Performance pay vs. grandfathered salary schedules in Florida
The Teacher File guide · how we check the data
Open almost any Florida district's salary documents and you'll find more than one pay table. That's because Florida runs two pay systems side by side, and which one you're on depends mostly on when you were hired.
The short version
- Hired on or after July 1, 2014: you're on the performance salary schedule. Your raise each year depends on your evaluation.
- Hired before July 1, 2014, with a professional service or continuing contract: you can stay on the grandfathered schedule, usually a traditional step grid.
- A grandfathered teacher can move to the performance schedule, but gives up that contract to do it.
What the law requires
Florida law requires every district to pay teachers hired on or after July 1, 2014 on a performance salary schedule (s. 1012.22(1)(c)5., Florida Statutes). It sets the rules for the raises on that schedule:
- A Highly Effective rating must earn a raise at least 25% larger than the biggest annual raise the district offers the same kind of employee on any other schedule.
- An Effective rating earns 50% to 75% of the Highly Effective raise.
- Any lower rating earns no annual raise.
The law sets the shape; the size of each year's raise is bargained between each district and its union. That's why the same rating can be worth a few hundred dollars in one county and a few thousand in the next.
How each district handles it
Some districts publish a pay table by year of experience instead of a raise percentage; each district page lists the full tables and who each applies to.
Why it matters if you're changing districts
When you change districts, the new district decides where you start on its schedule, based on how much of your experience it credits. A teacher hired today is placed on the performance schedule. Some districts credit experience generously and some barely at all, so compare before you move: thesalary calculator ranks what each district would pay you.
Districts that publish a grandfathered or continuing-contract table: Broward, Collier, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade and Pinellas.
Common questions
What is the grandfathered salary schedule in Florida?
It is the traditional pay schedule for teachers hired before July 1, 2014 who kept their professional service or continuing contract. Teachers hired since then are paid on a performance salary schedule, as Florida law requires.
Can a grandfathered teacher switch to the performance schedule?
Yes. Under s. 1012.22, Florida Statutes, a teacher on the grandfathered schedule can move to the performance schedule, but gives up their professional service or continuing contract to do it.
How big is the raise for a Highly Effective rating?
It depends on the district's contract each year. Among the districts we track, Broward paid +0.65% and Orange paid +4.01% for Highly Effective teachers in their latest schedule.
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