Salary boost. How do you feel?

[John Galt]

[exploited]

[Dylan]

I think tests would have to be pretty different from the ones I took if they're going to be useful....

[Saz]

[Philly]

[exploited]

[Philly]

I'm for more unions too, and as I said, education budgets are just way too slim so it's not like the option is there for them to trade away tenure for better salaries anyway.

So if I'm dealing with this issue in the realm of what's currently politically and fiscally feasible, I see why the f**k up idea of merit pay has traction. The union doesn't have to give up job security, teachers who don't do their job just won't get the extra money. The budget doesn't take too much of a beating because plenty of teachers, good and bad, won't hit whatever goals they make up. And also there's a popular sentiment among idiots (who we all know are prominent in local government) that teachers are overpaid and have it too good, so once you introduce merit pay they'll love saying that teachers aren't underpaid, they just need to go earn their merit pay.

A terrible system all around but one that you could possibly actually put into place under the guise of doing something to improve education.

[Saz]

[Philly]

I don't blame unions for making it ridiculously hard to fire their members since they can't negotiate decent pay for them. I think if the money is on the table, the unions need to make the trade, but everywhere I look education budgets are getting cut.

That article you wrote about DC does the two tier thing I hate, but before I can comment any more on it I'd have to see if it's really a fair deal for teachers to make 6 figures or if its like 6 figures after 30 years with the school and top 3% test scores every year, etc. But this is definitely what I want to go to. More pay, more accountability.

[Philly]

I can't really figure out who wouldn't like my high base pay and real accountability plan. As I said, I'm not going to pretend to have the expertise to come up with an evaluation but shit, someone in the education world has to be able to come up with a set of criteria that teachers can look at and say "Regardless of what kind of kids are in my class, if I'm not meeting the items on this list, I'm not really doing my job". Use that to create evaluation system, bump starting pay to like 120K ballpark, give experienced teachers an appropriate amount above that commensurate with experience and go.

Teachers who don't pass the evaluation the first year will be informed, with an explanation of what they need to improve. Additional resources to facilitate improvement should be given as well. The second year, the failing teacher will have the option to seek guidance from school administrators or successful, experienced teachers who want to participate in a mentor program. If, after a rookie year of experience and the guidance given to help them improve, if they fail again year two, they're done.

As for more seasoned teachers who over time seem to check out (this was the real problem when I was in school) the program is pretty similar. Since these teachers likely know whats up but may just get disillusioned and apathetic, the first time they screw up it's the same notification and they can seek guidance if they feel it's needed. Two in a row and again that's a termination. BUT, after any teacher has successfully gone through their first two years, they will be terminated at any point in their career if they have a total of 3 failed school years. So they can't just keep falling into apathy and then bounce back when they get busted. 2 consecutive and you're done. 3 total, done.


So back to who wouldn't like it: The one group is idiots who just think teachers are overpaid regardless of how hard they work - f**k those guys anyway. The other is teachers who have been apathetic desk warmers for 10+ years and are too stuck in their ways to start actually doing their jobs again. They know under my plan they'll get 2 years of 6 figures and then terminated.

So other than those two groups - one of them complete idiots and the other a bunch of vile miscreants - I don't know why anyone would think my plan is bad. But I'm getting some nice push back in this thread that's at least helped me revise and perfect it so thanks.