Comments on: Teacher Pay Could Be Tied To Student Performance

By: Jim Pietraz

Jim Pietraz — Mon, 28 May 2012 20:51:03 +0000

This idea should not be allowed unless the high- and-mighty legislators tie their own pay to the unemployment in their state. If the state is not doing well, they get half of their pay! If the state is not doing better at the end of their term, they are KICKED out of office!

By: Connie

Connie — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:32:19 +0000

I don’t think anyone should have the power to institute this kind of tactic where pay is tied to the performance of their subordinates test scores like teacher pay based on their student’s test performances, unless the one issuing this power also has their job tied to some subordinate’s test performances! That is the only way to understand how these teachers will feel and what is at stake for them.

By: Atmore resident

Atmore resident — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:31:35 +0000

Sw
When principals, reading and math supervisors with the county and state come in the classroom to observe teachers wouldn’t that be called evaluations. Also special needs students do make a difference.The students that are severe handicapped do not but the learning disabled that take the same standardized tests as the others without the accommdations do.Why do you think Huxford does so much better than Rachel Patterson and A C Moore? Because they do not have a high percentage of special needs like Atmore.

By: One more teacher...........

One more teacher........... — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:16:02 +0000

SW-

That would imply an entry and exit exam-works for me.

I’m sure you’re well educated, but I’m not sure if you understand entry/exit exams…….

Could you imagine comparing “typing” exam results which evaluate whether or not a child has memorized the keys on a keyboard to “reading” exam results which evaluate whether or not a child can analyze and synthesize and apply the skills of comparing/contrasting, reference/research, determining main idea, and using context clues in reading passages that are at or above grade level?

Should the reading teacher get more pay if students are successful?
Should the typing teacher get the same pay if her students have memorized the keys?

These are questions that no one would want to answer. Actually, there is no answer that is best for all involved………….

By: SW

SW — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:23:08 +0000

>Parenwithabrain

I am college educated; I work a job that is on call 24/7 even though I have weekends and holidays ‘off’. My job performance is evaluated annually by my supervisor, and approved by his supervisor; whether or not I get a raise or a bonus is determined by my job performance in relation to the company’s goals. My performance is based on the actions of 150 employees in several sectors of the company’s business over whom i have absolutely no direct control; these employees are included in every range of intelligence and skill level. If I can’t show or explain changes in the company’s performance then my job is in jeopardy.

I don’t have a union pulling for me; I don’t have tenure to give me security. I have to perform daily, monthly, and yearly. If I don’t perform, my company can replace me without any cause whatsoever.

The difference in my job and that of a teacher is that my employer can’t forcibly take money from you to pay my salary whether my job performance is good or not. By the way, I would compare my salary to most teachers.

I am not against teachers, I am just against bad teachers. An equitable procedure of evaluation should only be fair enough. Why is it every time some type of evaluation method discussed results in the moaning, groaning, and gnashing of teeth?

By: One more teacher...........

One more teacher........... — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:09:02 +0000

As far as I can tell, it is impossible to create a plan for performance pay that ensures that all teachers are evaluated fairly. Although it is definitely possible for a large percentage of low-performing students to show learning gains, several variables contribute to the fact that performance pay plans are biased. Class size, subject area taught, amount of uninterrupted class time, access to supplies and resources, administrative handling of discipline, frequent change in the scheduling of students, and student attendance rates vary immensely from classroom to classroom. Teacher effectiveness can probably be measured best by a combination of student surveys, observation of instruction and student/teacher interaction, and student learning gains on standardized testing. Even with this combination of evaluation measures, bias regarding which teacher receives what monetary reward will always exist. For performance pay plans to be effective, someone will have to create a plan that answers the question, “Is this teacher doing his or her best? “, and finding an answer to this question would be extremely difficult. …………..

By: Parentwithabrain

Parentwithabrain — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:19:50 +0000

How many college educated people outside of education face pink slips every year for the first five years of their employment? I always hear how teachers have this cushy job, working bankers (or better) hours, weekends off, holidays, vacation, summer. Yet I wonder how many of you actually know how many hours teachers work outside of the school? Preparing lesson plans, grading papers, etc. How many of you spend hundreds of dollars out of your own pocket each year for your “customers”? Meanwhile you are one of the lower paid of the college educated. You get to deal with children who have so many issues. Children whose issues often stem from their home lives. Parents divorcing, parents trashing each other, parents on drugs or drunk, abuse, neglect, homelessness. And then we want to freak out when the student doesn’t score well on a test? Seriously?

Then we have children who are learning challenged. Great. I have a son who is learning challenged. I can only imagine how welcomed he will be in the mainstream classroom. Will they try to force him in to a controlled ESE classroom even though he doesn’t need it? Just so they don’t have to worry about his test scores dragging them down?

This is ridiculous. I work in education and there are students who flat out don’t wanna. So now what? How many of you have jobs that rely upon what twenty students do in your classroom?

By: SW

SW — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:02:33 +0000

>Note

Apples and oranges. However, most doctors and lawyers are private sector; exceptions always.

In a way, though, they are paid by cases; successful ones do the best work and do well, the others go broke. In both cases there is professional oversight. In all cases bad ones lose their license after due process. The market determines rate of pay or success, would you agree?

I agree with Ms Parker, maybe tenure is the issue.

With the exception of special needs students, I bet reinstating discipline would help for those apathetic students.

By: Janice Parker

Janice Parker — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:04:08 +0000

The number of students a teacher has in their classrooms determines the number of problems that teacher has everyday. I highly respect most teachers. They really have to love it to keep it up, and most of the time it is a thankless job. We do have a few bad apples so to speak, but as a whole, I think we do have some good teachers. I don’t think they ought to be judged this way. My problem is with this tenure business. That’s what needs to be changed. We can’t get rid of these “bad apples” because of this. Janice Parker

By: NOTE

NOTE — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:00:01 +0000

Wow. Are doctors evaluated on how many patients live versus those who die? Are attorneys evaluated on how many cases they win versus how many they lose? Who decides if these professionals can keep their license or charge a client/patient a fee for services rendered if they lose one, two, three cases/lives a year?

Teachers are accountable for what they teach, mandated by state and county policy. They don’t get to pick or choose the students assigned to their classes. Student apathy and entitlement have become the rules, not the exceptions. Lack of pride and accomplishment among students is becoming prevalent in our classrooms today. Would you like to get paid based on that criteria?