Teacher Debit Card Program Struggling
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Governor Rick Scott's plan to give teacher's state-funded debit cards has not taken off like the chief executive's office had hoped.
According to CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald, the cards have been accepted by just seven of the state's 67 school districts. Broward County turned down the debit card plan while Miami-Dade County schools accepted the cards.
Critics said the debit cards won't be issued until late September and by then most teachers have already purchased most of the supplies they need to start the school year.
Plus, according to the Herald, teachers in the other districts will still get the money either in the form of an addition to their paycheck or in a separate check issued by the school district.
The debit card plan was wrapped into Scott's overall education plan which sought pay raises for teachers and replaced some of the billions that were taken out of the education budget over the past two years.
The Herald reported that the debit card plan isn't new and more of an extension of the Teachers Lead program that had previously given teachers an extra $180 to spend on school supplies.
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