, based on performance criteria and policies adopted by the District or charter school governing board; and
4. Completed any District required application for the award, and provided any supporting documentation identified by the District to verify eligibility for an award.

III. As determined by the District, provided he/she meets all of the eligibility criteria for each award individually.

A. Eligibility Decisions

As stated above, the District my require an application and/or supporting documentation to be provided by an employee seeking payment of one or more of the awards associated with the Florida Best and Brightest teacher and Principal Allocation. Failure of an employee to provide timely or sufficient applications or supporting documentation, when requested, shall be considered a waiver of eligibility and the employee will not be entitled to an award. The sufficiency of an application and/or supporting documentation for any of the awards associated with the Florida Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Allocation shall be determined by the Office for Human Resources, such decisions will be considered final.

B. Funding

The Florida Legislature annually establishes the total funding allocation for each school district. The District’s allocation is based on its proportional share of statewide FEFP base funding using weighted FTE. Each approved charter school operating within the District shall be provided its proportional share of the District’s allocation using the same FEFP base funding and weighted FTE formula employed by the state to determine the District’s allocation.

C. Award Amounts

The maximum amount of each award is established by the Florida Legislature through the annual General Appropriations Act. The District and charter school governing boards must pay the full award amounts specified in law for categories 1, 2 and 3 prior to paying any category 4 awards. The amount of individual category 4 awards shall be determined by dividing the number of eligible instructional personnel by the total amount of funding remaining after all category 1, 2 and 3 awards have been paid in full. Should the District’s or individual charter school governing board’s specific appropriation of funds be insufficient to pay the full award amounts specified in law for categories 1, 2, and 3; each award amount shall be pro-rated to match the District’s or charter school governing board’s specific appropriation and no category 4 awards will be paid. 

The award amounts identified in law, or, in the case of category four awards, by policy are considered gross award amounts. All applicable employer and employee withholdings shall be deducted from these gross award amounts prior to payment of any award to an eligible instructional staff member or principal. Final eligibility for all award amounts shall be determined at the end of each academic year, and awards shall be paid prior to the end of the fiscal year. 

D. Duration 

Should the statutory framework or specific categorical funding appropriation related to the Florida Best and Brightest Teacher of Principal allocation be withdrawn or substantially amended by the Florida Legislature or a court of competent jurisdiction, this policy and the payments of any awards shall be immediately suspended until such time as a successor policy is developed and approved. Should any portion of this policy be determined to be inconsistent with state law or deemed otherwise invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, this policy and the payment of awards shall be immediately suspended until such time as a successor policy is developed and approved. 

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: 1012.01; 1012.34; 1011.62, F.S. 

LAWS IMPLEMENTED: 1012.731, F.S. 

HISTORY: 

Adopted: January 14, 2020 

Revision Date(s): 

Formerly: