Florida Is Full Of Stupid People...

...and that pool of stupid people will grow if Governor Charlie Crist doesn't veto the Teacher Pay Tied To Test Scores bill.

Interestingly enough, Secretary Arne and President Accountability were quick to publicly support the firing of all the teachers at the Central Falls, Rhode Island high school.

But Duncan wouldn't comment on the Florida law.

Haven't heard what Obama thinks about it either.

I think it is important that we get both of them on the record on this bill.

Given that Obama's RttT program and NCLB Jr. re-authorization plans both include teacher evaluations tied to test scores, I would assume both Duncan and Obama like the Florida plan a lot.

But still - time to get them on the record so that we know EXACTLY where they stand.

Then the NEA and the AFT can stop pretending like Obama is some kind of misguided friend to teachers and public education and treat him like enemy to both he really is.

POSTSCRIPT: Crist isn't a completely crazy GOPer and he may be open to rational arguments against the bill:

TALLAHASSEE — In a dramatic shift, Gov. Charlie Crist signaled Wednesday he might veto a bill tying teacher pay to student test scores, even as Florida legislators prepared for a final vote on the politically polarizing measure Thursday.

Crist, who appeared to support the merit-pay plan as late as Monday, said teacher concerns are affecting his thinking. The plan would base teacher pay raises primarily on student learning gains on standardized tests, such as the FCAT, and eliminate tenure job protections for teachers hired after July.

The Republican governor, who is running for U.S. Senate, said he spoke over the weekend with a longtime friend who has a special-needs son. “And he’s like, ‘How can my son have progress?’ It’s very challenging,” Crist said, referring to the learning gain requirement. “So it’s weighing on me heavily.”

Crist was noncommital on whether he’d sign or veto the bill, which is a top priority for Republican legislative leaders. But the outpouring from teachers has clearly had an impact. “Shame on any public servant who doesn’t listen to the people,” said the governor.

Compare that to Crist’s statement Monday, when he praised the House for holding an eight-hour hearing on the merit-pay plan and said he hoped to “have comprehensive reform bills on my desk for action this session.”

The shift fueled Capitol buzz that Crist is weighing whether to run for Senate as an independent, rather than face Marco Rubio in a closed Republican primary. Crist trails in the polls and is increasingly estranged from the conservative GOP base.

Helping sway Crist on the tenure bill: teachers like Marie Angel Welsh, who teaches at Nova Middle School in Broward and was among dozens of teachers to testify against the tenure bill in Tallahassee this week. She told legislators she’s taught at high-scoring and low-scoring schools, and teachers were “no less talented” at the latter.

I called the governor's office and left a message as a "NYC teacher with family members in Florida who are opposed to the bill."

You should call too - just wait until both the English and Spanish messages play, then you can leave a message.

• Citizen Services Hotline: (850) 488-4441