Florida Tribune reports This year’s version of a teacher merit pay bill sailed through the Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee last week. The bill has been retooled since last year. SB 736 will apply only to new teachers for its first three years, at which point veterans can choose whether they want to opt in. New teachers will be offered annual contracts for their first three years, followed by three-year contracts thereafter. Their pay would be based on a 50/50 combination of FCAT results and individual learning gains. Read more.