Posted on Thu, Apr. 15, 2010

After weeks of protest and a deluge of messages, Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday vetoed a bill that would link teacher pay to student test scores and wipe out tenure for new teachers.

``I know in my heart it's the right thing to do,'' Crist said of his veto.

His decision, announced shortly after noon Thursday, came as little surprise. Although Crist initially voiced support for the bill, he had distanced himself over the past week as protests mounted.

``I say we must start over,'' the governor said. ``This bill has negatively affected the morale of our parents, teachers and students.''

With just a little over two weeks left in the session, many educators and politicians have expressed doubt the Legislature can rewrite the bill and get it passed.

The Florida Senate passed the bill 21-17; it got through the House of Representatives by a 64-55 vote. The bill had strong support among Republican Party leadership, but some in the GOP joined Democrats in opposition.

``I'm disappointed,'' said state GOP Chairman Sen. John Thrasher, who sponsored the bill in the Senate.

Crist has been inundated with messages about the bill, receiving more than 109,000. Though about 49,000 were still unread, almost 58,000 of the messages that had been logged were against the bill.

He had frequently said that he wanted to take his time to hear from his ``bosses,'' the people of Florida, as he made up his mind.

Thousands of teachers in Miami-Dade took the day off Monday in protest; students throughout South Florida have walked out of class to show how they feel.

Under the bill, half of a teacher's evaluation would depend on what kind of learning gains their students made. Those evaluations would determine their pay. New teachers would have been hired on annual contracts with no chance of tenure.