Raising the pay
The question of providing merit pay and added incentives for effective classroom teachers has many lawmakers and teacher unions on opposing ends.
Do you think performance based incentives for teachers will improve student achievement?
Comments
1. Dick said...
Why an incentive for doing your job.They get more holidays than most and summers too
3. Monica said...
They dont do a damn thing and now a raise.Every time there is a problem.they call me to settle it. Give me the damn raise
4. Celeste said...
I think the idea of rewarding excellence and proven results has always been lacking in the schools.There will be fewer teachers seeking different careers if the compensation was equal to the skills required.We have failing schools because the good teachers have moved on to the corporate world leaving the least experienced new teachers to educate our future leaders. They will only stay until something better comes along.
5. William+Green said...
I'm glad you ask, and my opinion is no. I beleive that those educators who chose teaching as a profession are aware of the ranges of salaries. I beleive also that they become teacher for the love of developing young minds. What would really improve the students achievements in the classroom is, more parents spending time in the evening at the table perusing their children school work from that day, and builting a parent, teacher relationship with the teacher. Money is not always the answer.
7. kevin said...
Just and equitable reward for my fellow teachers.Teaching is the most undervalued profession in this country.
8. Dave said...
Why is it considered taboo to evaluate and pay educators based on performance.The unions encourage mediocrity by assuming that all should be paid the same regardless of skill.I have no problem wit yearly COL for all as along as the merit is based on performance.
9. Candy James said...
YES!!!They deserve it.
11. TP said...
What about charter schools?Competition is good.Everyone gets better
13. howie said...
I agree with William+Green - Parents need to step up and take their inherent responsibility. It is not just up to the teacher to provide new achievement levels. The teacher is there to teach - the Parents are suppose to make sure their kids are following (and respecting!) the teacher's directives. I am highly involved with my kid's homework, finding out what goes on their day, in the classroom, checking the teacher postings on-line etc.
I'm not belittling the importance of the teaching profession - but pay grades in our industries are what they are. I am in a profession that I could consider to be underpaid as well - but I am in it because I like what I do - and I do it well.
If you want to talk about underpaid workers - lets talk about our law enforcement and fire personnel.
15. Gene said...
The term underpaid is relative and overused
17. Wayne said...
I know everyone has seen the movie "lean on me" with Morgan freeman as Joe Lewis Clark. People if you pay attention to the movie and understand what the real joe clark was trying to convey in the movie than you will understand what Good educators are suppose to do for the children they teach.
Good lesson plans, take time to teach them, insprie the mind of the young, don't beat the students down just because they come from low - middle income homes.
Educators: What are you doing to teach the young student and leaders of tommorrow? Are you really preparing them for what the future.
School Administrators: What is your role in proving programs for the schools you administrate?
Govt officials: What are you doing to help in the cause?
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND!!!!! Are you supporting them or are you giving us the old song and dance answer. We have no money or even better we had to use it for something more pressing than educating our young leaders of tommorrow.
Get a grip folks. Educators: Yes need to be paid for your hard dedicated work, not for putting up with the students like a baby sitter. No Incentives NO!!!! Your incentive and reward for your hard dedicated service should be to see these young folks make something of themselves and you know that besides the parents, you had a small part in thier success.
We need strong teachers, educators, administrators etc, to stand up and make sure they are doing what they were trained to do and that is teach the students.
If you don't have a teaching spirit or passion to teach, than you don't need to be a teacher. You need to care and you need to connect with the students, so they know someone cares about them.
The BAD, ROUGH, DRUG TYPE Student need a special type setting such as a military boot camp style setting and teach them. This should help them and redirect their misguided minds back to reality.
Riddle me this: Why is it that foreign nationals students in their countries stay in school longer than american students.
Also why is it that Asian American students do better in in certain subjects than american students.
Try this on for size: one word. Discipline!!!
Get over the poor me attitude and DO something!!!!
Lets STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND DO SOMETHING POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!
The idea is to educate Young students to become future Leaders, not educate them to be lazy.
19. Shell said...
No! Unless the parents do their jobs first. I am a teacher and I am sick of providing materials, food, clothing and other items to my students. Now, these same students who come to school sleepy, hungry and unprepared will determine if I get a raise! Another thing- I wish people would stop saying "teachers get the summers off". If people would take the time to count the days we really get off and compare to other careers- the days are the same- I know this because I did it- my sister, who is a doctor gets MORE days, with more pay and raise does not depend on if someone takes their meds or not. Finally, I'm confused- if there is a concern/problem with a child- are we not suppose to call the parents? I am a teacher- not a police officer, or guidance counselor. Discipline needs to be handled at home!
20. Bo Jackson said...
I THINK ITS A GREAT IDEA TO INCENTIVIZE OUR EDUCATORS. ITS ALWAYS GOOD TO REWARD PEOPLE WHO GO BEYOND DOING THEIR BEST. I KNOW TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO JUST TEACH AS A JOB, WHEN THEY ARE SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN A CHILDS LIFE. WHY NOT REWARD THE TEACHER WHO MOTIVATES YOUR CHILD AS MUCH AS YOU DO! SO MANY PEOPLE WORK BECAUSE ITS A JOB, AND THAT LEAVES A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY CARE.
21. Gary said...
Rewarding excellence!It is a no brainer. The teachers,administrators,students and parents all win.
23. hank said...
Subjective evaluations based on performance can turn into a popularity and beauty contest.
25. FreddyB said...
Just heard this on the radio! I had no idea you are based here on Richmond Yes,anything to improve performance should at least be tried!
26. Doug said...
My concern is that these incentives should be based on more than teaching a child how to "fill in a circle" on a test. Teaching children how to create and to become critical thinkers should be rewarded. In my opininion that is the only way to measure the effectiveness of teaching .
27. Jeff said...
Many teachers do not have job descriptions that can be fairly judged in order to compensate them for student achievement. In subjects that don't have standardized testing, like the arts, gym, health, and special education, teacher evaluations would be based solely on the discretion of supervisors, meaning that teachers who cause less trouble for the administration would get rewarded more than those who do a good job.
Teachers have a tough job. When they don't do the parents' job for them, they get blamed for anything that goes wrong. When they do the parents' job, they get criticized for punishing kids or sticking there nose where it doesn't belong. A teacher only has a very limited amount of time with individual children, where the parents, even if working two jobs, can sit down for some one-on-one time at least occassionaly.
29. Larry said...
Why would you not want to give teacher an incentive to do a better job. I have employees that will "do their job" everyday but when put out an challenge where the will get paid more their performance improve dramatically.The top performers in the teaching ranks will be at the top and the others will not.Most professionals who have pride in their work want to recognized and what better way than to fatten their bank accounts.
31. wdoug said...
I willing to bet, not one teacher will quit because they did not get a merit raise. Funny how the threat of losing your job keeps ones mouth shut.
2. Jeffrey said...
What do we have to lose.I get a bonus when my sales are above projections.Teachers are some of the most underpaid professionals today.
1/25/2010