We're competing in a market where teachers can get better salaries by going elsewhere.

Until we get the base pay for all teachers up, we are going to have these recruiting and retention problems. It's like putting a fancy porch on your house when your floor is sagging.

This administration has taken the FCAT as a sole determinant. And now it will determine whether a teacher is doing a good job and we think there is so much more to it. There are so many things a teacher does in the classroom such as, classroom management, understanding his or her students and finding ways to reach the students. This provides a narrow approach to determine an outstanding teacher.

We thought that it was interesting that the governor enumerated dozens of programs that he was here marketing money for and nowhere in there was there anything for salaries.

I think a lot of what he is proposing is intended to put a happy face on the situation without addressing the real problem.

We were looking for great teachers - teachers with great enthusiasm who have a passion to coach. Then, we needed some wisdom, as well. I think we got all of those things with the combination of the three guys we hired.