Bennett: Fla. needs 'Plan B' for FCAT replacement

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida's new education commissioner says the state needs a "Plan B" in case the anticipated replacement for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT, fails to materialize or is delayed.

Commissioner Tony Bennett told the State Board of Education at the panel's meeting Monday in Orlando that he'll offer such a plan in the next couple months.

The board also received a letter from Gov. Rick Scott pitching his proposal to give all teachers a $2,500 pay raise. The board had no immediate response.

The Republican governor defends his break from GOP orthodoxy. Republicans have in recent years promoted merit pay as opposed to an across-the-board raise.

One reason Scott cites is that Florida's teachers have earned the highest overall grade from the National Council on Teacher Quality.