Rhino wrote:
Pay teachers appropriately, but hold them accountable for results like other professionals are. A 10 year engineer is judged on their design skills, cost reductions, ouput rate, etc. - and if a 5 yr engineer does better, then so be it. Tenure length is a terrible measure of ability for any job, and teaching is not an exception. Results of course are not the same as test scores, or no teacher would work with the lowest stream. Improvement in test scores and progress through the curricula however relative to teachers with comparable classes, are good metrics. A teacher who gets a gifted class through 4 units in a semester with an average grade of 82% may not rate as highly as one who gets a normal stream through 3 with 68% averages. Depends what others with the same material managed, and where the kids started. Other metrics matter too, like attendance changes, 360 evaluations including students, number of units which the teacher can demonstrate mastery of themselves, and so forth
Not much anyone can do politically about the stigma of academic ability in US culture, but results will slowly change perceptions, and establishing the primacy of academics above extra-curricular pursuits would be a good start.
I actually agree with most of the points, but this one has me stymied. What about Special Education teachers? I was an Autism teacher for two years, would I never earn a raise? I got kids who couldn't tell me they needed to use the restroom, how do I test that, what is a passing score? Now these kids had different standards and accommodations than typical children, sometimes it takes years for these kids to even give eye contact. Many of the tests I had to give would say, now have the student tell you "whatever," many didn't/don't speak because they grabbed their parents hands and had whatever needed to be done for them. Now my financial well being depends on follow through at home by the parents. I worked hard with two of my students, during ESY (Extended School Year) the goal set for them was to tie their own shoes. It took the whole two weeks, but they had it down and it was awesome. They went on their break, which was about ten days, one of the kids came back and his Mother bought him shoes with velcro straps during the break ( I was fucking furious). I had some spare shoes in the classroom and asked him to tie them he didn't know how.
One of the goals on the test for him was to tie his shoes two days after he got back from break. I now have not accomplished that goal, that was clearly accomplished before. But, since the parents didn't continue with the plan, I got dinged several percentage points that could have a bearing on my pay on test day. BTW. the parents requested that tying his shoes be one of his goals.
I understand that pay should fit how much you and the children accomplish, but if my pay would depend on how they score, I am jumping to another profession as quickly as possible.
One more thing, the most annoying quote I hear from teachers and/or administrators all the time; "Remember, we are here for the children." I usually reply/or ask the question, "So, if you weren't getting paid you would still show up for work?" I am then met with nasty looks, and I say, "Well?" Silence usually follows, and I say you are here for the paycheck just like everybody else, and if you weren't getting paid you wouldn't be here, plain and simple.. Bills aren't paid for with good intentions..
p.s. I also understand that most of what is being discussed applies to typical kids in normal classrooms. I also taught 8th grade Chemistry before getting my Autism certificate, 85% of my students had a reading level of 3rd grade and lower, most were 1st and 2nd grade level. How am I, or any other person on the planet going to teach to that range of kids? What teacher would ever sign a contract to teach there when they will never meet standards? AT most you would have 15% meet AYP, and that would determine whether I keep my job, or receive higher pay, that would be terrible..
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(Plus, they are all in better physical shape than I am.)
but the greater the sample size taken from the universe of possible samples, the closer the average of that sample will approach the average of the universe - basic stats. So judging teachers on the scores of one kid who shapes up or drops out IS silly. But judging them on the scores of 125 kids, which will contain a few epiphanies and a few droputs, compared to the equivalent teachers who also have 125 kids containing some of each, is completely fair.
