Best and Brightest

Florida’s Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program, established by the Florida Legislature, offers classroom teachers a monetary scholarship based on SAT or ACT scores and job performance evaluations. To qualify, a classroom teacher must have received a “highly effective” rating on their most recent performance evaluation and have scored at or above the 80th percentile on the SAT or ACT.  Beginning classroom teachers who have not been evaluated must only submit official documentation showing that their score on the SAT or ACT meets the eligibility requirements.  The amended statute indicates that a school district or charter school employee who is eligible for the $6,000 scholarship and who is no longer a classroom teacher may receive a Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship award if the employee met the requirement as a classroom teacher in the prior school year and was rated highly effective.

Classroom teachers can receive up to $6,000. However, if the number of eligible teachers statewide causes bonuses to exceed the total amount of the legislative appropriation, the Florida Department of Education will prorate the per-teacher scholarship amount.  Please read the Q and A document for additional details to assist in understanding the program’s parameters and provisions.

Classroom teachers must submit a completed Florida’s Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Application Form with the requested documentation to Marla Grant in Human Resources, by November 1, 2018.  Note, previous recipients must submit the complete application form only.

If you have additional questions, please email Marla Grant, Director of Human Resources at marla.grant@stlucieschools.org.