Bill Sublette: 'Pay could be better for teachers'

Bill Sublette, an attorney by profession, won a Republican seat in the Florida House of Representatives in 1992, where he served for eight years. He ran for Florida's 8^th Congressional District in 2000, but he was defeated in the runoff by Ric Keller, who would go on to defeat Orange County Chairwoman Linda Chapin in the general election.

Fast-forward to 2010, when Sublette was elected as the chairman of the Orange County School Board -- the position he currently holds.

In his law office overlooking downtown Orange Avenue one afternoon, he was quite candid about his beginnings, his political life and his concern for the education system in Orange County.

So, I asked him about his feelings on the FCAT.

Sublette said he wants to make it clear that FCAT is not Common Core and that there will be a new set of tests.

"We're not sure what those will be yet," he said. "There is the issue of are we spending too much time in test preparation. I think we are, and I think we need the state to help us dial back on the amount of time that goes into FCAT preparation."

Sublette also had very strong comments on merit pay for teachers.

"Pay could be better for teachers, and I think it's a giant problem in our country and I'm glad to see our country finally starting to focus at the national level on teacher pay," he said.

Sublette said it's not so much what we pay entry-level teachers: A 22-year-old coming out of college earns $37,000 a year -- more than a starting public defender makes or a starting state attorney. The tragedy, Sublette said, is what the teacher makes after 15 or 20 years of teaching.

Instead of merit pay, Sublette recommends a concept he called master pay.

Talking on a more personal level, you would be surprised to know how Sublette sees himself and to hear him tell some of the things he has pushed himself to do.

He smiles when I ask him if there is a friendly competition between the school systems in Orange and Seminole counties.

Click on the link in the upper right corner to hear who had the most effect on the man he has become.