Two Florida teachers unions are challenging a aw that eliminated tenure and tied part of teacher pay to student performance. The lawsuit alleges that the changes took away the right to negotiate terms and conditions of employment, which they say are protected under the state constitution. Supporters of the law say that it helps measure teacher performance and keep bad teaches out of the classroom. The law, which goes into effect in 2014, would tie a third of pay to student performance and only allow one-year contracts.
See "Teachers unions challenge Florida's merit-pay law in court", Matt Dixon, Florida Times-Union, September 14, 2011